Polson and Ronan had a loaded weekend full of tournament softball down in Frenchtown. With a tournament slate and a busy week for Mission/Arlee/Charlo as well, each team needed their best performances to come out on top this week.

Frenchtown Softball 11, Polson Softball 10

Polson started their week with a close loss to Frenchtown on April 28.

The Broncs took the early lead in this one, going up 8-1 after just two innings. Polson slowly crawled back, even scoring five runs in the sixth inning to tie it up. Despite that, no scoring in the seventh and a walk-off run on a fly ball closed this game out.

The Lady Pirates lost 11-10.

Ahri Rushing shined with three RBIs on two hits and one run scored.

Polson Softball 7, Havre Softball 3

The Lady Pirates fared better on May 1 in their win against Havre.

Polson started off strong in this one, scoring in the first three innings. A four-run third inning helped cap off the scoring needed for this squad to cruise to a win. Havre managed two runs in the top of the fifth but Polson’s defense did just enough to prevent a win.

They beat Havre 7-3 in five innings.

Adrienne Crockett stood out in this one with one RBI on one hit and two runs scored.

Lockwood Softball 10, Polson Softball 0

Polson struggled in their second game on May 1 when they lost to Lockwood.

The Lady Lions defense was undeniable as Polson struggled to find opportunities at the plate to bring in any runners. As Lockwood’s pitching remained steady, Polson fell away in the waning innings to drop this one.

Lockwood won 10-0.

JJ Pierre, Kendyl Jaeger and Natalie Nash all got one hit to lead the team.

Laurel Softball 10, Polson Softball 4

It was another tough game for Polson, this time against Laurel on May 2.

The Lady Locomotives were undeniable in the second inning, nabbing seven runs to take a 9-1 lead after just two innings. Polson put some runs on the board late but they needed a magical fifth inning to make this a game.

Laurel won 10-4 in five innings.

Maddie Turner was the standout performer with two RBIs on two hits and two runs scored.

Billings Central 13, Polson Softball 9

It was another tough loss to close the week out on May 2 when Polson lost to Billings Central.

It was a high scoring first inning, with both teams performing at full power from home plate. After a 6-5 lead for the Lady Rams, Polson matched it in the second inning to go up 8-7. However, the Lady Pirates only scored one more run in the third inning before allowing Billings Central to fight back.

Four runs in the fifth inning and one run in the sixth led to the eventual 13-9 Lady Rams win.

Gracie Hammer had a solid game with two RBIs on two hits and two runs scored. Turner also had two RBIs in that game.

Ronan Softball 23, Whitefish Softball 7

Ronan had a solid week with two statement wins, with the first coming against Whitefish on April 27.

Pick a player and they probably had a great game for the Maidens as they put on a scoring bonanza against the Lady Bulldogs. Despite Whitefish keeping it close in the first two innings, Ronan’s 10-run third inning sealed this game for the Maidens. 

A stunning scoring performance from the whole team was rewarded with a 23-7 victory.

Keeley Jackson led the team in RBIs with five. Autumn Lozeau followed up with four RBIs on four hits. Hadassah Read led the team in runs scored with four.

Libby Softball 9, Ronan Softball 4

Ronan didn’t carry that same scoring strike over on April 28 when they took on Libby.

It was a lower-scoring affair for Ronan as Libby only needed one inning to command this game. An eight-run fourth inning was the defining one for this match-up as Ronan couldn’t find a way back into it late.

The Maidens kept it close four three innings but ultimately lost 9-4.

Sierra McGreevey led the way in RBIs with two on one hit.

Laurel Softball 11, Ronan Softball 1

Ronan also took a loss against a strong Laurel team on May 1 for their first game of that day.

The Lady Locomotives looked strong all weekend and were poised for another victory. Ronan had it tied up 1-1 in the third inning and kept it scoreless in the fourth inning. However, Laurel’s bats came alive in the fifth with five runs. 

That scoring punch helped launch the Lady Locomotives to the 11-1 victory.

Lozeau led the team with one RBI on two hits.

Ronan Softball 6, Butte Central Softball 0

The Maidens got a win to close out the day against Butte Central on May 1.

This was the Esther Montoya game as she took care of every batter the Lady Maroons could throw on home plate. Her poise on the mound allowed Ronan to take their time when it came to scoring. The Maidens got two runs in the fifth and one in the sixth to match Montoya’s pitching efforts.

Ronan got the win 6-0.

Montoya’s brilliant game saw her allow just two hits and record nine strikeouts. Marie Cheff led the team offensively with three RBIs on three hits with two runs scored.

Beaverhead County Softball 5, Ronan Softball 2

Ronan had a close game against Beaverhead County on May 2 to start the closing day of their week.

The Maidens took a 2-1 lead in the first inning, taking momentum early. The Lady Beavers got another run in the third to tie it up. Despite Ronan’s attempts, they were unable to get any more runners to home plate for the rest of this game. 

Beaverhead County scored three more runs in the fifth to seal this game away as the Maidens fell 5-2.

Nevaeh Perez got one RBI on two hits as the most efficient offensive performer for Ronan.

Florence Softball 15, Ronan Softball 6

Ronan’s final game of the week was a tough loss to Florence on May 2.

The Maidens had done a good job all week of keeping the first inning close but the Lady Falcons needed just two innings to secure this one. Florence scored eight runs in the second inning to go up 11-2.

Ronan earned a strong four-run third inning but that was it for scoring from the Maidens. They lost 15-6 in five innings.

Perez had another strong game with one RBI on two hits and one run scored. Jackson and Cheff led the team with two RBIs each.

MAC Softball 9, Lincoln County Softball 3

MAC had a mostly successful weekend, starting with a win over Lincoln County on April 28.

It only took a scoreless first inning before the Lady Bulldogs found their rhythm. A five-run third inning was the highlight as MAC dominated at the mound for the first four innings as well. The Lady Lions put up runs in the back end of the game but never enough to scare MAC.

The Lady Bulldogs won 9-3.

Kieran Incashola was the top scorer with three RBIs on three hits with two runs scored.

MAC Softball 15, Anaconda Softball 0

Another dominant performance helped MAC beat Anaconda on April 30.

A consistent flow of scoring helped MAC stay ahead while Incashola and Bella Dillard handled the pitching duties well. They didn’t allow a single hit all game as MAC’s scoring continued for all four innings of this game.

MAC won 15-0.

Incashola and Dillard kept the team rolling on defense with a combined no-hitter and three combined strikeouts. Dillard also had a great offensive performance with two RBIs on two hits and three runs scored. GG Hawk also showed out with one RBI on two hits and three runs scored.

Three Forks Softball 18, MAC Softball 3

MAC ended their strong week with a loss when they fell to Three Forks on May 1.

The Lady Wolves had control of this game early, leading 6-3 after two innings. MAC was unable to score after that as Three Forks commanded 12 runs in the final two innings of this contest.

MAC lost 18-3 in four innings.

Hawk led the team with two RBIs on just one hit.

    Polson pitcher Maddie Turner launches a pitch against Havre on May 1 at Frenchtown High School. (Max Dupras/Leader)
  

    Amillia Bartell jumps for a catch against Three Forks on May 1 at St. Ignatius High School. (Christa Umphrey Photo)