Bravettes swept in Helena

HELENA — The Flathead Bravettes had their bats going, and then they didn’t, and they fell to both Helena schools in Western AA softball action Saturday.

Faith Howard threw a six-inning one hitter to lead first-place Helena High past Flathead 10-0. That came after the Bravettes outhit Helena Capital but were undone by the Bruins’ five-run sixth inning in an 11-10 loss. 

Capital 11, Flathead 10 

Mackenzie Brandt had a huge day at the plate for Flathead, hitting a grand slam in the fourth inning that put her team up 5-4, and a two-run double in the fifth that made it 8-4. 

Madi Emmert tripled and scored as Capital closed to 8-6 going to the sixth.  

Flathead’s Olivia Nyman hit a lead-off homer there to put the Bravettes up 9-6, but the Bruins surged back in front. Ella Krepps’ two-run double broke a 9-9 tie. 

An RBI single by Macey McIlhargey and a double by Nyman put the tying and go-ahead runs on second and third with two out in Flathead’s half of the seventh, but they were stranded. 

Both McIlhargey and Helena pitcher Calyse Hendrix went the distance in the circle. Each pitcher gave up seven earned runs. Hendrix struck out two, McIlhargey one. 

Kate Drynan scored four runs for the Bengals and Emmert scored three times. Nyman and Lily Anderson scored twice for Flathead. 

Flathead    010    431    1    -    10    13    3 

Capital    301    025    x    -    11    12    6 

Macey McIlhargey and Lily Anderson. Calyse Hendrix and Gretta Caney. 

FLATHEAD — Mackenzie Brandt 2-5, Danica Hennell 1-4, McIlhargey 1-4, Olivia Nyman 3-5, Kinsey Lake 1-5, Paulina Holland 1-4, Anderson 2-4, Lacie Franklin 1-2, Makenna Korf 1-3. 

HELENA CAPITAL — Madi Emmert 4-4, Ali Miller 1-2, Kate Drynan 3-3, Jaiden Grooms 1-4, Ella Krepps 1-4, Jaci Lyman 1-4, Sophie Smith 0-3, Caney 0-3, Seeley Schwenk 1-3. 

2B — Nyman 2, Brandt, Emmert, Krepps, Miller. 3B — Emmert. HR — Nyman, Brandt. RBIs — Brandt 6, McIlhargey, Nyman, Anderson, Franklin, Miller 3, Krepps 3, Emmert, Drynan, Lyman. 

Helena 10, Flathead 0 

Howard allowed only a single to Nyman and a walk to McIlhargey, while getting 15 strikeouts — meaning Flathead (2-16, 1-11 in league) was able to put just four pitches in play. 

Rylee Murgel doubled and drove in two runs for Helena (14-2, 10-1 in league. Keira Campbell tripled in one run and then scored on Dakota Lieberg’s single to made it 10-0 with nobody out in the sixth. 

Flathead    000    000    -    0    1    1 

Helena    203    014    -    10    9    0 

Lacie Franklin, Hennell (6) and Anderson. Faith Howard and Kamryn Klemp.  

FLATHEAD — Brandt 0-3, Hennell 0-3, McIlhargey 0-1, Nyman 1-2, Lake 0-2, Holland 0-2, Ander son 0-2, Franklin 0-2, Korf 0-2. 

HELENA HIGH — Keira Campbell 1-3, Dakota Leiberg 1-2, Klemp 1-2, Howard 0-3, Rylee Murgel 2-3, Charlie Smith 0-3, Leea Turner 1-3, Haleigh Tavary 2-3, Heidi Ricketts 1-3. 

2B — Murgel. 3B — Campbell. RBIs — Ricketts 2, Murgel 2, Campbell, Lieberg, Klemp.