C-Falls wins wild one over Polson, 23-20 in 8 innings

POLSON — Kylie Gjesdal-Davis drove in six runs and Columbia Falls outlasted Polson 23-20 in a back-and-forth Northwest A softball game on Tuesday evening.

Natalie Nash led Polson (8-15) with three home runs and eight RBIs. Nash found the fences in the first inning, crushed a grand slam in the third and tied the game in the seventh with a solo shot. 

Gjesdal-Davis launched two homers herself, including a three-run shot in the first and a two-run during the third. Bella Mann, Onnikka Lawrence and Katie Bulawsky also homered for the Wildkats (15-5). 

Polson erased multiple deficits throughout the night, rallying from down 18-11 after four innings before tying the game ain the seventh behind another big hit from Nash. 

Columbia Falls answered in the eighth. Onnikka Lawrence doubled home a run, Gjesdal-Davis added an RBI double and Bulawsky blasted a two-run homer to right. Kenzie Moultray later added a sacrifice fly to stretch the lead to 23-18. 

Polson threatened again in the bottom half. Ava Rushing delivered an RBI single and the Lady Pirates forced in another run with the bases loaded before Columbia Falls escaped when Peyton Wirz grounded into a game-ending fielder’s choice. 

The Wildcats and Lady Pirates combined for 42 hits and eight home runs. 

Libby 15, Ronan 0 

RONAN — Maddie Willis homered and collected three hits as Libby rolled past Ronan. 

The Loggers (13-5) scored in every inning and piled up 17 hits in the five-inning victory. Dakota Allen and Leah Rusdal each homered during a three-run second inning. 

Willis added a solo homer in the third before Libby broke the game open with six runs in the fifth. Tessa Purdy tripled home two runs, Rossi Baney added an RBI triple and Weslee MacDonald drove in another run with a double. 

Carmen Kohler earned the shutout, allowing four hits and striking out six. 

Ronan (8-10) managed four hits in the loss, led by a 1-for-2 performance from Nevaeh Perez. 

Libby’s win gave the Loggers the Northwest A’s second automatic seed into next week’s State A tournament. Columbia Falls, 10-0 in league, has the No. 1 seed. 

Polson has a chance to make State; the Lady Pirates will have a play in with Dillon. Ronan will head to Corvallis for another qualifier for the 12-team State A tournament March 28-30 in Hamilton. 

Thompson Falls 6, Eureka 5

THOMPSON FALLS — Eureka erased a four-run deficit and tied the game in the seventh inning, but Thompson Falls answered with a walk-off run and Sydnie Eichert RBI grounder.

Thompson Falls (9-11) led 5-1. Eureka (4-16) battled back in the sixth and seventh innings, scoring four runs. 

Aubrey Mee delivered the biggest hit for the Lions, a game-tying double in the seventh. 

Tessa Sieler collected two hits and Autumn Thomas struck out five over six innings for Eureka. Thompson Falls had two-hits each from Marley Robinson, Annalise Fairbank and Kassidy Dana.