Pack on top: Wolfpack edges Senior for AA softball crown

GREAT FALLS — Never question the heart of the Wolfpack. 

Olivia Warriner hit two walk-off singles, three home runs — including a seventh-inning grand slam of the second championship game against Billings Senior — and Glacier won three times Saturday to claim its second AA softball title in three years. 

Warriner started the morning off with an eighth-inning walk-off single as the Wolfpack bested Billings West 7-6 in a rematch of their first-round game, which the Golden Bears won. 

She did it again in the seventh against Senior in the first game of the championship, giving Glacier a 13-12 victory. 

The Wolfpack needed eight innings again in game two, but a Cazz Rankosky sacrifice fly put Glacier ahead before Warriner added an insurance run with a single that scored Nakiah Persinger, and the Pack won the “if game” 17-15. 

Glacier 17, Billings Senior 15 

A see-saw affair that saw Glacier take a 7-2 lead in the top of the fifth and Senior lead 12-10 in the sixth needed an extra frame to decide a champion. 

The Wolfpack jumped in front 2-0 on Olivia Warriner’s third home run of the day in the first inning, but Senior answered back right away as Octavia Meyer went deep as well. 

Glacier found its stride in the fifth as back-to-back singles put them up 5-2 before Aubree Gerber hit a big fly to right extending the lead to 7-2. 

Senior came right back with a six spot in the bottom of the fifth, capped off with a single from Payton Tryan to go ahead 8-7. 

Four runs in the sixth gave the Broncs a 12-10 lead before three singles loaded the bases for Warriner in the top of the seventh. She knocked one over the left field fence to give Glacier a 14-12 advantage. Taylor Vivian drove in one more on an RBI groundout and Glacier just needed to retire the Senior side to take home the title. 

That proved difficult. Ivy Runsabove singled to start the seventh. Madi Ban then homered to make it a 15-14 game and Meyer hit a solo shot to tie it without an out being recorded. 

Olivia Gibbons came in to pitch and retired the Broncs in order ro send the game to extras. 

In the eighth, Rankosky stepped in after a Khirsten Terrell walk and Persinger double and flied to left, deep enough to bring in Terrell and give Glacier a 16-15 lead. 

Warriner then laced a grounder to left and brought in Persinger to extend the lead to 17-15. 

Gibbons stepped back into the circle and retired the Senior side in order to send Glacier home with its third piece of hardware in three years, and second title. 

Glacier    210    043    52    -    17    19    2 

Senior    200    064    30    -    15    17    3 

Gibbons, Ava Grady (5), Chloe Farrell (7), Gibbons (7) and Rankosky. Rayvin Fisher, Sage Fuqua (7), Riley Tryan (8) and Octavia Meyer. 

GLACIER — Persinger 5-6, Rankosky 3-5, Warriner 3-3, Gibbons 2-5, Vivian 2-5, Karley Allen 1-3, Aubree Gerber 2-5, Kaydee Walcheck 0-5, Khirsten Terrell 1-4. 

BILLINGS SENIOR — Viennah Meyer 1-5, Ivy Runsabove 4-4, Madi Ban 3-5, Octavia Meyer 2-4, Braella Jennings 1-4, Riley Tryan 1-4, Portia Bryant 2-5, Sloan Shuland 0-2, Sawyer Trahan 0-3, Payton Tryan 3-5.  

2B — Persinger 3, Gibbons, Rankosky. Ban. HR — Warriner 2, Gerber. Meyer 2, Ban. RBIs — Warriner 7, Gerber 3, Rankosky 2, Gibbons, Vivian. Meyer 5, Ban 4, Tryan 3, Bryant. 

Glacier 13, Billings Senior 12 

A hot start got Billings Senior out in front 6-3 after two innings, with Meyer hitting a home run in the first. 

Glacier closed to 7-4 as Warriner hit her second home run of the game, but Senior extended the lead to 10-4 in the top of the fifth and was up 12-7 after two seventh-inning insurance runs. 

The Wolfpack needed a rally and got it: Six runs, highlighted by Aubree Gerber’s three-run big fly to center. Nakiah Persinger tied the game at 12 three batters later with a single before Warriner hit her second walk-off single of the day. 

Chloe Farrell threw 3 2-3 innings in relief to get the win; she allowed just three runs on three hits. 

Senior    241    210    2    -    12    13    2 

Glacier    301    012    6    -    13    17    7 

Riley Tryan, Rayvin Fisher (6), Ember Brower (7) and Octavia Meyer. Gibbons, Warriner (3), Farrell (4) and Rankosky. 

BILLINGS SENIOR — Viennah Meyer 2-5, Ivy Runsabove 2-5, Madi Ban 1-5, Octavia Meyer 2-4, Braella Jennings 0-2, Riley Tryan 1-3, Portia Bryant 1-4, Sloan Shulund 2-4, Payton Tryan 2-4. 

GLACIER — Persinger 2-5, Rankosky 3-5, Warriner 3-5, Gibbons 2-3, Vivian 1-3, Allen 1-4, Gerber 2-4, Walcheck 2-4, Terrell 1-4. 

2B — Rankosky 2, Gibbons, Allen. HR — Meyer. Warriner 2, Gibbons, Gerber. RBIs — Meyer 2, P Tryan 2, Bryant, R Tryan, Jennings, Meyer. Warriner 4, Gerber 3, Gibbons 2, Rankosky 2, Persinger, Vivian. 

Glacier 7, Billings West 6 

Glacier rallied to tie the game in the sixth and Warriner walked off Billings West  to advance the Wolfpack to the state championship game. 

Warriner also hit an RBI double in the first inning and Gibbons homered in the third to help Glacier to a 5-1 lead after five innings. 

West (15-8) found their groove in the sixth though as six singles brought in four runs and gave the Golden Bears a 6-5 lead, capped off with Tatum Bush putting West ahead. 

Warriner hit into a fielder's choice in the bottom of the inning but it brought home Kaydee Walcheck to tie the game and send it to extras. 

After a pair of walks, Warriner lined one to left and brought home Khirsten Terrell for the winning run. 

Gibbons threw 7 1-3 innings during two stints in the circle. She fanned five. 

B. West    010    005    00    -    6    10    2 

Glacier    100    311    01    -    7    10    2 

Gibbons, Grady (6), Gibbons (7) and Rankosky. Kylee King, Tatum Bush (7) and Georgia Egge. 

BILLINGS WEST — Ryane Viker 2-4, Tayten Abrams 0-2, Quinn Freitag 1-4, Tatum Bush 1-5, Madelyn Murphy 0-0, Mielle Kavran 1-4, Kylee King 2-4, Alise Steinmetz 1-4, Georgia Egge 2-3, Brooklyn Baker 0-4, Rylie Watt 0-0. 

GLACIER — Persinger 0-4, Rankosky 1-3, Warriner 2-4, Gibbons 2-4, Vivian 2-4, Allen 1-4, Gerber 0-3, Grady 0-0, Walcheck 1-4, Terrell 1-3. 

2B — Warriner. HR — Gibbons. RBIs — Freitag 2, Egge 2, Bush, Steinmetz. Warriner 3, Gibbons 2, Gerber, Walcheck.