State Class A Softball Tournament
Thursday-Saturday, May 23rd-25th
LADY PIRATES TAKE 2ND IN STATE TOURNAMENT
at Polson
Thursday, May 23rd, 2019
State A softball: Polson, Hamilton, Frenchtown, Belgrade advance to undefeated semifinals
POLSON — Polson’s Lexy Orien is only a sophomore but played on the big stage of the state tournament during last year’s run to a fourth-place finish.
Orien showed her cool and came up clutch in the Pirates’ first game at the State A softball tournament on Thursday. She launched a grand slam that got the offense going in an 11-1 win over Lewistown, moving them into an undefeated semifinal against Hamilton at 1 p.m. Friday.
“I was feeling pretty confident,” Orien said. “We were down, so I was like, ‘All right, just keep your head in it. You got it.’ I just told myself, ‘Nice, easy swing. Get the team fired up.’”
Lewistown pitcher Jessica Morgan left a pitch over the middle of the plate, and Orien clubbed it to center field to give Polson a 4-1 lead in the fourth inning. The Pirates took advantage of errors and added two more runs in the frame. They finished with 16 hits against Morgan and reliever Macy Mangold.
“It took us a while to get our bats going, but it’s just a matter of time,” Polson coach Jamie Hanson said. “You have to manufacture some runs, and Lexy came through. Even a single right there or a double gets things going. Once you can crack that egg and get things going, that’s usually what it takes.”
Kobbey Smith tallied three RBIs, and Josie Caye drove in two runs for Polson, including a solo home run to left field to lead off the fourth inning. Kallie Finkbeiner closed the game via the 10-run rule when she hit a two-run single to center field in the sixth inning.
Polson senior pitcher Lauren Vergeront surrendered three walks, two hits and one run in 5 2/3 innings. Katelyne Druyvestein got the final out.
“Lauren mixed her pitches really well,” Hanson said. “She spun the ball pretty good. She wasn’t afraid to come inside a little bit. That’s always good when you play a team that’s got a game under their belt coming in here.”
Lewistown, which beat Miles City 7-3 in the opener, will play Stevensville in a loser-out game at 9 a.m. Friday.
| Fergus | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | |
| Polson | 0 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 2 | x | 11 | 17 | 1 |
WP—Lauren Vergeron, Druyvestein (6); LP—Jessica Morgan.
LEWISTOWN — Kacee Gordon 0-3, Morgan 0-3, Macy Mangold 0-1, Bailey Castillo 2-3, Hailey Welsh 0-3, Libbey Jenness 0-2, Madison Affolder 0-3, Chelsea Jensen 0-1, Jacy Ayers 0-2.
POLSON — Josie Caye 3-4, Kaylanna DesJarlais 3-4, Paige Noyes 2-4, Lexy Orien 2-4, Savanna Carpentier 1-4, Vergeront 0-3, Katelyne Druyvestein 1-1, Kobbey Smith 3-4, Lisa Costilla 0-4, Kallie Finkbeiner 2-4.
2B—Castillo (2), Carpentier; HR—Caye, Orien; RBIs—Castillo; Caye, Orien (4). Smith (2), Finkbeiner (2).
Hamilton 2, Hardin 1
Hamilton pitcher Jorden Taggart and the rest of the seniors were stranded 15 minutes outside of Frenchtown on Wednesday when their bus broke down on the way back from a senior trip to Silverwood Theme Park.
The group of players didn’t make it to Polson until nearly midnight and had to be at the state tournament by 9 a.m. Thursday. There were no excuses for the Broncs or Taggart, who pitched Hamilton to two wins on the opening day to move into an undefeated semifinal game on Friday.
After struggling in the opening win over Ronan, Taggart found her literal footing in game two and tossed a two-hit complete game to upset Eastern A champion Hardin, 2-1. She provided the offense, too, collecting a two-out, two-run double in the third inning to give the Broncs a 2-0 lead.
“I’m feeling a lot better because that first game humbled me and made me refocus,” Taggart said. “The first game, the mound was pretty bad for me, so I just had to not think about it because it got in my head the first game. I really focused on my rise ball spin because that’s what I was struggling on in the first game, too.”
Taggart struck out eight batters and walked just one. The lone run she allowed came with no outs in the bottom of the sixth inning. She got out of the inning without allowing another base runner.
“Jorden did a good job of throwing a lot of 0-2 counts on us,” Hardin coach Sarah Passes said. “She worked ahead. She had great spin on the ball. Her change-up was really, really tough to locate. I think her change-up was probably her killer pitch, and it definitely locked us up pretty good.”
In the bottom of the seventh, Hardin’s Mia Ralston-Gust reached first base on a one-out error. Taggart rebounded by striking out Tori Marty on a 3-2 pitch. She then got a called third strike against Sloan Blankenship to close the game.
“I was really nervous that inning, but I had confidence, too,” Taggart said. “I just had to get the last batter. I was like, ‘This is on me.’ There was a runner on first, and I was pretty nervous because I don’t like when anyone’s on there.”
Hamilton will play Polson in an undefeated semifinal game. The Broncs beat the Pirates 10-8 in their regular-season meeting.
“In the playoffs, it’s all about the next game, and Jorden came through big today,” Hamilton coach Dave Kearns said. “She felt like she didn’t have a very good first game. But her confidence was high. You could see it in her. Her determination in this game was unbelievable.”
Hardin will play Livingston in a loser-out game at 9 a.m. Friday.
“That was a great game, 2-1. Probably the best defensive game that might be played here in the tournament,” Passes said. “We just have to keep the same momentum going defensively and get a little more aggressive in the box.”
Frenchtown 4, Laurel 2
Frenchtown opened the tournament by gutting out a 4-2 win over Laurel that included players fighting through illness and one player having her nose split open.
The Broncs, who placed in the top three at each of the past 15 state tournaments, will take on two-time defending state champ Belgrade in an undefeated semifinal game 1 p.m. Friday.
“The firsts are always hard because kids put pressure on themselves, and in our program, there’s always pressure because they know about the past,” Frenchtown coach Eli Field said. “Frankly, we didn’t handle it well. We started 10 kids and nine of them have never done this. We did a lot of things uncharacteristic. We missed signs. We swung at pitches we don’t normally swing at.”
Frenchtown senior Taylor Garren provided the pop at the plate, launching a three-run home that proved to be the difference. It was a timely, important hit because the Broncs collected only five against Laurel pitcher Ella Crookston.
“We were talking to Taylor about staying behind the ball and let it travel. She stayed behind it nicely and crushed it,” Field said. “We needed it. We needed somebody to step up and do something. After we got that, Claire (Bagnell) loosened up and started throwing better.”
Bagnell gave up 11 hits in seven innings but she and the defense limited Laurel to just two runs. She struck out eight batters and didn’t issue a walk.
“Give Claire credit, she battled,” Field said. “There’s a lot of stomach flu going around Laurel and our kids. She has it. She doesn’t feel well, but she found a way. Defensively, we made every play we needed to make. That’s big.”
That defense included center fielder Layne Bauer trying to make a diving catch, only to have a teammate run into her and split her nose open, Field said. Bauer returned to the game after the bleeding stopped and she passed a test for a concussion.
Laurel, which opened the day with a 10-6 win over Livingston, will take on Ronan in a loser-out game at 11 a.m. Friday. Taylor Feller had a home run for the Locomotives.
Belgrade 10, Columbia Falls 0
Belgrade had to wait until the final time slot to begin its title defense, but that was no issue for the Panthers. They displayed their dominant pitching and hitting in a 10-0 victory over Columbia Falls in five innings to advance to the undefeated semifinals on Friday.
Belgrade pitchers Erin Elgas and Kaleigh Bauerle combined to throw a four-hit shutout. Elgas struck out seven and allowed one hit in three innings. Bauerle gave up three hits and struck out two in two innings.
“When we get those defensive starts like that, then our bats always show up,” Belgrade coach Andrea Folkman said. “When we get those strikeouts or outs like those big outs … those mean a lot. It helps us get the next play.”
Belgrade’s Madi Krieger hit a three-run home run during the Panthers’ five-run second inning. Kenna Thomas, Hazel Eaton and Arin Eaton scored two runs apiece. Hazel Eaton had two hits and was the lone player to post a multi-hit game against Columbia Falls pitcher Savvy Ellis, who gave up nine earned runs on eight hits in four innings.
Columbia Falls, which beat Stevensville earlier in the day, tallied just four singles against Belgrade. The Wildkats will play Miles City in a loser-out game at 11 a.m. Friday.
“We just didn’t put the bat on the ball,” Columbia Falls coach Dave Kehr said. “We didn’t make them play enough defense. That’s my biggest disappointment is we didn’t compete at the plate. I thought we could do better at the plate.”
Belgrade, which will play Frenchtown on Friday, beat the Broncs 10-0 and 3-2 during the regular season.
“Frenchtown will be a tough game, definitely,” Folkman said. “We both want it. So there’s going to be a lot more strategy involved there. There always is. Every game is a strategy. But I feel like in particular, that game, they got runs on us, we got runs on them. So it’s a matter of who’s going to show up for the game that day.”
First round
Columbia Falls 4, Stevensville 3
Columbia Falls sophomore Alyssa Blankenship came up clutch with a walk-off hit to lift the Wildkats to a 4-3 win over Stevensville in the first round.
Blankenship’s one-out RBI double down the left-field line drove in pinch runner Abbie Darsow from second base. Her winning hit came after Stevensville tied the game 3-3 in the top of the seventh on Haley Kampka’s two-out RBI triple to right field.
Stevensville had beaten Columbia Falls twice during the regular season by a combined score of 26-11 and had a 21 hits to Columbia Falls’ 10. This time, the Yellowjackets struggled to get their offense going against pitcher Savvy Ellis, who they scored 14 runs against in their last meeting. Ellis surrendered just three hits and walked six in seven innings.
“We chased a few pitches that we should have laid off,” Stevensville head coach Joey Wark said. “She threw her change-up for a strike, which is always tough if somebody’s able to do that. That kept us off balance.”
Ashlin Hiller took the loss for Stevensville, allowing four runs, three earned, on eight hits and one walk in 6 1/3 innings.
Stevensville will play Lewistown in a loser-out game at 9 a.m. Friday.
“We need our bats to come out,” Wark said. “That’s been our bread and butter has been scoring a lot of runs. We’ve played good defense. We have pretty solid pitching. We’ve got the pitching staff to work the loser’s bracket.
“We just got to get that third part of it going with our bats. We just didn’t get the timely hitting that we’re used to doing. If you would have told me we’d score three runs, I would have said, ‘Nah, we’ll get a lot more than that.’”
Laurel 10, Livingston 6
Laurel started the scoring early and rolled to a 10-6 win over Livingston in an opening-round game.
The Locomotives scored four runs in the bottom of the first inning and added six in the third inning to go up 10-2. Nine players had one hit and six had one RBI off of Livingston pitchers Shannon Nelson and Skye Ingram. Taryn Wommack had a home run, Laurel’s lone extra-base hit. Livingston committed four errors and gave up seven unearned runs.
Laurel pitcher Ella Crookston gave up six runs, one earned, on six hits in seven innings. She struck out nine and walked four. Livingston’s Skylar Higgs had two RBIs, and Danielle Babcox hit a home run.
Livingston will play Hardin in a loser-out game at 9 a.m. Friday.
Hamilton 9, Ronan 7
Hamilton scored six runs in the bottom of the first inning and held off Ronan’s rally to earn a 9-7 win in a first-round matchup.
The Broncs collected three hits in the first inning before two players reached on back-to-back, two-out fielder’s choices, the second one tying the game 2-2. They then took advantage of two Ronan errors to score four unearned runs and take the lead for good. Those were the only errors the Maidens committed in the game.
Hamilton finished with 11 hits against Ronan freshman pitcher Kiara Sherman in six innings. Five Broncs had an RBI, and Sophia Doyle led the way with three hits. The Maidens were without their ace pitcher, Macao Jackson, who was out with an injury, Ronan coach Kaylee Cheff said.
The Broncs built their lead to 9-3 through four innings, but Ronan responded with two runs in the fifth and two in the seventh against pitcher Jorden Taggart to pull within 9-7. Taggart limited Ronan to six hits in seven innings. Just two of Ronan’s seven runs were earned because of four Hamilton errors. Liz Bluemel had three RBIs for the Maidens.
“I’m actually pretty happy with the outcome given everything,” Cheff said. “They’re a really good, strong-hitting team. I thought our defense was solid. Even after we were making mistakes, our girls were staying positive with each other and picking each other up. That’s what kept us in the game.”
Ronan will play in a loser-out game 11 a.m. Friday.
“I want their same attitudes for tomorrow,” Cheff said. “We just need to get our bats going earlier. If we play like that tomorrow and get our bats going earlier, it’ll be a different story.”
Lewistown 7, Miles City 3
Lewistown rallied from a 3-2 deficit by scoring the final five runs of the game to earn a 7-3 win over Miles City in the first round.
Lewistown’s Macy Mangold and Bailley Castillo has two RBIs apiece. Castillo’s RBI single in the fifth made it a 5-3 lead, and Mangold’s RBI double two batters after Kacee Gordon’s RBI single made it 7-3 in the sixth.
Lewistown pitcher Jessica Morgan limited Miles City to three runs on eight hits. She struck out eight and walked five in seven innings.
The Golden Eagles took the lead when they scored two runs on two errors in the bottom of the fourth to go up 4-3. Miles City committed four errors behind pitcher Amber Taylor, leading to three unearned runs.
“We did not limit the errors when we were playing defense,” Miles City coach Murrey Selk said. “That gave them an opportunity and let them get back in the game and gave them several runs. That was the key for us coming into this tournament was to limit the errors if we wanted to win games. That’s what fell apart in that game.”
Miles City will play in a loser-out game at 11 a.m. Friday.
Friday, May 24, 2019
Hamilton, Belgrade advance to undefeated final; Polson, Frenchtown secure top-4 finish
POLSON — The path to Jorden Taggart and Olivia Zepeda’s heroics in Hamilton’s 2-1 victory over Polson in a State A softball undefeated semifinal on Friday couldn’t be more different — even though it started in the same Kindergarten classroom.
“We’ve known each other since (we were 5 years old) so we’ve got each other’s back in life, and I know I can count on her in the field, too,” Zepeda said of her pitcher, a fellow senior. “She’s my best friend.”
Taggart was lights out in the pitching circle. Hamilton’s ace, who has allowed just three earned runs across three games at state and has worked all 21 innings in Polson, gave up just one unearned run to the Pirates in the top of the first inning. Polson got on the board following a one-out double from Kaylanna DesJarlais, whose courtesy runner, Anna Vert, scored on an error.
From there, Taggart scattered three hits the rest of the way.
“Jorden threw a great game, kept us on our toes a lot,” Polson coach Jamie Hanson said. “We had our chances. We hit it hard. We probably didn’t make enough adjustments against her.”
The dominance from the Bronc pitcher isn’t surprising. She’s been a stalwart in the circle and in the lineup for Hamilton during her entire career, even as an ACL injury her sophomore year cost her time.
“The injuries, I’ve had to come back stronger and work through it, and I think it’s just prepared me for this state tournament,” Taggart said after improving to 18-3 in the circle. “This whole season has prepared me for this moment with my team.”
But Taggart still needed a run after the first-inning hiccup, and she got it from her longtime friend — someone who likely wasn’t on anyone’s softball radar a season ago.
Zepeda hadn’t played softball before this season since she was 12 years old. The spark-plug left fielder is a standout athlete — she was all-state in soccer this season — but the No. 8 hitter was batting just .125 for the season.
With Madison Johnson on second base and with two outs in the bottom of the second, Zepeda came through with an RBI double that knotted the score, 1-1.
“I wanted to do well for my team even though I haven’t played for forever,” Zepeda said. “I just focused because I wanted to get it done for them. Just keep two hands on the bat and I can hit the ball.”
From there, Taggart continued to throw up zeros on the scoreboard, matching Polson starter Lauren Vergeront and reliever Katelyne Druyvestein in lockstep.
The Broncs, though, broke through with an unearned run in the sixth inning as an errant throw from Pirates shortstop Josie Caye allowed Maggie Ringer to score from second base.
Taggart threw up one more zero in the top of the seventh, sending Hamilton into the undefeated final game against two-time defending state champ Belgrade at 9 a.m. Saturday. It’ll be the first meeting this season between the teams who played in last year’s title game.
Undefeated semifinals
Hamilton 2, Polson 1
| Polson | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 2 | |
| Hamilton | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | x | 2 | 4 | 1 |
WP – Jorden Taggart. LP – Katelyne Druyvestein.
Hits – Polson: Kaylanna DesJarlais, Paige Noyes 2, Savanna Carpentier, Lauren Vergeront, Kobbey Smith 2 (2B). Hamilton: Abby Johnson 2 (2B), Maggie Ringer, Olivia Zepeda.
RBIs – Polson: Noyes. Hamilton: Haley Frey, Zepeda.
Belgrade 3, Frenchtown 1
Belgrade pitcher Erin Elgas sprinted from the circle to the area near the right-handed batter’s box, dodged a Frenchtown runner along the way and gave her catcher a hug before high-fiving teammates.
The Panthers still had one more inning to play as they tried to beat Frenchtown on Friday, but the momentary celebration was deserved in the undefeated semifinals of the State A tournament.
Elgas had just struck out back-to-back batters with the bases loaded and Belgrade clinging to a two-run lead as she overcame the hurdle on her way to throwing a gem that lifted the Panthers to a 3-1 win. The two-time defending state champions advanced to the undefeated final to face Hamilton.
“She came out and pitched with an intense drive,” Belgrade coach Andrea Folkman said. “From the get-go, she decided that this is what was going to happen. We needed that.”
Elgas finished the game with 19 strikeouts and struck out 14 of the first 16 batters she faced. She didn’t allow a hit until Frenchtown junior Hallie Habeck broke up the no-no with a two-out solo home run to center field in the fifth inning to cut Belgrade’s lead to 3-1.
The Broncs managed just four hits, drew three walks and stranded seven runners on base in their third meeting with Elgas this season.
“Her velocity, she’s the only one around that has that kind of velocity,” Frenchtown coach Eli Field said. “She moves the ball well. She spots the ball well. She spins the screwball and curveball and drop, and she’s got a little bit of a change. She’s a good pitcher. That’s flat out what it was.
“You could see when she really needed to, her best pitch is some kind of a little rise ball that’s up in the zone that she was throwing exceedingly hard. That’s a tough pitch to handle for any level of hitter — high school, college, whatever.”
The Broncs got a feel for Elgas and started off the sixth inning with three of the first four batters reaching on singles to load the bases with one out. Elgas responded by striking out power hitter Taylor Garren on four pitches. Then the real battle begun.
Elgas fell behind 2-0 on Claire Bagnell but quickly evened the count at 2-2 before Bagnell fouled off back-to-back pitches. After a third ball to load the count, Bagnell stuck with Elgas and fouled off three pitches in a row before she went down swinging.
“That was a pretty scary inning,” Elgas said. “I just had a good head space coming into today. My catcher was working hard back there. We were both focused, so that was helpful. I knew I had to keep throwing strikes. As long as I could do that, something good was going to happen.”
In the circle, Bagnell kept Frenchtown in the game by limiting the potent Belgrade offense to three runs. That’s tied for the fewest runs the Panthers have scored against Class A schools as they improved to 21-0.
Belgrade managed five hits against Bagnell, one of which came when Kenna Thomas homered to left field on Bagnell’s first pitch of the game. Olivia Cook made it 2-0 in the third when she hit a home run to left field. Haylee Curry’s RBI sacrifice fly in the fourth put Belgrade up 3-0.
“There’s not a lot of kids around that can slow them,” Field said. “Claire’s no slouch. She made big pitches when she needed to. I can’t fault our effort. We fought and hung in there.”
Consolation third round
Frenchtown 12, Livingston 9
Frenchtown scored nine runs in the second inning to erase an early 3-0 deficit and held off a Livingston rally to earn a 12-9 win. The Broncs secured a top-four finish at state, eliminated the Rangers and will play Polson in the loser-takes-fourth place game at 9 a.m. Saturday.
Layne Bauer and Claire Bagnell had two RBIs apiece to lead the Broncs, and Cassidy Moen hit a solo home run. Livingston rallied from a 12-3 deficit with four runs in the sixth and two in the ninth. Josie Jesson had a two-run home run for the Rangers.
Polson 11, Columbia Falls 0
Polson bounced back from its loss to Hamilton with an 11-0 win over Columbia Falls to guarantee itself a top-four finish at state and knock out the Wildkats. The Pirates move on to face Frenchtown, which they beat 11-8 in their lone regular-season meeting.
Polson scored in all six innings of the game that ended via the 10-run rule. Paige Noyes, Lexy Orien and Savanna Carpentier each drove in two runs in the wins, while Josie Caye scored four times.
Consolation second round
Polson 11, Columbia Falls 0
| C.Falls | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 4 | |
| Polson | 1 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | x | 11 | 9 | 0 |
WP – Lauren Vergeront. LP – Savvy Ellis.
Hits – C. Falls: Kaylee Ashe, Graceanne Sevesind, McKenna Remsel. Polson: Josie Caye (2B), Paige Noyes 2 (2B), Lexy Orien 2 (HR), Savanna Carpentier (2B), Vergeront (2B), Kobbey Smith 2.
RBIs – Polson: Grace Quinones, Noyes 2, Orien 2, Carpentier 2, Vergeront, Smith.
Livingston 16, Stevensville 14
Livingston outscored Stevensville 11-1 over the final four innings to earn a 16-14 victory in the nine-inning, second-round consolation game. The Rangers trailed 13-5 heading to the fifth inning and scored three in the sixth and five in the seventh to forces extras.
The teams traded one run each in the eighth, and Livingston scored the deciding two runs in the top of the ninth on Danielle Babcox’s solo home run and Shannon Nelson’s RBI single. Babcox couldn’t hide her excitement as she gestured in triumph while rounding first base.
“All the teamwork and trust we’ve built this season, and just to finally be able to whack it over and get us over the top,” Babcox said, explaining her overflowing emotion.
Skylar Higgs paced Livingston with three RBIs, while Babcox, Skye Ingram, Marissa Taylor, Reagan Frantz had two RBIs apiece. Haley Kampka and Ashlin Hiller had three RBIs each for Stevensville.
Columbia Falls 14, Ronan 0
Columbia Falls kept its hot bats going in its second game of the day, posting a 14-0 win over Ronan, which was eliminated in the consolation second round. The Wildcats tallied 19 hits in 39 at-bats, and five players had at least three hits.
Columbia Falls pitcher Savvy Ellis limited Ronan to three hits in seven innings. She walked one and struck out five.
Consolation first round
Stevensville 4, Lewistown 3
Ashlin Hiller’s right arm came in handy during Stevensville’s 4-3 win over Lewistown in a first-round consolation game. The senior not only had two assists from right field, but she pitched the Yellowjackets out of a jam in the bottom of the seventh inning to earn the save in relief of starters Sarah Morrison.
Stevensville took a 4-1 lead into the final frame, but Lewistown scored twice and had runners on second and third with two outs. Hiller got a called third strike on a 3-2 count with a changeup that froze Lewistown’s Libby Jenness.
“I was really nervous to throw the change, but I knew that I needed to trust myself, (catcher Dani Trangmoe) and (assistant coach) Chris Newman that he knew I could throw it there. It worked.”
Livingston 7, Hardin 6
Livingston, the Central A third seed, eliminated Eastern A champ Hardin with a come-from-behind victory in the consolation first round. The Rangers scored three runs in the sixth inning to erase a 6-4 deficit on their way to a 7-6 win.
Livingston’s Danielle Babcox had two solo home runs, her second one coming in the three-run sixth inning. The Rangers also scored on an error and Shannon Nelson’s one-out double in the frame.
Columbia Falls 17, Miles City 7
One day after struggling at the plate, Columbia Falls erupted at the plate and eliminated Miles City with a 17-7 win via the 10-run rule. The Wildkats had four players with at least three hits as they tallied 21 hits in 40 at-bats during the first-round consolation game.
Columbia Falls blew open the game with seven runs in the third inning to take an 11-1 lead. Miles City scored six runs in the fifth and sixth innings to pull within 12-7, but the Wildkats closed the door with five runs in the bottom of the sixth.
Ronan 15, Laurel 2
Ronan the Northwest A third seed, knocked out Laurel, the Eastern A No. 2 seed, with a 15-2 victory in the first-round consolation game. Ronan’s Liz Bluemel finished with six RBIs and ended the game via the 10-run rule with a walk-off gland slam in the fifth inning.
The Maidens had 11 hits while their freshman pitcher, Kiara Sherman, held Laurel to four hits and didn’t give up an earned run in five innings. Emilie Corley added three RBIs for Ronan.
Saturday, May 25, 2019
Belgrade wins third consecutive championship to close tenure in Class A
POLSON — Belgrade went out with a bang.
The Panthers capped their final softball season in Class A with a third consecutive state championship and a 23-0 record, beating Polson 11-1 in five innings in the title game on Saturday.
“It’s definitely the best day of the year,” Belgrade senior pitcher Erin Elgas said while fighting back tears. “The seniors, we’ve all been playing with each other since we were 8 years old. To finish Class A, to finish undefeated and to finish on top, it’s just incredible how we went out this season.”
Belgrade’s offense provided the pop while Elgas, the state tournament MVP, kept the Pirates’ offense at bay. The Panthers collected 13 hits in 25 at-bats and busted open the game with a seven-run second inning, highlighted by Olivia Cook’s two-run home run that cleared the street behind the left-field fence. They added four consecutive RBI base hits in the fifth inning to win in walk-off fashion via the run rule.
It was the third time in four tournament games Belgrade scored in double figures. The Panthers beat Hamilton 10-3 in the undefeated final earlier in the day to reach the championship game.
“We talked beforehand about having opportunities to make a statement, opportunities to change the game,” Belgrade coach Andrea Folkman said. “We had everybody contribute, which just speaks to the team effort. It’s huge for the program. It really solidifies that we have people who can step up, any age.”
Elgas, a Brown University softball signee, allowed just five baserunners in five innings. She struck out six to finish the tournament with 42 in four games, which Folkman said tied the record for strikeouts in the tournament.
“She was outstanding,” Folkman said. “Complete domination. She left a legacy. She was fearless.”
Elgas got help from her defense behind her, like second baseman Lanie Morgan, who finished the season without committing an error, according to Folkman. Left fielder Madi Krieger had arguably the top defensive highlight of the tournament. The 6-foot-1 Krieger robbed Kallie Finkbeiner of a home run in the top of the fifth inning to preserve Belgrade’s 7-1 lead.
“She’s always told me, ‘I’m going to get those home runs for you. I’m going to save you,’” Elgas said of her teammate of 10 years. “She finally did. The last time we’ll ever play together, she did it for me. That was just the best feeling. I jumped so high.”
Krieger, Cook and Morgan were named to the all-tournament team for Belgrade, which loses seven seniors as it transitions to Class AA next season. Kamie Gorrell and Ellie Milesnick made the honorable mention list.
While Belgrade celebrated, some Polson players shed tears, but there was also a sense of accomplishment about what the Pirates did.
Polson, under the direction of a new head coach and with just four seniors, navigated its way past a day-two loss to finish in second place. It marked the Pirates’ best showing at state since 2013, when they also were the runner-up.
“They’ve never stopped all year,” Polson coach Jamie Hanson said of his team, which also won the Northwest A regular-season title and finished the season 21-6. “Every day, it doesn’t matter who they were playing, they came to compete. That’s what I’m going to remember about this team and what they were capable of.”
Polson had to win three games in 18 hours across Friday night and Saturday morning just to make the championship game. They run-ruled Columbia Falls, topped Frenchtown in extra innings after blowing the lead in the seventh and advanced to the finals by avenging their first tournament loss with a 6-2 win over Hamilton.
It was a different story against Belgrade, which limited Polson to three hits and one run.
“Their pitcher, she can pump up and blow it by anybody,” Hanson said. “The thing is, though, I thought we swung well. We gave ourselves some opportunities. We just didn’t capitalize. Tip my hat to Belgrade.”
Polson freshman Katelyne Druyvestein collected the lone RBI by legging out an infield single that scored Lexy Orien with two outs in the fifth inning and cut Belgrade’s lead to 7-1. When Finkbeiner was robbed of a home run in the fifth inning, it stalled any chance of a comeback.
Polson senior Lauren Vergeront, who returned to softball this season after two years away, already had thrown 10 innings on Saturday before Belgrade struck for seven runs off of her in the second inning. The Panthers sent 11 batters to the plate and took advantage of an error to score five unearned runs.
Vergeront, senior catcher Kaylanna DesJarlais and sophomore shortstop Josie Caye were named to the all-tournament team. Sophomores Lexy Orien and Kobbey Smith made the honorable mention list.
“Every year, you have to say goodbye to some girls, and this group of seniors is outstanding,” Hanson said of Vergeront, DesJarlais, first baseman Paige Noyes and right fielder Lisa Costilla. “All great leaders. They gave it everything they had both on and off the field. They definitely left their mark on this team and this program. I’m very proud of them.”
Championship
Belgrade 11, Polson 1
| Polson | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | x | x | 1 | 3 | 2 | |
| Belgrade | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 4 | x | x | 11 | 13 | 2 |
WP – Erin Elgas. LP – Lauren Vergeront.
Hits – Polson: Lexy Orien, Katelyne Druyvestein, Kallie Finkbeiner. Belgrade: Kaleigh Bauerle 2 (2B), Sheridan Smith, Madi Krieger 2, Olivia Cook 2 (HR), Lanie Morgan 2 (2B), Hazel Eaton 2, Haylee Curry, Kamie Gorrell.
RBIs – Polson: Druyvestein. Belgrade: Kenna Thomas, Maddie Tomasetti, Smith, Krieger 2, Cook 3, Morgan, Gorrell.
Polson 6, Hamilton 2
Polson’s final task in trying to qualify for the title game was avenging Friday’s 2-1 loss to Hamilton. The Pirates did that in the loser-takes-third game, posting a 6-2 win that required a pressure-packed relief appearance by Vergeront.
With Polson clinging to a 3-2 in the fifth inning, Vergeront was called in with one out, the bases loaded and Hamilton’s No. 3 and 4 batters due up. She proceeded to get Mikayln Brickley to pop out and Jorden Taggart to ground out as the Pirates escaped the frame.
“Mainly, I was thinking, ‘I’ve been through worse, I’ve been under more pressure, so I can do this,’ Vergeront said. “That’s mainly what got me through, and having faith in my defense to back me up.”
Vergeront didn’t allow a run in 2 2/3 innings, and Polson scored once in the fifth and twice in the sixth to extend its lead. It was the Pirates’ third consecutive win after a Friday loss, a run that required all phases coming together to reach the title game.
“Just confidence with our bats, with our defense, everything,” Caye said. “Knowing we can come back to the championship and compete.”
Hamilton took third place and finished the season 19-5-2 after graduating eight seniors from last year’s second-place team.
“It was just willpower,” Hamilton coach Dave Kearns said. “There’s a lot of teams that didn’t think we’d be back in this situation. We started rough, but we played day by day. Shoot, 19 wins in a season is not too bad.”
Loser takes third
Polson 6, Hamilton 2
| Hamilton | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 1 | |
| Polson | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | x | 6 | 8 | 2 |
WP – Katelyne Druyvestein. LP – Jorden Taggart.
Hits – Hamilton: Sophia Doyle 2, Olivia Zepeda 2. Polson: Josie Caye (HR), Kaylanna DesJarlais 2 (HR), Paige Noyes 2, Lauren Vergeront, Kobbey Smith 2.
RBIs – Hamilton: Maggie Ringer. Polson: Caye, DesJarlais, Lexy Orien 2, Vergeront, Smith.
Polson 7, Frenchtown 6
Polson’s Kobbey Smith played the hero in the loser-takes-fourth game against Frenchtown. The sophomore hit a walk-off home run in the bottom of the eighth inning to lift the Pirates to a 7-6 win in their first game on Saturday.
“I was looking straight down the middle and a little low — that’s my pitch,” Smith said. “Yep, I was definitely swinging for it.”
Smith’s heroics were needed after Polson blew the lead in the top of the seventh inning. The Broncs rallied for four runs to take a 6-5 lead. All three of their run-scoring hits came with two outs as Layne Bauer had an RBI double, Taylor Garren tagged an RBI single and Hailey Arthur collected a two-run single.
Caye tied the game, 6-6, in the bottom of the seventh with an RBI double that scored Finkbeiner. The Pirates loaded the bases, but Frenchtown pitcher Claire Bagnell got back-to-back pop outs to send the game to extras.
“It was tough when they came back, but we gave ourselves a head check and came back ourselves to rally,” Smith said.
Frenchtown finished the season 17-8, and its streak of 15 consecutive top-3 finishes at state, including 14 straight under head coach Eli Field, was snapped.
“Claire was awesome all weekend, and she’s a hell of a player and a hell of a competitor,” Field said. “She (came up to me and said) sorry about the streak. I said, ‘It’s not about me.’ Any streak weighs on your mind, and it’s OK. We’ve been lucky; we’ve been deserving. But that’s who they are.
“These things matter, and we have such a mutual, I think, love for each other that these things matter. They got to understand that it’s not about that. It’s about who you are when it’s all said and done.”
Loser takes fourth
Polson 7, Frenchtown 6
| Frenchtown | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 6 | 11 | 2 | |
| Polson | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 10 | 1 |
WP – Katelyn Druvestine (=. LP – Claire Bagnell.
Hits – Frenchtown: Cassidy Bagnell 2 (2B), Mikaela Field, Layne Bauer (2B), Taylor Garren 2, Cassidy Moen 2, Claire Bagnell, Hailey Arthur 2. Polson: Josie Caye 2 (2B), Kaylanna DesJarlais 2 (HR), Paige Noyes, Lexy Orien 2 (2B), Lauren Vergeront, Kobbey Smith (HR), Lisa Costilla (HR).
RBIs – Frenchtown: Bauer, Garren 2, Claire Bagnell, Arthur 2. Polson: x.
Belgrade 10, Hamilton 3
Belgrade scored in five of six innings on its way to a 10-3 win over Hamilton in the undefeated final to earn a spot in the title game. Olivia Cook and Ellie Milesnick each hit a home run and had two RBIs.
Hamilton managed five hits off of Elgas. Phoebe Howard had two hits and one RBI.
Results of the Lady Pirate Softball games are below beginning with the first contest of the season.
Saturday, April 6, 2019
Lady Pirate bats bedevil Bitterroot Blues
by John Heglie, special for the Leader
The revised Polson season opener “started out with a bang” as top-of-the-order batter Josie Caye opened with a leadoff double, advanced on a wild pitch and then plated on a Kaylanna DesJarlais RBI single. After number three batter Paige Noyes singled, cleanup Lexi Orien doubled her home for a 2-0 Polson lead. Corvallis countered with a leadoff see-ya dinger by all-state Ashlynn Nixon, followed by a double by the next batter, who plated on an RBI groundout to knot the score at two apiece.
After a scoreless second frame, Caye opened the third with a triple, scoring on an RBI groundout. Back to back singles were followed by the first home run of the season off the bat of middle-of-the-order batter SaVanna Carpentier, whose three-bagger staked the Lady Pirates to a 6-2 lead. Corvallis countered by cutting the lead in half for a 6-4 Polson advantage after two.
Thereafter, Lady Pirate bats heated up despite the unseasonably cold temperature as Polson scored nine runs in the fourth. Freshman hurler Katelyne Druyvestein came on in relieve of starter Lauren Vergeront in the bottom half of the fourth for her first varsity pitching assignment. If nerves played a role in Druyvestein’s first varsity mound assignment, they didn’t show as she induced a flyout followed by a pair of strikeouts to close out the inning with the Lady Pirates still holding a sizeable lead 15-8. Polson bats erupted in the top half of the fifth for ten runs, while Druyvestein closed out the bottom half of the inning with a strikeout, a groundout and a popup that stranded two Lady Blue Devil baserunners.
Senior first-base Paige Noyes led Lady Pirate hitters with a pristine plate performance quintet of singles. DesJarlais, Noyes and Carpentier all contributed a quartet of RBIs, while Caye led the team in extra base hits with a tandem.
Coach Jami Hanson summarized the caliber of play by the Lady Pirates when he said, “The girls swung the bat well and played good defense behind pitchers Lauren Vergeront and Katelyn Druyvestein. Our bats were explosive despite the wind and cold temperatures as they put the game to bed with a big inning.”
The Lady Pirates will host the Bitterroot Broncs of Hamilton on Friday, April 12, then the visiting Libby Lady Loggers on Saturday, April 13, followed by their rez rivalry wrangle with visiting Ronan this upcoming Tuesday, April 16.
The Polson JV’s downed Corvallis 17-4 in 4 innings.
Polson 25, Corvallis 8
NWA Polson (1-0), SWA Corvallis (1-1)
| Polson | 2 | 0 | 4 | 9 | 10 | 25 | 25 | |||
| Corvallis | 2 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 8 | 10 |
Battery info: Macee Greenwood, (4) Maria Hickey and Sami Knapp. Lauren Vergeront (3IP: 1K,6H,1W), (4) Katelyne Druyvestein (2IP: 3K,4H,1W,1HB) and Kaylanna DesJarlais. W – Vergeront (1-0). L – Greenwood. Sv – Druyvestein.
POLSON – Josie Caye 4-5, DesJarlais 2-5, Paige Noyes 5-5, Lexi Orien 3-5, SaVanna Carpentier 2-4, Vergeront 0-1, Druyvestein 1-2, Kobbey Smith 1-4, Lisa Costilla 2-5, Kallie Finkbeiner 1-2.
CORVALLIS – Ashlynn Nixon 2-2, Raili Paddock 1-2, Knapp 1-3, Maria Hickey 1-3, Gabby Krueger 1-3, Greenwood 0-3, Katelyn Behner 2-2, Megan Bradshaw 1-2, Ciera Jessop 1-3.
HR – Carpentier; Nixon. 3B – Caye. 2B – Caye, Orien; Paddock. RBIs – DesJarlais 4, Noyes 4, Carpentier 4, Caye 3, Orien 3, Druyvestein 2, Costilla, Finkbeiner; Nixon 2, Krueger 2, Paddock, Knapp, C.Jessop. SB – Noyes, Orien. CS – Cali Cannon (cr). SH – Druyvestein. HB – Behner. BB – Ko.Smith, Caye, Carpentier, Vergeront, DesJarlais, Finkbeiner 3; Nixon, Bradshaw. FC – Druyvestein; Bradshaw. ROE – DesJarlais, Druyvestein, Costilla.
Runs – Caye 4, Noyes 4, Carpentier 3, Druyvestein 3, Finkbeiner 3, DesJarlais 2, Orien 2, Ko.Smith 2, Costilla 2; Nixon 3, Paddock, Knapp, Behner, Bradshaw, C.Jessop.
Friday, April 12, 2019
Lady Pirate rally falls short
Hamilton boosted its record to 4-2 by holding off host Polson for a 10-8 win Friday. Maggie Ringer paced the Broncs (3-2 in Southwest A play) with three hits, including a home run, double, single and three RBIs. Team-mate Jorden Taggart earned the pitching win, allowing eight hits and three earned runs, and she also drove in three runs.
Lexy Orien had three hits for the Pirates (1-1 overall, 0-0 in Northwest A Play), including a double. Teammate Kobbey Smith had two doubles and three RBIs. Lauren Vergeront (1-1) was the losing pitcher. She was replaced in the 5th inning by freshman hurler Katelyn Druyvestein. The Lady Pirates rallied for 3 runs and had the tieing runs on base in the bottom of the 7th.
The Lady Pirate JV’s defeated Hamilton JV’s 16-1 in 3 innings to move their record to 2-0.
| Hamilton | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 10 | 10 | 5 | |
| Polson | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 8 | 7 | 2 |
WP—Jordan Taggart. LP—Lauren Vergeront.
HAMILTON — Sophie Doyle 2-3, Abby Johnson 1-3, Mikaylin Brickley 0-4, Taggert 1-4, Maggie Ringer 2-3, Chantele Sisson 0-2, Olivia Zepeda 0-3, Haley Frey 1-3, Kyla Shepherd 1-4.
POLSON — Josie Caye 0-4, Kaylanna Desjarlais 0-5, Paige Noyes 1-3, Lexi Orien 2-4, Vergeront 0-2, Katelyn Druyvestein 0-0, Kobbey Smith 2-3, Lisa Costilla 2-3, Cali Cannon 0-4, Kallie Finkbeiner 0-2.
2B—Ringer; Smith, Orien; HR—Ringer; RBIs—Taggert (3), Ringer (3), Frey; Noyes (2), Smith (3), Costilla.
Saturday, April 13, 2019
Lady Pirates get conference win over Lady Loggers
at Polson
Polson 11, Libby 1
POLSON — Lisa Castillo homered and drove in four runs to push Polson past Libby in Northwest A play. Castillo, 2 for 3, hit her home run in the fourth inning with one runner on.
Polson jumped in front 7-0 and never looked back.
“They hit the ball really well and we didn’t hit the ball at all,” Libby coach Dean Thompson said.
Lauren Vergeront held Libby to five hits.
“She kept us on our toes,” Thompson said of Vergeront. “We popped the ball up a lot.”
Polson leadoff hitter Josie Caye went 3 for 4, doubled twice and drove in two runs.
Sammee Bradeen doubled for Libby.
Polson hosts Ronan on Tuesday in Northwest A action.
| Libby | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 1 | |||
| Polson | 7 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 11 | 12 | 0 |
Keira Ward and Sammee Bradeen; Lauren Vergeront and Kaylanna Desjarlais. W — Vergeront. L — Ward.
LIBBY — Linsey Walker 0-3, Emily Carvey 1-2, Bradeen 1-2, Taylor Holm 2-2, Sheyla Gallagher 0-2, Samantha Miller 0-2, McKenzie Proffitt 0-2, Bethany Thomas 1-2, Ward 0-2.
POLSON — Josie Caye 3-4, Desjarlais 1-4, Paige Noyes 1-4, Lexi Orien 1-3, S. Carpentier 0-1, Vergeront 0-1, Kobbey Smith 2-3, Lisa Castillo 2-3, Kallie Finkbeiner 2-3.
Tuesday, April 16, 2019
Polson sends rivals home with conference loss
Polson pitcher Lauren Vergeront struck out 10 batters, and Josie Caye had two extra-base hits in a 6-2 home win over Ronan. Vergeront limited Ronan to one run in the final six innings after giving up one in the top of the first. Polson’s offense scored two runs in the first and second innings to back Vergeront, and Caye came through with a triple, a home run, two RBIs and two runs scored.
Polson is now 3-1 overall, 2-0 in Northwest A play, while Ronan falls to 0-4, 0-1.
The Lady Pirate JV’s defeated Ronan 17-4 to extend their record to 5-0.
Polson 6, Ronan 2
| Ronan | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 7 | 1 | |
| Polson | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | x | 6 | 9 | 1 |
WP—Lauren Vergeront. LP—Macao Jackson.
Hits—Ronan: Madison Clairmont (2B), Macao Jackson 2, Emilie Corley 2 (2B), Rhylie Big Beaver, Madison Miller
Hits-Polson: Josie Caye 2 (3B, HR), Kaylanna DesJarlais, Paige Noyes 2 (2B), Lexi Orien 2 (2B), Lauren Vergeront, Lisa Costilla.
RBIs—Ronan: Corley, Big Beaver
RBIs—Polson: Caye 2, DesJarlais, Orien, Savanna Carpentier, Vergeront.
Thursday, April 18, 2019
Kats bats down Lady Pirates
Columbia Falls defeated Polson 6-4. Savvy Ellis picked up the win and drove in a run for Columbia Falls while Trista Cowan homered in the contest. Ryley Kehr also drove in a run and racked up four hits while Graceanne Sevesind added three hits as well. Kaylanna DesJarlais drove in a pair of runs on three hits for Polson.
Columbia Falls 6, Polson 4
| Columbia Falls | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 11 | 4 | |
| Polson | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 9 | 2 |
WP—Savvy Ellis. LP—Lauren Vergeront.
Hits—Columbia Falls: Kaylee Ashe, Trista Cowan 2 (HR), Ryley Kehr 4 (2B), Graceanne Sevesind 3, Isabel Johnson (2B).
Hits—Polson: Josie Caye, Kaylanna DesJarlais 3 (2B), Lexi Orien 2, Kobbey Smith, Lisa Costilla (2B), Kallie Finkbeiner.
RBIs—Columbia Falls: Trista Cowan, Ryley Kehr, Graceanne Sevesind, Savvy Ellis. Polson: Kaylanna DesJarlais 2, Kobbey Smith, Kallie Finkbeiner.
Tuesday, April 23, 2019
Polson bats pound Lady Broncs
Frenchtown Broncs Varsity fell behind early and couldn’t come back in an 11-8 loss to Polson on Tuesday. Polson scored on a groundout by Lisa Costilla and a single by Kallie Finkbeiner in the second inning.
Despite the loss, Frenchtown Broncs Varsity did collect six hits in the high-scoring affair. Unfortunately, Polson had 16 hits on the way to victory.
Polson got on the board in the second inning when Costilla grounded out, scoring one run.
Frenchtown Broncs Varsity put up seven runs in the fourth inning. Frenchtown Broncs Varsity offense in the inning was led by Taylor Garren, Hailey Arthur, Kendra Williams, Cassidy Bagnell, and Layne Bauer, all driving in runs in the frame.
Polson scored four runs in the third inning. Polson scored its runs on a grand slam by Savanna Carpentier.
Lauren Vergeront pitched Polson to victory. She allowed three hits and seven runs over three and two-thirds innings, striking out two. K Druyvestein threw three and a third innings in relief out of the bullpen. Druyvestein recorded the last ten outs to earn the save for Polson.
Claire Bagnell took the loss for Frenchtown Broncs Varsity. She surrendered nine runs on 13 hits over four and a third innings, striking out one and walking one.
Frenchtown Broncs Varsity hit one home run on the day. Garren went yard in the fourth inning.
Cassidy Moen, Bauer, Mikaela Field, Williams, Garren, and Bagnell all had one hit to lead Frenchtown Broncs Varsity.
Polson racked up 16 hits on the day. Lexy Orien, Kobbey Smith, Josie Caye, Kaylanna Jarlais, Carpentier, and Finkbeiner each collected multiple hits for Polson
| Polson | 0 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 11 | 16 | 1 | |
| Frenchtown | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 8 | 6 | 5 |
W: Lauren Vergeront, SV Katelyn Druyvestein L: Claire Bagnell (5) Sadie Smith (2)
POLSON
2B: Lexy Orien
HR: Savanna Carpentier
Grand slam: Savanna Carpentier
TB: Kaylanna Jarlais 2, Josie Caye 2, Paige Noyes, Lexy Orien 4, Savanna Carpentier 5, Kobbey Smith 3, Lisa Costilla, Kallie Finkbeiner 2
RBI: Paige Noyes, Lexy Orien 2, Savanna Carpentier 4, Lisa Costilla, Kallie Finkbeiner
ROE: Josie Caye, Paige Noyes, Savanna Carpentier
FC: Lisa Costilla
SB: Lexy Orien, Kobbey Smith, Kallie Finkbeiner
PIK: Lexy Orien
Totals
Team QAB: 18 (43.90%)
Kaylanna Jarlais 2, Josie Caye 3, Paige Noyes, Lexy Orien 3, Savanna Carpentier 3, Lauren Vergeront 2, Kobbey Smith, Lisa Costilla 2, Kallie Finkbeiner
Team LOB: 9
FRENCHTOWN
2B: Claire Bagnell, Kendra Williams
HR: Taylor Garren
TB: Claire Bagnell 2, Layne Bauer, Mikaela Field, Taylor Garren 4, Cassidy Moen, Kendra Williams 2
RBI: Hailey Arthur, Claire Bagnell, Taylor Garren 2, Kendra Williams
ROE: Cassidy Bagnell
FC: Layne Bauer, Sadie Smith
HBP: Claire Bagnell, Hallie Habeck
SB: Cassidy Bagnell
Totals
Team QAB: 14 (37.84%)
Hailey Arthur, Claire Bagnell 2, Cassidy Bagnell, Layne Bauer, Mikaela Field 3, Taylor Garren 3, Cassidy Moen 2, Kendra Williams
Team LOB: 8
Friday April 26, 2019
FRENCHTOWN INVITATIONAL
Game 1: Polson 12, Butte Central 2
Lady Pirates bats pound Butte Central
Polson scored in every inning to down Butte Central by the run rule after 5 innings. Lauren Vergeront went the distance for the win. Josie Caye hit a monster home run for the Lady Pirates
| Butte Central | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | x | x | 2 | 4 | 6 | |
| Polson | 2 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | x | x | 12 | 13 | 2 |
Reopelle and Keeley; Lauren Vergeront and n/a. W — Vergeront. L — Reopelle (0-1).
BUTTE CENTRAL (2-3) — Thatcher 2-3, Kump 0-3, Keeley 0-3, Strizic 1-2, Z. Doherty 0-2 Reopelle 0-2, M. Doherty 1-2, Foley 0-1, Stimatz 0-1, Norton 0-2.
POLSON — R. Stinger 1-4, Josie Caye 2-4, Paige Noyes 2-4, Lexi Orien 2-4, S. Carpentier 1-3, Vergeront 4-4, Kobbey Smith 0-2, Cali Cannon 0-1, Lis. Costilla 1-2, G. Quinones 0-1, K. Finkbeiner 0-3, E. Thiel 0-1.
HR — Caye. 3B — Noyes. 2B — Thatcher; Stinger, Cayne, Orien, Costilla.
Game 2: Belgrade 5, Polson 4
Panthers nip Lady Pirates
Polson nearly topped the two-time defending State A champions, Belgrade, but lost a 5-4 decision. The Pirates built a 4-0 lead in the first inning but were held scoreless the rest of the way. Paige Noyes had three hits, a double and two RBIs for Polson, while teammate Lauren Vergeront had a two-run home run.
| Belgrade | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 10 | 0 | |
| Polson | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 7 | 1 |
WP—Erin Elgas. LP—Lauren Vergeront.
Hits—Belgrade: Kamie Gorrell 2, Kenna Thomas 3 (2B), Madi Kreiger 2 (HR), Olivia Cook (HR), Erin Elgas 2 (3B, HR).
Hits—Polson: Josie Caye, Paige Noyes 3 (2B), Lexi Orien, Lauren Vergeront (HR), Kallie Finkbeiner (2B).
RBIs—Belgrade: Thomas, Kreiger 2, Cook, Elgas.
RBIs—Polson: Noyes 2, Vergeront 2.
Saturday April 27, 2019
Game 1: Polson defeated Browning
no info available
Game 2: Polson 14, Florence 5
Lady Pirates jump out early, down Florence
Polson jumped out to an 8-0 advantage after two innings and led the rest of the way in a 14-5 win over Florence.
Kaylanna DesJarlais drove in a game-best three runs against Florence pitchers Kylie Kovatch and Emily Kinnaman.
For Polson, Kobbey Smith and Lexy Orien both hit home runs. Orien and Josie Caye had two RBIs apiece. Paige Noyes scored three runs.
Jaidyn Larson and Danara Greer paced Florence with two RBIs apiece.
| Florence | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 10 | 5 | |
| Polson | 2 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | x | 14 | 15 | 0 |
WP—Lauren Vergeront. LP—Kylie Kovatch.
Hits—Florence: Kolbi Wood 2 (2B), Jaidyn Larson (2B), Dani Zahn 2 (2B), Danara Greer, Rilee Mangun, Natalie Dulac, Emily Kinnaman 2 (2B).
Polson: Kaylanna DesJarlais 2 (3B), Josie Caye 2 (2B), Paige Noyes, Lexy Orien 2 (HR), Savanna Carpentier 2, Druvystein, Kobbey Smith 2 (3B, HR), Lisa Costilla, Kallie Finkbeiner.
RBIs—Florence: Larson 2, Greer 2.
RBIs—Polson: DesJarlais 3, Caye 2, Orien 2, Carpentier, Smith.
Tuesday, April 30, 2019
Wolfpack pitching shuts down Lady Pirate bats
Glacier 10, Polson 2
POLSON — Allee Meyer hit a two-run homer in the first inning to help the Glacer Wolfpack defeat Polson in nonconference play.
Glacier’s Halle Schroeder doubled and went 3 for 4 at the plate. Kynzie Mohl was 2 for 2 with an RBI and a double. Megan Eckert drove in two runs and hit 2 for 3.
Pitcher Sage Vanterpool threw 11 strikeouts. The Lady Pirates were limited to 5 hits and a season low 2 runs.
Freshman hurler Katelyn Druyvestein relieved Lauren Vergeront after the second inning and limited the wolf pack to one run for the next 4 innings. The Wolfpack added to their lead picking up three runs in the top of the 7th.
Glacier has won eight consecutive games.
NWA Polson (3-1), Overall (7-4)
| Glacier | 3 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 10 | 12 | 2 | |
| Polson | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 2 |
W — Sage Vanterpool and Kynzie Mohl.
L— Lauren Vergeront (2) and Katelyn Druyvestein (5).
GLACIER — Sammie Labrum 2-5, Halle Schroeder 3-4, Mohl 2-2, Allee Meyer 1-4, Vanterpool 1-4, Sophie Smith 0-4, Addie Labrum 0-2, Emma Anderson 0-1, Jennifer Wallace 1-3, Megan Eckert 2-3, Kenna Vanorny 0-1.
POLSON — Kaylanna DesJarlais 2-4, Caye 0-3, Paige Noyes 0-2, Lexy Orien 1-3, Savannah Carpentier 0-3, Vergeront 0-1, Kobbey Smith 0-3, Lisa Costilla 1-3, Kaylee Finkheiner 1-3, Druyvestein 1-2.
2B — Mohl, Schroeder; HR — Meyer; RBI— S. Labrum (3), Mohl (2), Meyer (2), A. Labrum, Eckert (2).
Thursday, May 2, 2019
Lady Pirates clobber Flathead
In non-conference softball play at Kidsports Complex, the Polson Pirates won a 19-1 romp over the Flathead Bravettes on Thursday.
Flathead (2-13) has seven players injured between its varsity and junior varsity squads.
“They keep working,” Flathead coach Jack Foster said.
Illysa Centner pitched and went 1-2 at the plate. Brianna Morales hit two balls on two tries. Sydney Olson was 1 for 2 and had one RBI.
Flathead scored one run, in the fourth inning.
Polson scored 19 runs on 14 hits, including nine runs in the fourth inning. Kallie Finkbeiner went 3 for 3 at the plate for the Pirates.
Flathead hosts Hellgate today at 6 p.m. for a conference match at Kidsports.
| Polson | 2 | 6 | 2 | 9 | x | x | x | 19 | 14 | 0 | |
| Flathead | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | x | x | x | 1 | 5 | 2 |
NWA Polson (3-1), Overall (8-4)
W — Lauren Vergeront and Kaylanna DesJarlais.
L — Illysa Centner and Sydney Olson.
POLSON — Josie Caye 3-4, DesJarlais 4-5, Paige Noyes 2-5, Lexy Orien 1-5, Kallie Finkbeiner 3-3, Vergeront 2-3, Katelyne Druyvestein 0-0, Kobbey Smith 0-1, Lisa Costilla 1-2, Gracie Quinones 1-2, Cali Cannon 1-2, Savannah Carpentier 0-1.
FLATHEAD — Macy Craver 1-2, Kayla Kallis 0-2, Riley Chouinard 0-2, Centner 1-2, Brianna Morales 2-2, Olson 1-2, Lexi Longtin 0-2, Maddie Engle 0-1, Neveah Lacroix 0-1, Alyssa Poe-Hatton 0-1.
2B — Noyes; HR — Caye, Finkbeiner; RBI — Caye (4), DesJarlais (2), Noyes (3), Orien (3), Finkbeiner (2), Vergeront, Smith, Quinones; Olson.
Friday, May 3, 2019
Corvallis Blue Devils Can’t Catch Up To Polson
Corvallis Blue Devils Varsity watched the game slip away early and couldn’t recover in a 10-0 loss to Polson on Friday. Polson scored on a double by Kaylanna DesJarlais and a wild pitch during Lexy Orien’s at bat in the first inning.
The Corvallis Blue Devils Varsity struggled to put runs on the board and had a tough time defensively containing Polson, giving up ten runs.
Polson got things started in the first inning when DesJarlais doubled on a 1-0 count, scoring one run.
One bright spot for Corvallis Blue Devils Varsity was a single by S Jessop in the third inning.
Lauren Vergeront was in the circle for Polson. She surrendered zero runs on three hits over six innings, striking out five and walking zero.
Gabby Krueger started the game for Corvallis Blue Devils Varsity. She allowed eight hits and nine runs over four innings, striking out three. Macee Greenwood threw one inning in relief.
Polson tallied three home runs on the day. Josie Caye put one out in the sixth inning. Orien went yard in the fifth inning. Savanna Carpentier had a four bagger in the fifth inning.
Jessop, Daphney Reynoso, and Megan Bradshaw each collected one hit to lead Corvallis Blue Devils Varsity.
Polson saw the ball well today, racking up nine hits in the game. DesJarlais and Caye each racked up multiple hits for Polson. Polson was sure-handed and didn’t commit a single error. Orien made the most plays with six.
| Corvallis | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | x | 0 | 3 | 4 | |
| Polson | 3 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 1 | x | 10 | 8 | 0 |
NWA Polson (3-1), Overall (9-4)
WP—Lauren Vergeront. LP—Gabby Krueger
Hits—Corvallis: Daphany Reynoso, Megan Bradshaw, Savannah Jessop.
Polson: Josie Caye 3 (2B, HR), Kaylanna DesJarlais 2 (2B, 2B), Lexi Orien (HR), Savanna Carpentier (HR), Lisa Costilla.
RBIs—Polson: DesJarlais 4, Caye 2, Orien 2, Carpentier.
Won Lauren Vergeront, Lost Gabby Krueger
Corvallis batting: Ashlynn Nixon 0-3, Macee Greenwood 0-3, Sami Knapp 0-3, Gabby Krueger 0-2, Katelyn Bayner 0-2, Daphney Reynoso 1-2, Megan Bradshaw 1-2, Cierra Jessop 0-2, S Jessop 1-2
Corvallis Pitching: Gabby Krueger (4). Macee Greenwood (1)
Friday, May 3, 2019
Lady Pirates have little trouble with Lady Indians
Polson posted a 20-0 win over Browning in the Lady Pirate seniors last home game. Kaylanna DesJarlais hit a home run for the Pirates. The game was shortened due to the run rule.
Polson 20, Browning 0
| Browning | 0 | 0 | 0 | x | x | x | x | 0 | 0 | 5 | |
| Polson | 9 | 11 | x | x | x | x | x | 20 | 12 | 0 |
NWA Polson (4-1), Overall (10-4)
WP—Vergeront. LP—Kiyanna Ridesatthedoor.
Hits—Polson: Caye 4, DesJarlais 2 (HR), Paige Noyes 2 (2B), Kobbey Smith 2, Vergeront (2B), Lisa Costilla.
RBIs—Polson: DesJarlais 4, Grace Quinones 3, Vergeront 3, Caye 2, Noyes 2, Smith 2, Orien, Costilla.
RBIs—Polson: DesJarlais 4, Grace Quinones 3, Vergeront 3, Caye 2, Noyes 2, Smith 2, Orien, Costilla.
Friday/Saturday, May 10-11, 2019
Laverne Combo tournament (at Butte)
Friday, May 10, 2019
Lady Pirates overrun Ponies
Polson 11, Havre 4
BUTTE — Polson scored runs in every inning to take out Havre 11-4 at the Laverne Combo.
Tied 4-4 after the third inning, Polson scored seven runs in the fourth and fifth to take the lead and surge ahead.
Polson’s Kobbey Smith hit 2 for 3 at the plate and homered.
Paige Noyes and Lisa Costilla each had two doubles. Costilla hit 3 for 3.
Lauren Vergeront pitched three innings with four strikeouts. She hit 2 for 3 at the plate and tripled.
Katelyne Druyvestein relieved Vergeront for the last two innings, had one strikeout and allowed one hit.
| Polson | 1 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 4 | x | x | 11 | 14 | 0 | |
| Havre | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | x | x | 4 | 6 | 3 |
W — Lauren Vergeront, Katelyne Druyvestein.
L — Lauren Kato.
POLSON — Josie Caye 1-4, Kaylanna DesJarlais 0-3, Paige Noyes 2-4, Lexy Orien 0-2, Gracie Quinones 1-2, Savanna Carpentier 1-3, Vergeront 2-3, Druyvestein 0-0, Kobbey Smith 2-3, Lisa Costilla 3-3, Shaeley Brown 0-0, Kallie Finkbeiner 2-3, Annaleah Vert 0-0.
HAVRE — Janae Boles 1-3, Sydney Wilting 0-3, Sam Oliver 1-3, Kinzee Peterson 2-3, Kato 1-2, Sam Lovenguth 0-2, Zephy Linton 1-2, Savannah Dawson 0-2, Peyton Brown.
2B — Noyes (2), Costilla (2), Caye; Peterson; 3B — Vergeront; HR — Smith.
Polson dominates Park County
Polson 9, Park 0
BUTTE — Polson defeated Park 9-0 at the Laverne Combo.
No other information was available.
Laverne Combo tournament (at Butte)
Saturday, May 11, 2019
Polson finishes Laverne Combo play with 2 more wins
BUTTE — Polson went 2-0 on the last day of action at the Laverne Combo Invitational Softball Tournament on Saturday.
Both of the Pirates’ victories were shutouts — 12-0 over Glasgow and 13-0 over Miles City.
Pitcher Lauren Vergeront allowed five hits between the two games combined.
Kaylanna DesJarlais homered twice versus Miles City, had six RBI and three hits. Lexy Orien also homered and had two RBI.
| Glasgow | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | x | x | x | 0 | 3 | 0 | |
| Polson | 0 | 6 | 6 | x | x | x | x | 12 | 12 | 0 |
W — Lauren Vergeront.
L — Not available.
Glasgow — Scoring information not available.
Polson 13, Miles City 0
POLSON — Josie Caye 2-3, Kaylanna DesJarlais 2-3, Paige Noyes 2-3, Lexy Orien 1-2, Gracie Quinones 0-0, Savanna Carpentier 1-2, Vergeront 0-2, Kobbey Smith 2-3, Lisa Costilla 1-2, Kallie Finkbeiner.
2B — Noyes (2), Caye, Smith, Orien, Costilla, Finkbeiner; RBI — DesJarlais, Noyes, Carpentier, Caye, Smith, Orien, Costilla, Finkbeiner (2).
| Polson | 0 | 1 | 10 | 2 | x | x | x | 13 | 13 | 1 | |
| Miles City | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | x | x | x | 0 | 2 | 1 |
W — Lauren Vergeront.
L — Amber Taylor.
POLSON — Josie Caye 0-2, Kaylanna DesJarlais 3-4, Lexy Orien 3-3, Savanna Carpentier 2-2, Paige Noyes 1-4, Vergeront 1-2, Kobbey Smith 1-3, Lisa Costilla 1-1, Kallie Finkbeiner 0-2.
MILES CITY — Autumn Porter 1-2, Kaylee Merical 0-2, Josie Chapweske 1-2, Raqi McAuliffe 0-2, Taylor 0-2, Anne Marie Hagemeister 0-1, Elise Anderson 0-1, Brianna Bean 0-1, Ryleigh Simonson 0-1.
2B — DesJarlais, Noyes; HR — DesJarlais (2), Orien; RBI — DesJarlais (6), Orien (2), Carpentier, Vergeront, Smith.
Tuesday, May 14th, 2019
Polson starts important week with a Win over rival Ronan
Polson raced past Ronan 11-2 as Josie Caye and Paige Noyes each drove in three runs. Noyes racked up three hits in the contest as well and Lauren Vergeront was the game’s winning pitcher. Macao Jackson smacked a home run for Ronan.
Polson also faces Columbia Falls and Libby this week and needs victories to secure first place in the NWA heading into the state tournament next week in Polson.
Polson 11, Ronan 2
NWA Polson (5-1), Overall (15-4)
| Polson | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 11 | 16 | 2 | |
| Ronan | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 6 |
W—Lauren Vergeront. L—Macao Jackson
Hits—Polson: Josie Caye 2 (2B), Kaylanna DesJarlais (2B), Paige Noyes 3 (3B), Savanna Carpentier 2, Vergeront 2, Kobbey Smith 2, Lisa Costilla 2, Kallie Finkbeiner 2.
Hits-Ronan: Jackson (HR), Emilie Corley, Madison Miller 2, Liz Bluemel, LaNissa Mahkuk.
RBIs—Polson: Caye 3, DesJarlais, Noyes 3, Lexi Orien, Smith, Finkbeiner.
RBIs-Ronan: Jackson, Bluemel.
Thursday, May 16, 2019
Lady Pirates secure conference championship and a #1 state tourney seed.
In a battle of the top two Northwest A teams, Polson emerged with a 7-4 victory over Columbia Falls to win the Northwest A conference championship and clinch a No. 1 seed at the State A tournament it’ll host next week.
The Lady Pirates took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first, pushed that to 4-1 through four innings and never trailed. They had 12 hits to Columbia Falls’ 10. Kaylanna DesJarlais had two hits, including a home run for Polson. Kobbey Smith hit a homer run and Josie Caye, Paige Noyes and Lexy Orien each had a double.
The Lady Pirates are 16-4 overall, 6-1 in league games with one to go. Columbia Falls is second at 12-10, 5-3.
Polson 7, C. Falls 4
| Polson | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 7 | 12 | 0 | |
| Columbia Falls | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 10 | 0 |
WP — Lauren Vergeront, Katelyne Druyvestein (6) and Kaylanna DesJarlais. LP — Savvy Ellis and Graceanne Sevesind.
Hits — Polson: Josie Caye 2 (2B), DesJarlais 2 (HR), Paige Noyes 2 (2B), Lexy Orien 2 (2B), Savanna Carpentier, Kobbey Smith 2 (2B), Lisa Costilla.
Hits — C. Falls: Kaylee Ashe, Trista Cowan 2, Sevesind 3 (2B), Ryley Kehr (HR), Isabell Johnson 2, McKenna Rensel, Chloe Kienas 2 (2B).
RBIs — Polson: DesJarlais, Smith, Caye, Finkbeiner, Costilla.
RBIs — C. Falls: Kehr, Rensel, Kienas 2.
Saturday, May 18, 2019
Lady Pirates end week with win at Libby
Polson continued to dominate NWA teams with a strong hitting performance at Libby. The Lady Pirates totaled 16 runs and banged out 4 home runs in the win. Josie Caye, Lexi Orien, Kobbey Smith, and Lisa Costilla all went yard. Page “Doubles” Noyes, Orien, and SaVanna Carpentier provided extra punch each with a double.
Lauren Vergeront and Katelyn Druyvestein led the Pirates to the win from the circle.
Taylor Holmes was the big gun from Libby with a triple and a double and 3 RBIs.
The Pirates head into state in Polson this coming week with a 7-1 conference record (17-4 overall) and NWA championship under their belt.
They receive a bye at state and will play their first game against the winner of the 11:00AM Lewistown/MilesCity game at 3:00PM on Field 1 Thursday at the Lady Pirate Softball Complex.
Polson 16, Libby 8
| Polson | 3 | 3 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 16 | 17 | 4 | |
| Libby | 3 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 8 | 12 | 3 |
Pitching: Lauren Vergeront (2), WP Katelyn Druyvestein(5), LP—Kira Ward.
Hits—Polson: Josie Caye 2 (HR), Paige Noyes (2B), Lexy Orien (2B, HR), Savanna Carpentier 3 (2B), Vergeront, Katelyn Druyvestein, Kobbey Smith 3 (HR), Lisa Castillo 2 (HR), Kallie Finkbeiner.
Hits-Libby: Linsey Walker, Emily Carvey, Sammee Bradeen (2B), Taylor Holmes 3 (2B, 3B), Sheyla Gallagher (2B), MaKenzie Proffitt 2, Samantha Miller, Bethany Thomas.
RBIs—Polson: Caye 2, Noyes, Orien 2, Carpentier 2, Vergeront, Druyvestein, Smith 2, Castillo 2.
RBIs-Libby: Walker, Holmes 3, Gallagher 2, Proffitt 2.