Girls softball squad splits doubleheader against Havre

The Columbia Falls girls softball team got its first win of the year Saturday, splitting a doubleheader against Havre, winning 5-2, but losing 12-6.

Kym Island pitched both games and went 3-for-4 from the plate in their first game.

"The girls played pretty well," said coach Dave Kehr. "We put some runs up, and the pitching has been really good. We just had lots of errors. I'm guessing we had seven or eight errors in the second game."

It's tough to win many games with that number of fielding errors. Still, Kehr said, the team is improving. Island and Amanda Puryer are pitching well, and the bats have heated up.

"We just have mistakes in the field that we have to clean up," he said.

Kehr said he's been impressed at how well the sport has progressed in Montana in the past few years. Havre is only in its second year. The sport is also catching on big time with the younger set. The youth league in Columbia Falls has about 180 kids signed up.

Games scheduled last week against Eureka were rained out and won't be played.

The Kats are now 1-3 on the season.

They go on a long road trip to the Frenchtown tourney Saturday. They travel to St. Ignatius next week, play Whitefish away April 28, then they're away against Polson and Stevensville. They don't play at home again until May 9.

Results from Tuesday's Browning games weren't available by presstime.

Columbia Falls 5, Havre 2

Columbia Falls 0 1 0 2 0 2 0

Havre 1 0 0 0 0 0 1

Havre 12, Columbia Falls 6

Columbia Falls 1 0 1 0 2 0 2

Havre 5 6 0 0 1 0 0