Columbia Falls splits with Belgrade, Butte Central

POLSON — Columbia Falls redeemed a blowout loss to Belgrade early Saturday afternoon with an 18-15 victory over Butte Central in a wild nightcap to open its softball season.

Belgrade took advantage of six Columbia Falls errors and scored in every inning en route to a 21-3 rout of the Wildkats.

The Panthers hung six runs on the board in the first inning, four each in the second, third and fourth and another three in the fifth of a run rule-shortened game.

Columbia Falls scored all three of its runs on a Trista Cowan homer in the first inning.

The Wildkats overcame a huge early deficit with a nine-run fifth inning versus Butte Central.

Jayden Hamilton led Columbia Falls’ offensive attack with four hits. Raychel Hoerner homered.

Butte Central scored three runs in the seventh inning, but the comeback fell short.

Columbia Falls hosts Polson at 5:30 p.m. on April 5.

Belgrade 21, Columbia Falls 3

Belgrade 644 43x x — 21 10 0

Columbia Falls 300 00x x — 3 2 6

BELGRADE — Erin Elgas 1-5, Katie Hopie 2-4, Olivia Cook 2-3, Ty Atwood 0-2, Heather Gier 2-5, Mattie Kreiger 3-5, Haylee Curry 2-5, Alexa Deming 1-3, Khiala Rollins 2-3.

COLUMBIA FALLS — Kennedy Payne 0-2, Raychel Hoerner 1-2, Trista Cowan 1-2, Graceanne Sevesind 0-2, Tori Briscoe 0-2, Chloe Kienas 0-2, Jayden Hamilton 0-2, McKenna Renzel 0-2, Abbey Underdahl 0-2.

2B — Elgas, Hopie 2, Gier 2, Kreiger, Curry 2. Cowan. HR — Kreiger 2. RBIs — Belgrade N/A. Cowan 3.

Columbia Falls 18, Butte Central 15

Butte Central 800 040 3 — 15 10 1

Columbia Falls 100 490 0 — 18 14 1

BUTTE CENTRAL — Chloe Thatcher 4-5, Kassidy C. 0-3, Emma Keely 1-4, Megan Micholotti 2-5, Cassidy Strizic 1-5, Makala Dougherty 2-5, Zoe Dougherty 1-2, Kenzie Norton 0-1, Maddie Kump 2-4.

COLUMBIA FALLS — Kennedy Payne 1-4, Raychel Hoerner 1-3, Trista Cowan 2-5, Graceanne Sevesind 1-5, Tori Briscoe 1-3, Chloe Kienas 1-5, Jayden Hamilton 4-4, McKenna Renzel 2-4, Abbey Underdahl 0-2, Isabell Johnson 1-2.

2B: Strizic, M. Dougherty. Cowan, Sevesind. 3B: Thatcher, Keely. HR: Thatcher 2. Hoerner.