Eureka, St. Ignatius split in softball; Hamilton tips Polson

EUREKA — Eureka picked up its first Western B softball victory of the season on Friday by splitting a doubleheader with St. Ignatius.

Avory Escobar, 3 for 5, homered and drove in four runs to power Eureka’s offense in a 12-3 victory over the Bulldogs in the opener.

Trailing 2-1 after three innings, Eureka scored six times in the fourth and closed with a five-run sixth inning.

Escobar’s round-tripper to left field came in the fourth inning with two runners on.

She also went the distance in the circle to earn the win. She allowed six hits, walked one batter and fanned 10.

“She’s a good all-around player,” Eureka coach Brendan Miller said.

“She’s pitching extremely well. The Mission (St. Ignatius) girls had a hard time catching up to her fastball. She was hitting her spots very well. Her off-speed stuff was good.”

Eureka had 12 hits to six for St. Ignatius.

Katie Schmidt and Michael Shea both were 2 for 4 for the Lions. Shea, Rhianna Hawkins and Haylie Hall all doubled for Eureka.

St. Ignatius (1-2) used a fast start, 11 runs in the first inning, to win the second game 18-2.

Eureka was held to three hits and scored twice in the second inning.

Eureka (1-3) hosts Thompson Falls today for a doubleheader beginning at noon.

Eureka 010 605 0 — 12 12 0

St. Ignatius 002 010 0 — 3 6 3

W — Avory Escobar; L — Tomi Brazill.

EUREKA — Maya Carvey 0-5, Rhianna Hawkins 1-5, Escobar 3-5, Katie Schmidt 2-4, Michael Shea 2-4, Haylie Hall 1-4, Savanna Vandeberg 1-4, Reena Truman 1-3, Ciara Miller 1-2.

ST. IGNATIUS —Brazill 0-2, Liev Smith 0-3, Caitlyn Sorrell 1-3, Azia Umphrey 0-3, Frankie Smith 0-3, S. Reum 0-3, Taylor Olson 1-3, C. Mitchell 1-3, Olivia Garland 2-3.

2B—Hawkins, Shea, Hall; Olson, Mitchell; HR—Escobar; RBIs—Hawkins, Escobar (4), Shea, Hall (2); Mitchell.

St. Ignatius (11)02 50 — 18 8 2

Eureka 020 0x — 2 3 7

W — Smith; L — Hawkins.

ST. IGNATIUS — Brazill 0-2, Smith 2-3, Sorrell 2-3, Umphrey 0-1, Smith 2-4, Reum 0-4, Olson 1-1, Mitchell 1-2, Garland 0-2.

EUREKA — Carvey 0-2, Hawkins 1-2, Escobar 1-1, Schmidt 1-2, Shea 0-1, Hall 0-1, Vandeberg 0-2, Truman 0-2, Miller 0-2.

2B—Sorrell, Mitchell; RBIs—Brazill, Smith, Sorrell, Smith (2), Olson.

Hamilton 10, Polson 8

POLSON — Polson rallied in the bottom of the seventh, but came up two runs short in a Class A nonconference outing with Hamilton.

Polson, trailing 10-5, managed to score three times in the seventh to make it close.

Maggie Ringer, 2 for 3, doubled, homered and drove in three runs for Hamilton.

Jordan Tagger also had three RBIs to go with her win in the circle for the Broncs.

Lexi Orien, Kobbey Smith and Lisa Costilla had two hits each for Polson. Smith and Orien both doubled.

Smith finished with three RBIs and Paige Noyes had two.

Polson hosts Libby today at 3 p.m. in Northwest A play.

Hamilton 202 032 1 — 10 8 5

Polson 102 011 3 — 8 7 2

WP — Jordan Taggert; 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.