Big bats lead Lady Bulldogs
For the three seniors on the Lady Bulldogs softball team, Saturday's 6-3 win over conference-rival Columbia Falls at Smith Fields was long over due.
It was their first win over the 'Kats in their high school careers — marking the end of an era and possible the beginning of another.
"It's so awesome to get the win," senior Hailey Mortensen said after the game. "I've been waiting four years for that."
Mortensen led an impressive offensive attack by Whitefish (1-2, 1-1), going 3-for-3 with four RBIs off three doubles.
Spot-on pitching from senior Kaitlyn Wehrli, who tallied eight strikeouts over seven innings, backed the team's strong hitting.
"I had good snap and push today," Wehrli said. "And there was really good defense behind me."
Lady Bulldog coach Alan Compton said the team's win could be partially attributed to the lack of mental errors that plagued the defense in the season's first two games. Whitefish dropped the season-opener to Class AA Flathead 12-0, and let a win slip away Friday against top-rated Polson, 17-6.
"I think we attacked the ball well and didn't wait for it to come to us," Compton said. "Being aggressive gives us less chance of making errors.
"We don't have a lot of girls, but the difference between this year's team and teams in the past is they have incredible effort. If they make a mistake, they're not hanging their heads. Instead of a hit being a triple, they're holding it to a double. As long as they keep giving effort, we'll have a chance."
The Lady 'Dogs got the offense rolling against Columbia Falls in the first inning when Wehrli led off the inning with a single up the middle. Mortensen then hit a hard double to right-center that scored Wehrli from second base, putting the game's first points on the board.
In the bottom of the third with two outs, Wehrli rapped an RBI to center that scored Emma Baldonado. Emily Stiver and Madison Tveidt scored walks in the next two at-bats, scoring Madisen Cross and loading the bases for Mortensen.
Mortensen's second double to deep center bounced off the fence, pushing Madison Tveidt, Stiver and Wehrli across the plate and capping off the two-out rally.
"Hailey's confidence is way up, and she feels good about her game," Compton said.
With a 6-0 lead intact, it was all defense down the stretch for Whitefish. Stiver snagged a hard line drive at second base, and Wehrli tossed another strikeout to get out of a jam in the fourth.
With the Wildkats threatening in the sixth, Baylee Tveidt brought in two deep fly balls to right field to hold Columbia Falls.
The 'Kats made some noise in the final frame, scoring two runs, but after a time out by Compton, Whitefish regrouped, and Hanah Lewis caught a pop up at third base to seal the win.
Whitefish goes on the road for the remainder of April, traveling to Browning on Friday and Libby on Saturday. They next play at home on May 1 when they host Browning.