Wildkats see streak snapped, Ronan wins twice at Laverne Combo

FRENCHTOWN — The Wildkats were on a little bit of a tear until Miles City came to the plate.

One day after winning a back-and-forth league game from Polson 11-8, Columbia Falls downed Glendive 18-2 at the Laverne Combo Softball Invitational Friday, its sixth straight win. 

Then the Miles City Cowgirls hit three home runs in a 14-8 win over the Wildkats. 

The tournament, which includes 21 Class A programs from across the state, concludes Saturday. 

Columbia Falls 18, Glendive 2

Katie Bulawsky hit two home runs for the Wildkats, a solo shot in the second inning and a three-run shot in the fourth. She also had an RBI single during Columbia Falls’ eight-run first inning. 

Bella Mann hit two doubles, drove in two runs and scored three times for the Wildkats. Onnika Lawrence had two hits, two RBIs and three runs scored as well. Ella Branstetter had two hits and three RBIs; she and Bulawsky each threw two innings in the circle and combined on a one-hitter with three walks. Bulawsky fanned five and Branstetter one.

Kalli Staiger had the only hit for Glendive (9-7). 

Miles City 14, Columbia Falls 8

The Wildkats outhit the Cowgirls 11-10 but Miles City took advantage of eight walks and brought out some big lumber: A two-run double by Jacie Chapweske and a solo homer from Ryleigh Eurich came during a seven-run second inning that made it 9-0.  

Eurich’s two-run shot in the first had put Miles City (9-10) ahead 2-0. Chapweske hit another RBI double in the third and Danaka Clifford hit a two-run homer in the fourth. 

For the Kats (14-6), Ella Branstter hit an RBI triple and came home on Kahlan Baumgardner’s single in their three-run third inning; Baumgardner also had an RBI double. Kendal Moultray added a two-run double in the fourth. The game ended after five innings. 

Miles City 21, Whitefish 3

Chapweski had another big game, hitting a three-run double that put the Cowgirls up 8-3 in the third inning and then a grand slam to cap an 11-run fourth inning. 

Caitlin Malenovsky threw all three innings in the mercy rule-shortened game, allowing four hits and four walks while striking out five.  

Whitefish led 2-0 in the first inning after a bases-loaded walk to Elliot Gallagher, and Elyse Sharpnack’s RBI single gave the Bulldogs a 3-2 lead in the second. 

Whitefish 16, Deer Lodge 0

The Bulldogs bounced back to earn their second win of the season, getting a four-inning shutout from Allie Stuart and three doubles and three RBIs from Sharpnack. 

Whitefish leadoff hitter Grace Inabnit went 4-for-4 with a triple, two RBIs and three runs scored; Gallagher had three hits and two RBIs, and Jaylynn Johnson also drove in two runs for the Bulldogs (2-10). 

Stuart allowed two hits and one walk in the mercy rule game; she struck out six Wardens. 

Browning 16, Deer Lodge 10

Maya Andreas had two hits and drove in three runs and Browning combined four hits with 16 walks issued by Deer Lodge pitchers to claim its first victory of the season. 

Lockwood 13, Libby 11

After giving up nine runs in the first inning the Libby Loggers scored eight times in the second but couldn’t quite catch the Lions in a game called after three innings under the time limit. 

The teams combined for 25 hits, 13 by Libby. Maddie Willis hit a two-run home run in the second inning and finished with three RBIs for the Loggers; Weslee MacDonald had a double among her two hits and scored twice; Dakota Allen’s two hits including a two-run triple in that second inning.  

Morgan Phelps hit a three-run home run for Lockwood (12-8-1) that made it 13-8 in the top of the third. 

Libby 12, Lewistown 2

MacDonald hit a three-run home run to cap Libby’s six-run first inning and the Loggers bounced back against Lewistown. 

Carmen Kohler pitched all five innings for Libby (12-5), allowing three hits, one walk and one earned run. She fanned 12.  

She got support from MacDonald, Rossi Baney and Willis, each of whom drove in four runs. Baney had three hits and Willis two; Hadleigh Wood had two hits and scored three times. 

Lewistown, which earlier beat Hamilton 10-6, fell to 15-5. The Eagles got doubles from Averi Sparks and Emma Solberg. 

Ronan 15, Butte JV 6

Autumn Lozeau had three hits, including a double, from her leadoff spot and matched Ronan teammates Hadassah Read, Kai-Cee Sorrell and Shelby Taylor with two RBIs.  

Esther Montoya when four innings in the circle in the shortened game; she scattered two hits and two walks and also hit a batter. She fanned three and allowed two earned runs. 

Ronan 5, Glendive 4

Neveah Perez homered twice for Ronan (8-9) and Read doubled and eventually scored the winning run on a passed ball in the bottom of the fifth inning in this time-limit game. 

Read’s double came after Madison Jennison’s one-out single; Jennison came in on Marie Cheff’s bases-loaded RBI single, knotting the score at 4-all.  

Perez hit a two-run homer in the first inning and a solo shot in the third, each time erasing a Glendive lead. The Red Devils went ahead 4-3 in the fifth on Ashley Eaton’s leadoff home run. 

Keeley Jackson threw all five innings for the Maidens, allowing six hits, two walks and three earned runs. She struck out six. 

Polson 9, Havre 6

Maddie Turner homered and drove in two runs, Ahri Rsuhing and Logan McCrea also drove in two and Polson made a 7-1 lead hold up. 

Turner had an RBI single to cap a two-run first inning for the Lady Pirates (9-10), and Rushing’s two-run single capped a four-run second that put her team up 6-0. Turner hit a solo homer to make it 7-1 in the fourth. 

Bree Hanson’s solo home run started the Blue Ponies (7-10-1) on the comeback trail; three walks helped them score three times in the fourth inning and Gracue Kuszmaul’s two-run double narrowed the gap to 9-6 in the fifth. Havre soon loaded the bases with one out but Turner got the next two batters to strike out and fly out. The game ended under the time limit. 

McCrea went three innings in the circle, allowing two hits, six walks and three earned runs. She struck out two. Turner finished up, going two innings and allowing four hits, a walk and two earned. She fanned one. 

Thursday 

Columbia Falls 11, Polson 8

COLUMBIA FALLS — After Polson took an 8-6 lead with three runs in the top of the sixth inning, the Wildkats answered with five in their half: Bella Mann’s two-run single put them ahead 9-8 and one out later Kylie Gjesdal-Davis slammed a two-run home run to left to cap the uprising. 

Ella Branstetter then retired the Lady Pirates 1-2-3 in the seventh to close out the win. Branstellter threw four innings in relief of Katie Bulawsky, allowing four hits, no walks and two earned runs. She fanned one. 

Mann also homered for C-Falls, a solo shot that made it 1-0 in the first. Polson’s Nalaite Nash and Maddie Turner hit RBI singles to cap a four-run second inning for the Pirates (8-10); J Pierre hit a two-run single ahead of Turner’s RBI groundout to key their sixth inning. Logan McCrea scored three times for Polson, and Pierre drove in three.