BELGRADE — Polson coach Larry Smith said he’s always concerned on how his team will respond to a first-round bye at the Class A state softball tournament.

Will it start slow ... 

Or will the other team maintain its momentum from a first-round win and keep it going.

His worries Thursday were quickly laid to rest.

Leadoff hitter Jaylin Kenney singled up the middle in her first at bat, Polson responded with three-run innings in the first and second, and Shalaina Duford smacked her fifth home run of the season in an 10-0 victory over the Maroons.

Butte Central (10-10) had opened the tournament with a noon victory over Lewistown (12-9-1).

“That got us rolling,” Smith said of Kenney’s single.

The junior catcher wound up with three hits in three plate appearances.

Duford’s home run shot was to center field with one runner aboard in the second inning. She totaled three RBIs, as did Hannah Potter.

Potter and Jessica Bagnell doubled for the Pirates.

Heidi Rausch and Sarah Rausch both had two RBIs.

Duford (22-1) also went the distance in the circle. She held Butte Central to a pair of singles, struck out five and walked none.

Polson (21-1) is back in action today at 2 p.m. versus Frenchtown. The Pirates, three-time defending state champs, have won 19 straight games.

Butte Central00000—023

Polson33022—1091

T. Piazzola, No. 11 (4) and S. McLaughlin; Shalaina Duford and Jaylin Kenney. W — Duford (22-1). L — Piazzola.

BUTTE CENTRAL — S. Hjelt 0-2, H. Stajear 0-2, McLaughlin 1-2, D. Weuman 0-2, K. Hogart 0-2, T. Marthaller 1-2, A. LaBreche 0-2, Piazzola 0o-2, S. Paffhausen 0-2.

POLSON — Kenney 3-3, Duford 1-2, Jessica Bagnell 1-2, Heidi Rausch 1-3, Martina Marquardt 1-2, Hannah Potter 1-2, Jordyn Evertz 0-1, Sarah Rausch 0-1, Taylor Brackey 0-3, Jaiden Toth 1-3.

2B—Bagnell, Potter; HR—Duford; RBIs—Duford (3), H. Rausch (2), Marquardt, Potter (3), S. Rausch (2).

Columbia Falls 3, Belgrade 2

Columbia Falls 14, Glendive 2

BELGRADE — Tiffany Hummer, Carlee Brown and Kathrin Jetty all went 2 for 4 and Ashley Trueblood pitched seven solid innings in the circle as Columbia Falls pulled out a tight win over Belgrade.

Jetty and Winter Kemppainen doubled for the Wildkats.

Columbia Falls opened tournament play with a 14-2 romp over Glendive. The Wildkats belted 22 hits in that outing, led by Jetty’s 5 for 5 showing. She doubled once, along with Catie King.

Columbia Falls scored in every inning but the second.

Columbia Falls (16-8) plays Hamilton today at 2 p.m.

Columbia Falls 000 120 0 — 3 11 0

Belgrade 010 010 0 — 2 6 0

Ashley Trueblood and Courtney Murray. Kristina West and Taylor Hill. W - Trueblood. L - West (8-6).

COLUMBIA FALLS (16-8) — Tiffany Hummer 2-4, Carlee Brown 2-4, Trueblood 1-4, Kathrin Jetty 2-4 (2B), Ciarra Holm 1-2, Winter Kemppainen 1-3 (2B), Alex Pederson 1-3, Murray 0-2, Breanna Friar 0-1, Amanda Morrison 1-3.

BELGRADE (13-10) — Skyla Neubauer 2-4 (2B), Judy Taylor 0-3, Autumn Rollins 0-1, West 1-3, Taylor Johnson 0-2, Hill 1-3, Allison Alstrom 1-3 (2B), Joey Severson 1-3, Kindall Bethke 0-2, Rylee Cygan 0-1, Marina Layman 0-2.

Columbia Falls 205 2113 — 14 22 1

Glendive 001 100 0 — 2 70

Ashley Trueblood and Courtney Murray. Payton Schieffer and NA. W – Trueblood. L – Schieffer.

Columbia Falls – Tiffany Hummer 2-5, Carlee Brown 3-5, Ashley Trueblood 2-4, Kathrin Jetty 5-5, Ciarra Holm 1-5, Winter Kemppainen 2-4, Catie King 2-4, Alex Pederson 1-1, Courtnee Murray 1-3, Breanna Friar 1-1, Amanda Morrison 2-5

Glendive – Haylee Storlie 1-4, Jade Marquart 0-3, Amanda Mittlestadt 1-3, Alexa Hubbard 2-3, Payton Schieffer 1-2, Sydney Schieffer 1-3, Shay Deines 0-1, Sarah Temple 0-1, Lexi Pettersen 1-3

2B – Jetty, King, Pedersen, Trueblood. 3B – Hubbard. RBI – Jetty 2, Murray 2, Pederson 2, Trueblood 2, Holm, Kemppainen, King, Morrison; Storlie. SB – Brown 2, Jetty 2, Hummer 2, Trueblood. HBP – Murray (by Schieffer).

Other Games

First round

Laurel 10, Livingston 9

Laurel 101 313 1 — 10 15 2

Livingston 200 070 0 — 9 15 4

Brianne Jones and Kayla Hallock. Ariel Howieson and Cassidy Versland. W – Jones. L – Howieson.

Laurel – Ayla Grandpre 4-5, Maurissa Gunn 2-5, Amanda Taylor 2-5, Kayla Hallock 4-4, Emily Smarsh 1-4, Hailey Spitzer 0-4, Katie Williams 0-4, Brianne Jones 0-3, Kylie Goodson 2-4

Livingston – Meghan Gibson 2-4, Jacey Schliecher 1-4, Haley Dowdell 2-3, Meadow Ingram 1-4, Hailey Versland 2-4, Katie Lynn Kraus 0-2, Vanessa Davaz 1-2, Cassidy Versland 3-4, Sierra Higgs 2-4, Alex Schaeffer 1-4

2B – Grandpre, Hallock; Ingram. 3B – Gunn. HR – Hallock; Versland. RBI – Hallock 4, Gunn 2; Versland 3, Dowdell 2, Ingram 2, Higgs, Schaeffer. SB – Dowdell.

Butte Central 7, Lewistown 3

Lewistown 000 000 3 — 3 4 1

Butte Central 000 340 x —7 9 0

Cassi Miller and . Teresa Piazzola and Shannon McLaughlin. W – Piazzola. L – McLaughlin.

Lewistown – Alyssa Yaeger 0-4, Nadja Robertson 1-2, Cassi Miller 1-4, Mary Birdwell 0-3, Teale Danell 0-1, Maddie Comes 0-3, Jessica Kindzerski 1-2, Kailey Grover 1-2, Jessica Gapay 0-1, Lacey Lindenfeld 0-1

Butte Central – Shawnee Hjelt 1-4, Hannah Stajcar 1-4, Shannon McLaughlin 1-3, Danika Neumann 2-4 Katie Hogart 1-3, Taylor Marthaller 1-2, Aleesha Lebreche 1-2, Teresa Piazzola 1-3, Mikayla Boggs 0-3

3B – Grover. HR – Marthaller, Piazzola. RBI – Grover, Miller; Marthaller 4, Piazzola 3. SB – Grover. SAC – Lebreche. HBP – Wier (by Piazzola), Marthaller (by Miller).

Frenchtown 5, Anaconda 4

Anaconda 300 100 0— 4 8 4

Frenchtown 002 100 2 — 5 4 2

Brooke Chapman and . Abby Indreland, Morgan Ray (4) and . W – Ray. L – Chapman.

Anaconda – Courtney Moodry 1-3, Karli King 0-2, Brooke Chapman 2-4, Lauren Bolton 2-3, Delanie Chapman 1-4, Sara Schaefer 0-3, Lacee Moodry 1-4, Chloe Wori 1-4, Julia Peterson 0-3

Frenchtown – Holly Jacobs 1-4, Kayla Blood 1-4, Abby Indreland 0-4, Morgan Ray 0-4, Keegan Wickman 0-1, Krista Hebnes 0-3, Vanessa Stavish 1-2, Larissa Berg 0-1, Nicole Garren 0-2, Josie Anderson 1-3

2B – Bolton, Brooke Chapman. RBI – Chapman, King, L. Moodry; Ray 2, Garren 1. SB – D. Chapman. SAC – King. HBP – Wickman (by B. Chapman).

Second Round

Frenchtown 15, Billings Central 2

Frenchtown 632 130 —15 180

Billings Central 000 02x —2 4 3

Ray and . Alexa Rockwell, Molly Day (3) and . W – Ray. L – Rockwell.

Frenchtown – Jacobs 1-3, Blood 3-4, Indreland 1-4, Ray 2-4, Wickman 3-3, Hebnes 3-4, Stavish 3-4, Garren 0-1, Macey Newbary 1-2, Anderson 0-2, Emma Pyron 1-2, Gabby Martello 0-1, Brooke Yarnall 0-1

Billings Central – MacKenzie Redman 0-3, Molly Day 0-2, Sarah Shaw 0-2, Kehley Grosulak 1-2, Alexa Rockwell 1-2, Skylar Rockwell 0-2, Addy Daubert 1-2, Taryn Francischetti 0-2, Allison Walter 0-1, Maggie Meyer 1-1.

2B – Stavish 2, Hebnes, Indreland, Wickm