Putting up zeroes
FRITZ NEIGHBOR | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 1 year, 3 months AGO
Glacier pitcher Olivia Warriner (10) delivers in the fifth inning against Butte at Glacier High School on Tuesday, April 22. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider
Glacier's Aubree Gerber (25) and Kaydee Walcheck (11) score on a sixth-inning single by Olivia Warriner against Butte at Glacier High School on Tuesday, April 22. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider
Glacier's Olivia Warriner (10) drives in the go-ahead run with a two-run single in the sixth inning against Butte at Glacier High School on Tuesday, April 22. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider
Glacier third baseman Taylor Vivian (5) readies a throw to first against Butte at Glacier High School on Tuesday, April 22. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider
Glacier starting pitcher Olivia Gibbons delivers against Butte at Glacier High School on Tuesday, April 22. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider
Glacier's Cazz Rankosky (7) connects on a triple against Butte at Glacier High School on Tuesday, April 22. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider
Glacier's Cazz Rankosky (7) cheers as she scores on a two-run double by Olivia Gibbons in the fifth inning against Butte at Glacier High School on Tuesday, April 22. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider
Glacier's Olivia Gibbons (4) drives in two runs with a double in the fifth inning against Butte at Glacier High School on Tuesday, April 22. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider
Glacier pitcher Olivia Warriner (10) throws to first for an out after fielding a bunt against Butte at Glacier High School on Tuesday, April 22. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider
Glacier's Cazz Rankosky (7) connects on a triple against Butte at Glacier High School on Tuesday, April 22. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider
Glacier's Taylor Vivian (5) connects on a single against Butte at Glacier High School on Tuesday, April 22. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider
SPORTS EDITOR Fritz Neighbor is the Sports Editor for the Daily Inter Lake. He oversees sports coverage across the Flathead Valley, including high school athletics, youth sports, and regional competitions. In his leadership role, he helps shape the newspaper’s sports coverage and editorial direction. Fritz’s column, Full Count, taps into his decades’ long career covering Montana sports. You’ll also see Fritz sharing his thoughts and insights on the Big Sky Now podcast. IMPACT: Fritz’s work celebrates the athletes and teams that bring Northwest Montana communities together. | April 23, 2025 12:00 AM
Call it a combined shutout.
Olivia Warriner threw 7 2-3 scoreless innings Tuesday, broke a 4-4 tie with a two-run single in the first game and helped Glacier sweep a home softball doubleheader from Butte, 6-4 and 5-0.
Warriner relieved Olivia Gibbons in the opener with one out and two on in the fourth inning, and Butte leading 4-1 on Reese Johnson’s two-run double. She got the next two Bulldogs to strike out and line out to end that threat.
The Wolfpack (10-2 overall, 6-2 in the Western AA) tied the game in the fifth inning thanks to an RBI single by Cazz Rankosky and Gibbons’ fly to center that was misplayed, letting in two runs.
Glacier loaded the bases with nobody out up in the sixth inning. After Butte pitcher Ashlinn Mullaney retired Nakiah Persinger and Rankosky on infield flies, Warriner hit a two-run single to center.
Then she worked a 1-2-3 ninth. Warriner allowed just two hits and struck out six in the opener. Gibbons, who hit a double, allowed seven hits in 3.1 innings in the circle, with four strikeouts.
Kaydee Walcheck scored twice for Glacier.
In the second game Warriner scattered six hits in four innings, with two strikeouts; Ava Grady threw the final three innings, fanning three.
Rankosky’s RBI grounder broke a 0-0 tie in the third inning, sparking a four-run outburst: Warriner’s RBI single made it 2-0, Glacier; Rankosky scored as part of a double-steal; and Karley Allen’s two-out single brought in Warriner to make it 4-0.
The Pack, playing as the visitor in the second game, added a run in the top of the sixth when Walcheck doubled and came in on Aubree Gerber’s single.
Butte fell to 3-10, 3-4 in the Western AA.
Glacier is back in action Thursday, at home against Missoula Big Sky at 5 p.m.
First game
Butte 011 200 0 - 4 9 3
Glacier 001 032 x - 6 8 3
Ashlinn Mullaney and Gracie Ferriter. Olivia Gibbons, Olivia Warriner (4) and Cazz Rankosky.
BUTTE — Reese Johnson 2-4, Ferriter 1-4, Mullaney 1-4, Gracie Jonart 0-4, Mattie Stepan 1-4, Allie Becker 1-4, Madisyn Swanson 0-3, Kandallyn Schad 2-3, Ally Godbout 1-3.
GLACIER — Nakiah Persinger 0-2, Rankosky 1-3, Warriner 1-3, Gibbons 1-4, Ava Grady 0-2, Karley Allen 0-3, Taylor Vivian 1-3, Aubree Gerber 0-0, Kaydee Walcheck 1-3, Khirsten Terrell 3-3.
2B — Becker, Schad, Johnson, Gibbons. RBIs — Johnson 2, Stephan, Schad, Warriner 2, Persinger, Rankosky.
Second game
Glacier 004 001 0 - 5 9 1
Butte 000 000 0 - 0 9 1
Warriner, Ava Grady (5) and Rankosky. Mullaney, B Henderson (6) and Ferriter.
GLACIER — Persinger 0-4, Rankosky 1-3, Warriner 1-4, Gibbons 0-3, Allen 1-4, Walcheck 2-4, Gerber 2-3, Grady 0-3, Terrell 2-3.
BUTTE — Johnson 1-4, Ferriter 1-4, Mullaney 1-4, Schad 0-3, Jonart 0-3, Stephan 2-3, Becker 1-3, Swanson 1-3, Godbout 1-2, Henderson 1-1.
2B — Walcheck, Mullaney. RBIs — Rankosky, Warriner, Allen, Gerber.
Glacier's Aubree Gerber (25) and Kaydee Walcheck (11) score on a sixth-inning single by Olivia Warriner against Butte at Glacier High School on Tuesday, April 22. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)Casey Kreider
Glacier's Olivia Warriner (10) drives in the go-ahead run with a two-run single in the sixth inning against Butte at Glacier High School on Tuesday, April 22. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)Casey Kreider
Glacier third baseman Taylor Vivian (5) readies a throw to first against Butte at Glacier High School on Tuesday, April 22. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)Casey Kreider
Glacier starting pitcher Olivia Gibbons delivers against Butte at Glacier High School on Tuesday, April 22. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)Casey Kreider
Glacier's Cazz Rankosky (7) connects on a triple against Butte at Glacier High School on Tuesday, April 22. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)Casey Kreider
Glacier's Cazz Rankosky (7) cheers as she scores on a two-run double by Olivia Gibbons in the fifth inning against Butte at Glacier High School on Tuesday, April 22. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)Casey Kreider
Glacier's Olivia Gibbons (4) drives in two runs with a double in the fifth inning against Butte at Glacier High School on Tuesday, April 22. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)Casey Kreider
Glacier pitcher Olivia Warriner (10) throws to first for an out after fielding a bunt against Butte at Glacier High School on Tuesday, April 22. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)Casey Kreider
Glacier's Taylor Vivian (5) connects on a single against Butte at Glacier High School on Tuesday, April 22. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)Casey Kreider
ARTICLES BY FRITZ NEIGHBOR
Full Count: Dead, solid, perfect use of 300 bucks
Alice Ritzman said last week that the annual Flathead Valley Juniors Golf tournament and auction that bears her name has raised more than $160,000 in scholarships for area golfers. That's saying something.
Mission Mountain Mercury hits Eugene hot spots
Jason Delaney figured that when he took his Mission Mountain Mercury track crew to the Nike Outdoor Nationals in Eugene, Ore., they’d have to hit certain spots.
Flathead hires coaches for volleyball, girls soccer, boys hoops
Flathead High School activities director Matt Allison announced on Thursday the hiring of three head coaches, for boys basketball, girls soccer and volleyball.