Kats hold off Bravettes
Daily Inter Lake | Daily Inter-Lake | UPDATED 1 year, 4 months AGO
Columbia Falls' Onnikka Lawrence (10) connects on a two-run home run in the fifth inning against Flathead at Kidsports Complex on Thursday, April 24. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider
Flathead catcher Reese Conley (17) puts the tag on Columbia Falls' Tayler Lingle (6) trying to score from second on an RBI single by Annika Reid in the first inning at Kidsports Complex on Thursday, April 24. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider
Columbia Falls pitcher Ella Branstetter (23) delivers against Flathead at Kidsports Complex on Thursday, April 24. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider
Flathead's Mackenzie Brandt (8) connects on a home run against Columbia Falls at Kidsports Complex on Thursday, April 24. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider
Columbia Falls' Tayler Lingle (6) singles in the fifth inning against Flathead at Kidsports Complex on Thursday, April 24. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider
Flathead starting pitcher Macey McIlhargey (3) delivers against Columbia Falls at Kidsports Complex on Thursday, April 24. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider
Columbia Falls' Annika Reid (24) drives in a run with an RBI single in the first inning against Flathead at Kidsports Complex on Thursday, April 24. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider
Flathead second baseman Danica Hennell (14) throws to first to double up a Columbia Falls runner after catching a line drive at Kidsports Complex on Thursday, April 24. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider
Flathead's Reese Conley (17) connects on a solo home run against Columbia Falls at Kidsports Complex on Thursday, April 24. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider
Columbia Falls shortstop Onnikka Lawrence (10) charges a ground ball against Flathead at Kidsports Complex on Thursday, April 24. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider
Flathead shortstop Olivia Nyman (16) throws to first for an out against Columbia Falls at Kidsports Complex on Thursday, April 24. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider
Columbia Falls right fielder Sydnee Burke (4) squeezes a line drive for an out against Flathead at Kidsports Complex on Thursday, April 24. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider
Flathead third baseman Lacie Franklin (22) throws to first for an out against Columbia Falls at Kidsports Complex on Thursday, April 24. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider
What was a defensive game came down to a tense, error-filled seventh inning, where Columbia Falls held off non-conference softball foe Flathead 8-7 at Kidsport Thursday.
Onnika Lawrence homered for the Wildkats (4-5), and leadoff hitter Addy Bowler had three hits and scored twice for the two-time defending State A champions. Bowler came in on Annika Reid’s single to start the scoring in the first inning.
The Kats had the lead for good but couldn’t create much cushion. Their 2-0 lead shrank to 2-1 in the third inning, and a 4-1 lead shrank to 4-3 — Flathead had solo home runs from Reese Conley, Mackenzie Brandt and Danica Hennell — before both teams scored four times in the seventh inning.
Columbia Falls took advantage of three errors in the frame, starting with Bowler’s single that got past the right fielder. Bowler got to third and scored on Tayler Lingle’s sacrifice fly; the next three Wildkats reached fia error, walk and error.
Kylie Gjesdal-Davis hit a two-run single to put her team up 7-3; a sac fly from Kate Lewellen brought in Sydnee Burke with Columbia Falls’ final run.
Flathead likewise saw leadoff hitter Makenna Korf reach via two-base error in the seventh; she scored on Kinsey Lake’s single to cut the gap to 8-4. Another error set up Macey McIlhargey for an RBI single; Olivia Nyman’s sac fly closed the deficit to 8-6.
Hennell, who’d homered in the sixth inning, brought in McIlhargey with a two-out single, but the next hitter struck out to end it.
Columbia Falls is back on the road Friday, playing at the Frenchtown Invitational against Dillon at 11 a.m.
Flathead is at Butte for a Western AA doubleheader Saturday starting at noon.
C-Falls 110 020 4 - 8 10 3
Flathead 001 011 4 - 7 7 4
Ella Branstetter, Hailey Greene (7) and Bella Mann. Macey McIlhargey, Lacie Franklin (7) and Reese Conley.
COLUMBIA FALLS — Addy Bowler 3-4, Tayler Lingle 2-3, Onnika Lawrence 1-4, Annika Reid 1-3, Sydnee Burke 0-4, Kylie Gjesdal-Davis 1-4, Mann 0-3, Kate Lewellen 0-1, Alexa Friske 2-2, Chevelle Bedford 0-2.
FLATHEAD — Mackenzie Brandt 1-4, Kinsey Lake 2-4, Conley 1-4, McIlhargey 1-4, Olivia Nyman 0-1, Danica Hennell 2-2, Franklin 0-2, Lily Anderson 0-3, Makenna Korf 0-3.
HR — Lawrence, Hennell, Brandt, Conley. RBIs — Lawrence 2, Gjesdal 2, Bowler, Lingle, Reid, K L, Hennell 2, Brandt, Lake, Conley, McIlhargey, Nyman.
Flathead catcher Reese Conley (17) puts the tag on Columbia Falls' Tayler Lingle (6) trying to score from second on an RBI single by Annika Reid in the first inning at Kidsports Complex on Thursday, April 24. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)Casey Kreider
Columbia Falls pitcher Ella Branstetter (23) delivers against Flathead at Kidsports Complex on Thursday, April 24. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)Casey Kreider
Flathead's Mackenzie Brandt (8) connects on a home run against Columbia Falls at Kidsports Complex on Thursday, April 24. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)Casey Kreider
Columbia Falls' Tayler Lingle (6) singles in the fifth inning against Flathead at Kidsports Complex on Thursday, April 24. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)Casey Kreider
Flathead starting pitcher Macey McIlhargey (3) delivers against Columbia Falls at Kidsports Complex on Thursday, April 24. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)Casey Kreider
Columbia Falls' Annika Reid (24) drives in a run with an RBI single in the first inning against Flathead at Kidsports Complex on Thursday, April 24. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)Casey Kreider
Flathead second baseman Danica Hennell (14) throws to first to double up a Columbia Falls runner after catching a line drive at Kidsports Complex on Thursday, April 24. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)Casey Kreider
Flathead's Reese Conley (17) connects on a solo home run against Columbia Falls at Kidsports Complex on Thursday, April 24. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)Casey Kreider
Columbia Falls shortstop Onnikka Lawrence (10) charges a ground ball against Flathead at Kidsports Complex on Thursday, April 24. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)Casey Kreider
Flathead shortstop Olivia Nyman (16) throws to first for an out against Columbia Falls at Kidsports Complex on Thursday, April 24. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)Casey Kreider
Columbia Falls right fielder Sydnee Burke (4) squeezes a line drive for an out against Flathead at Kidsports Complex on Thursday, April 24. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)Casey Kreider
Flathead third baseman Lacie Franklin (22) throws to first for an out against Columbia Falls at Kidsports Complex on Thursday, April 24. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)Casey Kreider