Wolfpack HRs by Bravettes

By JOSEPH TERRY

The Daily Inter Lake

Glacier’s bats lifted the Wolfpack softball team to a doubleheader sweep of Flathead on Thursday night at Gene Boyle Field at Kidsports Complex.

Flathead entered the final inning in the Western AA conference opener with a two-run lead and was just three outs away from its first league win.

The Bravettes (0-12 Western AA, 2-17 overall) got some pop to open the game, with Kaileigh Denna hitting a two-run homer to cap a three-run first inning for Flathead. Denna and Bailey Nunn singled in two more runs in the third to put the Bravettes up 5-3.

Yet, the Wolfpack (4-8, 7-13) answered with four straight solo home runs, a school record, to start the seventh, charging ahead 7-5.

The Bravettes pulled off a short rally with two outs in the home half of the inning, scoring a run and getting the go-ahead run on base, but grounded to the pitcher to end the game in a heartbreaking 7-6 loss.

“It was a great game,” Glacier coach Andy Fors said. “We made some tough mistakes that put us in a bad position and gave Flathead some runs. To have those four home runs in a row was pretty cool to watch. It couldn’t have come at a better time for us.”

If that wasn’t enough, Glacier opened the back end of the doubleheader on a similar note.

The Wolfpack loaded the bases with a single and two walks in the top of the first inning and junior Alivia Atlee emptied them on one swing, hitting a grand slam to give Glacier a 4-0 lead before the game’s first out.

“We were fortunate to get some baserunners on early and Alivia Atlee hit a long one,” Fors said. “That gave us great confidence and we continued to hit throughout the game. To have that little bit of cushion made it a little bit easier.”

Flathead continued to answer when down. The Bravettes knocked in one run in the bottom of the first that could’ve been two, but Glacier caught a charging runner at home to end the inning.

When Glacier scored four runs again in the second inning, Flathead answered with two in its half of the frame and matched the Wolfpack with one run apiece in the third.

The Bravettes could never catch up, though. Glacier pulled out to a 13-4 lead through five innings and despite a two-run sixth, Flathead couldn’t close the gap. Glacier won 15-6.

“We battled the whole game for both games,” Flathead coach Jack Foster said. “I’m not disappointed in the kids. They played hard and had a chance in both games. You can’t ask more than that.”

Now 10 seasons into the rivalry, Glacier leads the overall crosstown series 33-4.

Atlee had three hits for the Wolfpack in the series, two of them home runs, to go with six RBIs. Kali Gulick also had a pair of homers and Erin McHugh, Anna Schrade, Sophie Smith and Meg Hornby each had four hits, Schrade with three doubles and Hornby with two doubles.

Denna led Flathead with five hits on the day, accounting for two homers and a double with five RBIs. Jayden Russell also had five hits batting leadoff, including a home run and three RBIs.

Glacier moves on to play at Missoula Big Sky (6-5-1, 9-9-1) on Thursday in the Western AA playoffs. Flathead will play at Helena High (10-2, 11-7) on Thursday.

Glacier 021 000 4 — 7 16 4

Flathead 302 000 1 — 6 10 0

Erin McHugh and Maddie Johnson. Maitlynn Betts and Jayden Russell.

GLACIER — Anna Schrade 2-4, Addie Labrum 1-4, Erin McHugh 3-4, Alivia Atlee 2-4, Kali Gulick 2-3, Emma Shew 1-4, Maddie Johnson 1-4, Sophie Smith 2-4, Meg Hornby 2-4.

FLATHEAD — Jayden Russell 3-4, Riley Chouinard 1-4, Kylee Meredith 1-4, Kaycee Smith 0-3, Kaileigh Denna 2-3, Kylee Beccari 1-4, Bailey Nunn 1-4, Maitlynn Betts 1-4, Kayla Kallis 0-3.

2B—Schrade 2, Johnson, Hornby. Russell. HR—Labrum, McHugh, Atlee, Gulick 2. Denna. RBIs—Schrade, Labrum, McHugh, Atlee, Gulick 2, Shew. Smith, Denna 3, Beccari, Nunn.

Glacier 441 130 0 — 13 12 0

Flathead 121 002 0 — 6 8 4

Emma Shew and Maddie Johnson. Kylee Beccari, Maitlynn Betts (2) and Jayden Russell.

GLACIER — Anna Schrade 2-4, Addie Labrum 1-4, Erin McHugh 1-2, Alivia Atlee 1-4, Kali Gulick 1-3, Emma Shew 0-5, Maddie Johnson 2-4, Serra Monroe 0-2, Sophie Smith 2-3, Meg Hornby 2-5.

FLATHEAD — Jayden Russell 2-3, Riley Chouinard 0-3, Kylee Meredith 0-3, Kaycee Smith 0-4, Kaileigh Denna 3-4, Kylee Beccari 1-3, Bailey Nunn 0-2, Maitlynn Betts 2-2, Kyann Devera 0-3.

2B—Schrade, Hornby. Denna, Betts. HR—Atlee. Russell, Denna. RBIs—McHugh, Atlee 5, Johnson 3, Smith 2. Russell 3, Denna 2, Betts.

Eureka 15, Whitefish 4

WHITEFISH — Whitefish held a brief 3-1 lead before Eureka stormed back to win the nonconference outing.

Eureka scored five runs in the fourth and fifth innings to put the game away.

Avory Escobar went the distance in the circle for Eureka and checked Whitefish on three singles.

Escobar had just one hit in the contest, a home run. She drove in two runs. Karissa Kaufman doubled for Eureka and Bailey Bishop tripled.

Rylee Morgan, 2 for 3, and Bishop also had two RBIs each.

Eureka 131 55 — 15 9 2

Whitefish 300 10 — 4 3 7

Avory Escobar and Savana Vandeberg. Lauren McDonald and Mary Akey. W - Escobar. L - McDonald.

Eureka — Vandeberg 2-3, Escobar 1-4, Erynn Thier 2-3, Rylee Morgan 2-3, Olivia Connizo 0-4, Bailey Bishop 1-3, Cassie Hammack 0-1, Haylie Hall 0-2, Karissa Kaufman 1-4, Kylie Salyer 0-3.

Whitefish — Abby Carson 0-1, Isabella Klempel 0-2, Amara McDaniel 0-3, Baileigh Krause 0-2, Rebecca Catina 2-2, Akey 0-3, McDonald 0-2, Zoe Dugan 1-2, Jamie Seirs 0-2.

2B - Kaufman. 3B - Bishop. HR - Escobar. RBI - Escobar 2, Morgan 2, Bishop 2, Hall. Dugan.