WEEKEND WARRIOR: Ali Williams has a bright future playing college softball at Carroll, but over three days at Kidsports Complex the only thing that mattered was bringing Glacier a second straight state title.

While Williams and the Wolfpack fell short in its quest to repeat as champions, the senior pitcher’s body paid the price.

Williams pitched 42 straight innings — six complete games — in a span of less than 48 hours, but no matter how she felt there was no way she was ending her record-setting prep career anywhere but inside the circle.

“(Pitching) coach Gary Evans talked to her a lot about how her arm was feeling,” Glacier coach Andy Fors said. “And, basically, the message she said to us was ‘good luck trying to drag me off the field.’”

Williams threw three complete games on Friday, leaving Kidsports around 7 p.m., then had to return to the field early for Glacier’s 10 a.m. win Saturday over Great Falls. Williams said the quick turnaround did present some challenges.

“It took me a long time to warm up because my arm was really, really tight,” she said. “We were all a little bit tired but that comes from playing three games the day before.

“I thought I threw pretty well in (the championship) game but the game before that I thought movement was a little bit off.”

STAY IN YOUR LANE: In Glacier’s two games against Billings West at the tournament — both wins — Williams was called for illegal pitches four separate times.

It’s a rarely-called violation, awarding one ball to the batter. Williams was called for two illegal pitches against the first batter she saw in the tournament on Thursday, and two more when the Wolfpack eliminated the Bears late Friday. In the later instance, Cody Rodgers of West drove the next pitch she saw out of the park.

Williams’ pitches were ruled to be illegal because she stepped out of the so-called 24-inch pitching lane, which stretches from both ends of the rubber towards home plate. The lane is not marked on the field and Williams’ delivery sends her front foot to the extreme first-base side of the lane when she lands, making enforcement difficult for the home plate umpire.

“The frustrating thing for me is I don’t get a consistent explanation,” Fors said. “When the mound’s covered in dirt it’s a 100 percent judgment call. Why it can be there some times and not others, that’s tough.”

As frustrating as the calls were for the Wolfpack, Fors did not use them as an excuse.

“That’s part of the game, too, and part of just Ali being resilient and being able to play through it. That’s the umpire’s judgment and we’ll have to be able to deal with it.”

GRIZZLED BEAR WALKS AWAY: The only softball coach Billings West has ever known donned the uniform for the last time on Friday night in Glacier’s wild 4-3 comeback win.

Ed Kriskovich has been the Bears’ head coach for 31 years and the 76-year-old announced after the game that his coaching career had come to an end. Kriskovich retired as a teacher five years earlier and was nonchalant when reflecting on his final game.

“What’s it like? It’s like any other day that God gives you to live on this earth,” he said after Friday’s loss. “You’ll miss the kids, you’ll miss things that you do but I never regretted a minute, not one minute, and I’ve been doing it for 50 years.”

Kriskovich built a powerhouse program at West, taking the Bears to the state tournament in each of his 31 years and winning three state championships, most recently in 2014. He earned his 500th career coaching win earlier this spring.

After his team ended Kriskovich’s coaching career, Fors went out of his way to praise the Montana softball icon.

“For me, it’s an honor to even be on a field with him,” Fors said. “The guy is Montana softball and I hope he and Billings West and all of the softball community know how much he is appreciated and how much he’s done for the sport.”

In retirement, Kriskovich said he plans to get caught up on a honey-do list that’s a little backlogged.

“My wife and I, we’ve been married for 53 years,” he said. “She needs me around the house a little bit more. I’ve given most of my time to kids.

“I think I owe her something for the 53 years she supported me.”

QUICKLY: Paid attendance for the tournament was announced as more than 1,800 over the three days. Large contingents from both Great Falls schools and the hometown Wolfpack helped keep Kidsports crowded despite erratic weather … tournament champion Great Falls C.M. Russell last won the state title in 2012, which was also the last time the tournament was held at Kidsports … CMR has won eight Class AA softball championships all-time, second only to Billings Senior’s nine.