The host Missoula-based Zootown had swept through their pool play competition to secure the No. 1 seed with a 6-0 record, having defeated Hawaii, Oregon, Montana (Billings), Southern California (SoCal), Arizona and Northern California by a combined score of 85-10. Featured among the Zootown roster are a pair of players with Mission Valley area affiliations, Grace Hardy (Charlo descendants) and Morgan Holmes (Ronan descendants). Zootown was playing host because they won the West Regional last summer. A win this year would make it their fifth trip in a row to the Senior League Softball World Series held in Delaware, the team having won it all back in 2015.

In their semifinal, Zootown drew #4-seeded SoCal, whom they ten run ruled 12-2. Both Hardy and Holmes had three quality at bats in that contest. Meanwhile in the other semifinal between #3-seed Billings-based Montana (District 1) and #2-seed Hawaii, the Billings squad jumped out to a 4-0 lead only to watch Hawaii erase most of their cushion 4-3. Montana picked up another run for a 5-3 lead heading into the final frame where possibilities were shaping up for an all Montana final. But Hawaii would plate three in the top half of the final frame to advance to the final against Zootown.

In the championship, Zootown scored first in the bottom half of the opening frame to nurse a precarious 1-0 lead through three innings. Hawaii countered with a pair in the top half of the fourth for a 2-1 edge. That would cap all the scoring with Hawaii holding off Zootown to advance to the World Series, denying Missoula a chance at a five-peat. Grace Hardy stroked two of the five Zootown hits in the finale while throwing three innings in relief during the semifinal. Through the half dozen pool games, Holmes was 7-13 (.538AVG /.625OBP) and Hardy 6-15 (.400AVG/.500OBP).

Hawaii ended up outscoring their opposition 102-19 juxtaposed to a 98-14 Zootown differential.

While not the preferential outcome they had hoped for, the silver lining within the clouds is that should Zootown succeed in representing the state of Montana next summer, a trip to Hawaii lies on the horizon.

2018 Senior Softball West Regional

Dale Clawson Complex

Missoula, Montana

July 20-24

#1 Zootown (7-1) 98-14

#2 Hawaii (7-1) 102-19

#3 Montana (5-3) Billings

#4 SoCal (3-5)

#5 NoCal (2-5) Antioch

#6 Oregon (1-6) Portland

#7 Arizona (1-5) Blythe

SoCal = Highland Park, Los Angeles (Dist 18 LL), CA

Hawaii = Hilo (Gold Coast Sr LL)

West Region championship

Hawaii 2, Zootown 1

Hilo,HI 000 200 0 – 2 3 1

Missoula 100 000 0 – 1 5 1

Shaylann Marie Grace (5K) and catcher. McKenna Bessette (9K) and [Jalen Cooper].

ZOOTOWN – Grace Hardy 2H

(Tu24Jul18gm25)

semifinals

#1 Zootown 12, #4 SoCal 2

Missoula 340 221 – 12 14 2

Highland Park 020 000 – 2 4 3

McKenna Bessette, (4) Grace Hardy (1K) and Jalen Cooper. Jessica Perez and Natalia Rodriguez.

ZOOTOWN – Hardy 3qab, Morgan Holmes 3qab(1RBI)

(Tu24Jul18gm24)

#2 Hawaii 6, #3 Montana 5

Hilo, HI 030 000 3 – 6 9 1

Billings 401 000 0 – 5 9 2

Alison Eldridge and Blgs catcher.

interested viewers can follow tournament results at the following online cyberlink or elsewhere:

< http://www.montanalittleleaguedistrict2.org/ >