Glacier bats stay hot
JOSH DUGAN | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 1 year, 9 months AGO
Glacier's Ella Farrell (12) connects on a grand slam in the second inning against Flathead at Kidsports Complex on Thursday, April 20. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Glacier's Kenadie Goudette (2) connects on a leadoff double in the first inning against Flathead at Kidsports Complex on Thursday, April 20. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Glacier second baseman Zoey Allen readies a throw to first for an out in the second inning against Flathead at Kidsports Complex on Thursday, April 20. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Flathead's Sawyer VanCampen (24) connects on a single in the third inning against Glacier at Kidsports Complex on Thursday, April 20. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Glacier's Nakiah Persinger (8) connects on an RBI single in the first inning against Flathead at Kidsports Complex on Thursday, April 20. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Flathead's Macey McIlhargey (3) drives in a run in the third inning against Glacier at Kidsports Complex on Thursday, April 20. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Glacier starting pitcher Morgan Vivian (4) delivers in the first inning against Flathead at Kidsports Complex on Thursday, April 20. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Flathead starting pitcher Ava Besson (16) delivers in the second inning against Glacier at Kidsports Complex on Thursday, April 20. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Glacier second baseman Kenadie Goudette (2) fires to first but can't complete the double play after backhanding a grounder in the fourth inning against Flathead at Kidsports Complex on Thursday, April 20. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Flathead shortstop Reese Conley (17) throws across the diamond in the second inning against Glacier at Kidsports Complex on Thursday, April 20. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Josh Dugan covers sports for the Daily Inter Lake, and hosts the Sports Now and Big Sky Now podcasts on the Hagadone Sports Network. Josh is a graduate of Cal State Monterey Bay and founded the digital media brand The Zone Sports. He can be reached at jdugan@dailyinterlake.com or 406-758-4441. | April 20, 2023 11:55 PM
The spring air was cool in Kalispell Thursday but the bats were hot for the Glacier Wolfpack, who beat Flathead 12-4 in crosstown softball at KidSport.
Wolfpack junior Ella Farrell hit a second-inning grand slam to make things 7-0 in favor of Glacier. Farrell finished 3-for-4 at the plate with seven RBIs. She also pitched three scoreless innings in relief of senior starter Morgan Vivian, who pitched four innings while allowing one earned run and striking out six. Vivian also had three hits.
“Morgan Vivian had a great start for us and then Ella came in and closed… really gutted it out and got a tough crosstown win,” Glacier coach Abby Snipes said.
Kenadie Goudette got things started with a leadoff double for the Wolfpack and she came around to score when the following batter, Nakiah Persinger, picked up the RBI single. Glacier brought three more runs around in the top of first to jump out to a 4-0 lead.
In the bottom half of the inning, Flathead’s Mackenzie Brandt roped a leadoff double of her own to deep center but Vivian worked her way out of the inning by striking out a pair of Bravettes and getting a pop-up to first in foul territory.
Flathead’s sophomore starter Ava Bessen retired two of the first three Wolfpack batters she faced in the top half of the second but a Cazz Rankosky single to center started a two-out rally for Glacier and after a walk by Emma Cooke loaded the bases.
Farrell stepped to the plate and worked the count full. That’s when she took the 3-2 pitch to dead center over the fence and just over the outstretched arm of Flathead’s Brandt, who made a great play on the ball. That made things 7-0.
Vivian tossed a scoreless bottom of the second. Lacie Franklin entered the game for Flathead in relief of Bessen and matched Vivian with a scoreless top half of the third.
The Bravettes came alive on offense in the bottom of the third, scoring all four of their runs in the inning.
Brandt had a leadoff single and came around to score after the Bravettes loaded the bases and Laynee Vessar walked to make things 7-1.
The Bravettes brought home two more runs on Wolfpack errors and Lacie Franklin ripped a two-out RBI double that one-hopped the center field wall to make things 7-4.
In the fifth, Glacier grabbed some insurance with RBIs from Farrell and Zoey Allen to make it 9-4.
Farrell drove in her final two runs in the top of the seventh and Avery Anderson tacked on an RBI of her own to cap the scoring.
Snipes added the Wolfpack were nearing the halfway point of the season and that they looked to “come out focused,” as they prepare to finish strong down the stretch.
Franklin tossed five innings in relief for the Bravettes, allowing five runs while striking out three. Bessen worked two innings total with seven runs allowed.
Glacier 340 020 3 – 12
Flathead 004 000 0 – 4
Morgan Vivian and Cazz Rankosky. Ava Bessen and Laynee Vessar
GLACIER — Kenadie Goudette 1-2, Daytona Schuman 0-1, Nakiah Persinger 2-4, Rankosky 3-4, Emma Cooke 2-3, Olivia Gibbons 0-1, Ella Farrell 3-4, Paishance Haller 0-1, Zoey Allen 2-4, Morgan Vivian 3-4, Avery Anderson 1-5. Brooklyn Imperato 0-2, Khirsten Terrell 0-2, Kaydee Walcheck 0-1, Karley Allen 0-1.
FLATHEAD — Mackenzie Brandt 2-2, Ava Bessen 0-2. Reese Conley 0-3. Sawyer VanCampen 3-4, Kaidyn Lake 0-4, Laynee Vessar 0-3, M. Mcilhargey 0-2, Lacie Franklin 1-3, Brynn Mailman 0-1.
2B — Farrell, Goudette, Allen, Cooke. Brandt, Franklin. HR — Farrell. RBIs — Farrell 7, Persinger,Vivian, Anderson, Allen. Vessar, Franklin.
ARTICLES BY JOSH DUGAN
Stanley Cup tours Whitefish
As the Montana Grizzlies look to bring home a championship trophy to the Treasure State, another piece of championship hardware made its way to northwest Montana with the NHL's famous Stanley Cup on display throughout Whitefish Friday.
Flathead drops dogfight with Butte 21-7
It was a tale of two halves Friday night at Legends Stadium where the Flathead Braves lost a hard-fought western AA battle with the Butte Bulldogs 21-7.
Kai Johnson’s three TD passes lead Glacier to crosstown flag football win
It was a full house at Legends Stadium Tuesday, the bleachers jam-packed with attendees for a crosstown flag football showdown between Glacier and Flathead that ended with a 25-6 Wolfpack win.