Glacier softball put an exclamation point on the regular season, sweeping Flathead in a doubleheader on Thursday at Kidsports Complex.

The Wolfpack (10-2 Western AA, 16-5 overall) took advantage of wind gusts that picked up at the start of play, hitting eight home runs in a pair of blowout victories against the Bravettes (2-10, 6-14).

Rain and hail began to fall during the national anthem in the opener, and brought with it a driving wind out to left field. The gusts, which reached a recorded 40 mph in the second game, played tricks on the ball, causing a run of fielding mishaps.

Flathead reached its first batter on a walk and three passed balls later took a 1-0 lead in the Western AA conferenece matchup with the Wolfpack. The Bravettes picked up a single three batters later and looked to be in form, but Glacier pitcher Ali Williams took over the contest.

Williams opened the bottom half of the inning with a double and the next five Wolfpack batters reached safely to take a 4-1 lead on a single from Serra Monroe. Two batters later, with runners on second and third, sophomore Meg Hornby, one of the smallest players on the team, elevated a fly ball high into the wind for a three-run home run over the left field wall, the first of her career.

Back in the circle, Williams forced a flyball to left on the next batter and retired 12 of the next 13, allowing Flathead to reach base once on a walk in the final four innings.

A grand slam from Erin McHugh in the third inning was followed by a solo shot from Alivia Atlee, bringing the score to 12-1. Glacier would score four more in the fourth, including home runs from Atlee and Christina DuFour, to win the contest 16-1.

Glacier kept its foot on the pedal in the nightcap.

The Wolfpack scored nine runs in the second inning alone, stretching its early advantage to 10-0, with Sarah Frandsen capping the scoring with a two-run homer as the 11th batter of the inning.

In the third, an error and two singles preceded another two-run home run, this one from catcher Christine Connolly, to give the Wolfpack a 14-0 lead.

“I think we did excellent. I think for the first time in awhile we’ve gotten our offense going and its been awesome,” Connolly said.

“It was a great team effort in hitting all around.”

That was plenty for Williams, who opened the game with nine consecutive strikeouts on a near perfect 29 pitches.

After finally giving up a hit, a poked single to right field from Kaitlin Torgerson, Williams responded on offense in the top of the fourth. Facing a 2-2 count with the winds at their peak, Williams got her barrel on a no-doubter, hitting a home run an estimated 380 feet down the left field line and nearly to the parking lot of the adjacent field, to cap the scoring in a 17-0 victory.

Williams finished with 12 strikeouts in each game to increase her state-leading total to 248 in 19 outings this season.

“I think she showed an incredible amount of toughness,” Glacier coach Andy Fors said of his standout senior.

“The tough thing for a pitcher, when we throw them back-to-back, it gives the other team a lot of opportunity to get on a pitcher. I thought she looked as tough or better in the second game. Especially for us going into the postseason knowing where we’re going to be with Ali it was nice to see her perform like that today.”

Glacier locked itself into position as the No. 2 seed in the West entering Class AA playoffs next week. As the top team without a bye, the Wolfpack will likely face Missoula Hellgate (2-9, 2-14) in a home best-of-three series next week.

Glacier is 2-0 against Hellgate this season, Williams tossing a perfect game and a one-hitter in the matchups.

The Wolfpack has also seemed to have found its stroke at the plate, scoring at least 10 runs in four of its last five games.

“Going into today’s games, we knew where we were at for the playoffs next week. There really wasn’t any pressure on us to win or any situation,” Fors said.

“We just focused on trying to prepare for the postseason and try to get some momentum offensively. Boy, they sure did that today.”

Flathead will likely be the sixth seed in the West and head to Helena for a game at third-seeded Capital (8-4, 11-7).

The Bravettes lost 11-5 and 11-7 in a pair of games with the Bruins this year.

Flathead 100 00 ­— 1 1 4

Glacier 705 4x — 16 13 0

Becca Knutson and Abbie O’Brien. Ali Williams and Christine Connolly. W—Williams. L—Knutson.

FLATHEAD­—O’Brien 0-1, Bailey Nunn 0-2, Kaitlin Torgerson 0-2, Kylee Merideth 1-2, Knutson 0-2, Kaileigh Denna 0-2, Riley Chouinard 0-1, Caitlin Morrison 0-2, Kyann Devera 0-2.

GLACIER—Williams 1-3, Erin McHugh 2-4, Alivia Atlee 4-4, Anna Schrade 1-3, Connolly 0-3, Serra Monroe 1-3, Sarah Frandsen 1-3, Meg Hornby 1-2, Christina DuFour 2-3.

2B—Williams, Schrade. HR—Hornby, McHugh, Atlee 2, DuFour. RBIs—McHugh 4, Atlee 4, Schrade 2, Monroe 1, Hornby 3, DuFour 2.

Flathead 000 00 — 0 2 2

Glacier 194 3x — 17 14 0

Kylee Beccari, Maitlynn Betts (4) and O’Brien. Williams and Connolly. W—Williams. L—Beccari.

FLATHEAD—O’Brien 0-2, Nunn 0-2, Torgerson 1-2, Meredith 0-2, Knutson 1-2, Denna 0-2, Chouinard 0-2, Beccari 0-1, Betts 0-1, Kayla Kallis 0-1.

GLACIER—Williams 3-4, McHugh 2-3, Atlee 1-4, Schrade 1-2, Connolly 2-3, Sarah Stern 1-2, Frandsen 2-3, Hornby 1-2, DuFour 1-3.

2B—McHugh. 3B—DuFour. HR—Frandsen, Connolly, Williams.