Loggers rally for Western B-C title
LIBBY — Libby rallied back from a semifinal loss to rip off three straight wins and claim the Western B-C Divisional softball title on its home diamond Saturday.
“Our girls really stuck together and played well,” Loggers coach Dean Thompson said.
The Loggers opened the day in the semifinals against Florence, and led for most of the contest, carrying a 5-4 lead into the bottom of the seventh inning, when the Falcons pushed across a pair of runs to claim the come-from-behind 6-5 victory.
“Florence is a great hitting team,” Thompson said. “They scored a couple of runs on us. They came back and played well.”
Libby responded by blitzing Loyola with 12 runs in the final three innings of a 12-2 win in five innings to get back into the title game.
“We got out bats going against them (Loyola),” Thompson said. “Our bats just kept going for all four games today.”
The Loggers scored seven runs in the first inning of the championship opener, answering any Florence runs to win 11-3 and force a deciding game.
As it had for the previous two games, Libby got out to a big lead early, pulling ahead 11-1 by the fourth inning.
Yet, pitcher Khalyn Hageness started to slow down after most of three games in the circle, and slipped in the fifth inning. Florence tacked on eight runs in the frame to cut the Libby lead to 11-9.
“Our pitcher was getting fatigued a bit and they started getting hits,” Thompson said.
“We switched our pitcher to our young girl (Linsey Walker) and started to get back up.”
The Loggers scored an insurance run in the seventh inning and held the Florence bats mostly quiet to win the final game 12-10 and claim the divisional title.
Libby now holds the top seed in next week’s state tournament in Frenchtown and will play the fourth seed from the East.
“We played great defensively this weekend. That’s a good thing going into the state tournament,” Thompson said.
Loser out
Loyola Sacred Heart 12, Plains 11
Plains 210 520 10 – 11 8 5
Loyola 230 202 21 – 12 16 6
Jessica Thompson and Natalee Deschamps. Kayla Hickethier and Carly Tipp. W – Hickethier. L – Thompson.
Plains (11-9) – Stacy Gray 2-4, Sydney Jackson 1-3, Jessica Thompson 1-5, Deschamps 1-4, MacKenzie Angle 1-4, Brianna Gray 0-4, Kelsey Standeford 1-5, Audrey Brown 1-5, Sage Jackson 0-3.
Loyola-Sacred Heart – Charla Goodman 3-6, Hellie Badaruddin 1-5, Natalie Goodman 2-4, Hickethier 3-3, Tipp 3-5, Molly Miltko 2-4, Morgan Nicholson 1-4, Ivvy Solomon 1-5, Jordan Huffman 0-4.
2B – Angle, Thompson Miltko, Ch. Goodman 2, Hickethier. 3B – Brown. HR – Ch. Goodman, Hickethier. RBIs – Deschamps 2, Gray 2, Thompson Hickethier 5, Miltko 4, Ch. Goodman 2.
Mission 6, Anaconda
Mission 010 201 002 – 6 7 0
Anaconda 010 030 000 – 4 9 2
Ran’Dee Charlo and Kenzie Couture. Michael Cortright and Hanna Schaefer. W – Charlo. L – Cortright.
Mission-Arlee-Charlo – Haley Crawford 0-2, Caitlyn Sorrell 1-3, Tomi Brazill 1-5, Couture 0-5, Charlo 0-3, Summer DarcAngelo 1-3, Azia Rain Umphrey 2-4, Frankie Smith 1-4, Vanessa Kent 0-4, Sierra Hutchins 1-2, Shyanne Reum 0-1, Tori Olson 0-0.
Anaconda (15-9) – Erin Chapman 2-5, Sydnie Peterson 1-5, Cortright 1-3, Schaefer 1-3, Johanna Forsberg 1-4, Carley Fink 1-4, Reagan Johnson 0-4, Kelsey Oxnam 1-4, Maddison Collinsworth 1-3.
2B – Umphrey, DarcAngelo. 3B – Peterson. HR – Umphrey, Schaefer. RBIs – Sorrell, Brazill, Umphrey 2, Kent, Peterson 3, Schaefer.
Fourth place
Loyola Sacred Heart 3, Mission 0
Loyola 001 02 0 – 3 12 1
Mission 000 000 0 – 0 5 4
Kayla Hickethier and Carly Tipp. Ran’Dee Charlo, Tomi Brazill (5) and Kenzie Couture. W – Hickethier. L – Charlo.
Loyola Sacred Heart – Charla Goodman 1-4, Hellie Badaruddin 2-3, Natalie Goodman 3-4, Hickethier 1-3, Tipp 0-3, Rachana Harris 0-0, Molly Miltko 2-3, Morgan Nicholson 1-4, Ivvy Solomon 2-4, Stephanie Radcliff 0-4.
Mission-Arlee-Charlo (18-5-1) – Haley Crawford 0-2, Tori Olson 0-0, Tomi Brazill 0-4, Couture 0-2, Ran’Dee Charlo 0-3, Summer DarcAngelo 0-2, Caitlyn Sorrell 0-1, Asia Rain Umphrey 2-3, Frankie Smith 1-3, Vanessa Kent 0-3, Sierra Hutchins 2-3.
2B – Badaruddin 2. RBIs – N. Goodman, Miltko 2.
Semifinal
Florence 6, Libby 5
Libby 101 003 0 - 5 10 5
Florence 002 200 2 - 6 11 1
Khayln Hageness and Sammee Bradeen. Brianna Hoffman, Shannon Bryne (7) and Natalie Dulac. W - Hoffman. L - Hageness.
Libby - Madisen Monigold 1-4, Hageness 1-4, Sheyla Gallagher 0-0, Jayden Winslow 2-2, Abbey Ennenga 2-4, Haylee Cannon 1-4, Bradeen 1-4, Bridget Carvey 0-0, Emily Carvey 0-2, Alyssa Marshall 2-4, Linsey Walker 0-2.
Florence - Bryne 1-3, Dulac 2-4, Chloe Arthur 2-4, Shay Waldbillig 1-3, Brooklyn Little 2-4, Kali Leibenguth 0-3, Rylee Mangun 1-1, Danorah Greer 0-4, Brianna Hoffman 1-1, Jewel Zeiler 0-0, Emily Kinnamon 1-4.
2B - Marshall, Monigold. Arthur, Hoffman, Little 2. 3B - Arthur, Mangun. HR - Winslow. RBI - Ennenga, Marshall 2, Winslow. Dulac 2, Arthur, Mangun, Little, Kinnamon.
Third place
Libby 12, Loyola-Sacred Heart 2
Libby 006 33 - 12 9 2
Loyola 002 00 - 2 5 9
Linsey Walker and Sammee Bradeen. Molly Miltko and Carly Tipp. W - Walker. L - Miltko.
Libby - Madisen Monigold 1-4, Emiy Carvey 1-4, Jayden Winslow 2-3, Abbey Ennenga 1-3, Haylee Cannon 0-3, Bradeen 1-3, Kira Ward 0-0, Sheyla Gallagher 0-2, Alyssa Marshall 2-2, Bridget Carvey 0-1, Linsey Walker 1-3.
Loyola-Sacred Heart (13-12) - Charla Goodman 0-3, Hellie Badaruddin 1-3, Natalie Goodman 1-3, Kayla Hickethier 2-2, Carley Tipp 0-2, Miltko 0-2, Morgan Nickolson 0-2, Ivvy Solomon 1-2, Stephonie Birdiff 0-2, Casey Donahue 0-0.
2B - E. Carvey. Badaruddin, Hickethier. RBI - Cannon, E. Carvey 3, B. Carvey, Ennenga, Winslow. Hickethier 2.
Championship
Game 1
Libby 11, Florence 3
Florence 012 000 0 – 3 8 2
Libby 701 300 x – 11 13 1
Shannon Byrne, Shay Waldbillig (4) and Chloe Arthur. Khalyn Hageness and Sammee Bradeen. W – Hageness. L – Byrne.
Florence – Byrne 1-3, Natalie Dulac 2-3, Arthur 1-3, Waldbillig 1-2, Danera Greer 0-1, Brooklyn Little 1-2, Rylee Mangun 2-3, Destini Greer 0-3, Brianna Hoffman 0-3, Emily Kinnaman 0-2.
Libby – Madisen Monigold 3-4, Khalyn Hageness 1-4, Sheyla Gallagher 0-0, Jayden Winslow 0-2, Abbey Ennenga 2-4, Haylee Cannon 2-4, Bradeen 0-4, Emily Carvey 3-3, Alyssa Marshall 1-3, Linsey Walker 1-3.
2B – Mangun, Ennenga, Monigold. 3B – Mangun. HR – Arthur, Carvey, Ennenga. RBIs – Arthur 2, Mangun, Monigold 2, Ennenga 4, Cannon, Carvey 2, Walker 2.
Game 2
Libby 12, Florence 10
Libby 102 800 1 - 12 18 6
Florence 010 080 1 - 10 15 5
Khalyn Hageness, Linsey Walker (5) and Sammee Bradeen. Shay Waldbillig and Natalie Dulac. W - Hageness. L - Waldbillig.
Libby - Madisen Monigold 4-5, Hageness 3-4, Gallagher 0-1, Jayden Winslow 2-5, Abbey Ennenga 2-5, Haylee Cannon 2-5, Bradeen 1-4, Bridget Carvey 0-1, Emily Carvey 0-4, Alyssa Marshall 2-4, Linsey Walker 2-4.
Florence - Shannon Bryne 1-1, Jewel Zeiler 1-4, Dulac 2-4, Chloe Arthur 2-5, Waldbillig 2-4, Brooklyn Little 2-4, Rylee Mangun 1-4, Danorah Greer 0-3, Destini Greer 3-4, Emily Kinnamon 1-4.
2B - Hageness, Monigold 2. Mangun. 3B - Monigold. De. Greer. HR - Abbey Ennenga. Little. RBI - Cannon, Ennenga 3, Hageness, Marshall, Monigold, Walker 2, Winslow 2. Dulac, Waldbillig, Little 2, Kinnamon, De. Greer, Da. Greer, Zeiler.
Columbia Falls 19, Stevensville 4
STEVENSVILLE — Columbia Falls softball bounced back from a first inning deficit to rout Stevensville in five innings.
The Wildkats fell behind 3-1 but rebounded with four runs in the top of the second to retake the lead. Columbia Falls then scored nine runs in the third and another five in the fourth, with Taylor Putnam shutting down the Stevi side in the bottom of the frame to end the game early.
Peyton Kehr was 4 for 5 from the plate with a home run and four RBIs. Syd Hovde went 3 for 4 with a double and three RBIs.
The Wildkats hold the No. 2 seed from the Northwest and will play Central No. 3 seed Havre to open the Class A state tournament in Sidney next weekend.
Columbia Falls 149 5 – 19 18 2
Stevensville 301 0 – 4 7 5
KJ Schweikert, Taylor Putnam (2) and Hannah Freeman. Sara Morrison, Joey Oyler (3), Morrison (3) and Dani Trangmoe. W – Schweikert. L – Morrison.
Columbia Falls (13-8) – Kaylee Ash 1-4, Peyton Kehr 4-5, Schweikert 3-5, Tristan Cowan 1-1, Rachel Hoerner 1-3, Syd Hovde 3-4, Freeman 0-1, Tori Briscoe 1-1, Taylor Putnam 2-4, Kaylene Volkman 0-1, Savvy Ellis 1-1, Kennedy Payne 1-3.
Stevensville (9-9-1) – Syd Paul 1-2, Mikayla Newman 2-2, Haley Kampka 0-1, Callie Lendman 0-2, Makayla Davids 0-1, Trangmoe 2-2, Morrison 0-2, Sam Hambrick 1-1, Kaylee Berning 0-2.
2B – Hovde. HR – Kerr. RBIs – Ash 2, Kerr 4, Schweikert, Hoerner, Hovde 3, Briscoe, Ellis, Payne 2; Lendman, Trangmoe.
Frenchtown 11, Whitefish 0
FRENCHTOWN — Frenchtown held Whitefish to one hit in a five-inning rout to close out the Northwestern A schedule.
Bulldogs pitcher Lauren McDonald notched the only hit for Whitefish, a single.
Frenchtown secured the top seed and a bye in next week’s state tournament and will open against the winner of the first round game between Glendive and Stevensville.
Whitefish 000 00 — 0 1 1
Frenchtown 306 2x — 11 7 1
Lauren McDonald and Mary Akey. Brynn Leishman, Meg Delaney (3), Claire Bagnell (5) and Allie Hochhalter. W - Leishman. L - McDonald.
Whitefish - Abby Carson 0-2, Isabelle Klempel 0-2, Amara McDaniel 0-2, Baileigh Krause 0-2, Rebecca Catina 0-2, Zoe Dugan 0-2, Akey 0-1, Joslyn Raudon 0-0, Lauren McDonald 1-2, Sidney Cooke 0-1, Bailey Smith 0-1.
Frenchtown - 1. Meg Delaney 0-2, Jordan Cole 0-3, Brynn Leishman 0-0, Kylie Habeck 0-1, Taylor Garren 1-1, Allie Hochhalter 2-3, Morgan Snow 1-2, Kami Bidlake 0-0, Callie Bagnell 1-2, Kendra Williams 0-0, Kylie Willett 0-2, Mikaila Neilson 1-1, Dana Jacobs 0-1, Carley Thompson 1-2.
2B - Hochhalter. HR - Thompson, Snow. RBI - Thompson 4, Snow 3, Hochhalter, Bagnell, Williams.