Ashley Trueblood is hard to hit.

The senior pitcher allowed just five hits in the Columbia Falls Wildkats 9-1 road victory over the Flathead Bravettes at Conrad Complex on Tuesday.

Columbia Falls (11-2 overall, 3-1 league) rode Trueblood’s eight strikeout-performance to the nonconference win while their bats broke the game open in the seventh.

Scattering five runs over as many innings, the Wildkats rallied in the top of the seventh. Trueblood helped her own cause with an RBI single to start the scoring, and teammate Breanna Friar reached base with a single in the next at-bat. Shortstop Lottie Ellis ripped a double to the right-center field gap for an RBI before right fielder Madi Fetters cleared the bases with a two-RBI single up the middle.

When the final out was made the Wildkats held a 9-0 advantage.

“Ashley’s been pitching really well, and defensively, I think we’re playing pretty solid,” Columbia Falls coach Dave Kehr said. “We started to hit. Our short game worked out really well for us in the beginning and then we just started to hit.”

 Lead-off hitter Carlee Brown finished 3 for 4 with two RBIs for the Wildkats.

Flathead (1-15, 1-9) managed a rally of their own in the bottom of the seventh, but it was short lived. Becca Knutson started the inning off with a base hit and reached second when Makaila Jorgenson was hit by a pitch. Kylee Beccari singled to load the bases, and Abbie O’Brien’s decisive eye earned an RBI when she walked.

That’s all Trueblood would allow as she retired the side, striking out two in the inning.

“I thought we played well on defense for the most part. We made some great plays,” Flathead coach Tasia Gates said. “We looked a lot better out there today as far as defense goes. Offensively, a couple of us connected but we didn’t do a great job of stringing hits together. Our bats were just a little slow today.”

The Bravettes will travel to Missoula Hellgate for a double-header on Friday. Game 1 is scheduled for 4 p.m.

The Wildkats face Whitefish on Saturday at 2.

Columbia Falls     120     110     4     —     9     10 0

Flathead     000     000     1     —     1     5 0

Ashley Trueblood and Breanna Friar. Kylee Beccari and Abbie O’Brien. W — Trueblood. L — Beccari.

COLUMBIA FALLS — Carlee Brown 3-4, Peyton Kehr 0-2, Trueblood 1-3, Friar 3-3, Alysha Cantu 0-2, Kerry Lanners 0-2, Lonnie Ellis 1-2, Madi Fetters 1-4, Katie Price 1-2, Kaitlyn Hoerner 0-3.

FLATHEAD — O’Brien 1-3, Grace Cady 0-4, Kaycee Smith 1-3, Kylee Meredith 0-3, Becca Knutson 1-3, Kaitlin Torgerson 0-3, Makaila Jorgenson 0-3, Dana VanLuven 1-3, Kylee Beccari 1-3.

2B — Brown, Ellis. RBI — Brown 2, Trueblood, Friar, Ellis 3, Fetters 2; O’Brien.