Kats edge Libby to advance to state
The Wildkats are Belgrade bound. The Columbia Falls softball team edged the Libby Lady Loggers 3-2 on May 16 in Libby to earn a berth to the state Class A tournament this week in Belgrade.
The Kats ended the season on a rough note, however, losing to Frenchtown at home a couple days later in a 10-0 rout that was called after six innings due to lightning.
The loss to the Lady Broncs put the Kats in the tournament as the No. 3 seed from the West Division, with a 4-4 league record. The girls were 14-7 overall.
The Kats will open tournament play on Thursday against Glendive. Game time is 2 p.m. If they win that game, they’ll face Belgrade, the No. 1 seed in the Central Division at 6 p.m.
The Kats’ win over Libby was not without drama. The Kats went up 3-0 in the top of the third, and Libby answered with two runs in the bottom of the inning.
The Lady Loggers had a chance to tie the game in the bottom of the fifth as a base runner raced toward home on a hit to center, but Columbia Falls centerfielder Carlee Brown gunned her down at the plate. Ashley Trueblood threw a complete game six-hitter.
On Saturday, the girls hosted Frenchtown and it was all Lady Broncs. The Kats came out flat, and Frenchtown’s Morgan Ray allowed just one hit.
Frenchtown racked up five runs in the top of the fourth to put the game away as they roughed up Trueblood for 15 hits on the game. It was the Kats’ worst defeat of the season.
Frenchtown 012 511 - 10 15 2
Columbia Falls 000 000 - 0 1 2
Morgan Ray and Kayla Blood, Brooke Yarnall (3). Ashley Trueblood and Courtney Murray.
FRENCHTOWN - Holly Jacobs 2-4, Blood 3-3, Abby Indreland 2-3, Ray 1-4, Keegan Wickman 2-3, Krista Hebnes 2-3, Vanessa Stavish 1-4, Nicole Garren 0-3, Macey Newbary 1-1, Josie Anderson 1-4.
COLUMBIA FALLS - Tiffany Hummer 0-2, Lauren Fields 1-1, Carlee Brown 0-2, Alex Pederson 0-1, Trueblood 0-2, Kathrin Jetty 0-2, Ciarra Holm 0-2, Winter Kemppainen 0-2, Catie King 0-2, Murray 0-1, Amanda Morrison 0-1, Madi Fetters 0-1.
2B - Indreland, Blood. HR - Wickman. RBIs - Wickman 2, Ray 2, Indreland 2, Jacobs, Stavish, Newbary.
C. Falls 003 000 0 - 3 2 0
Libby 002 000 0 - 2 6 3
Ashley Trueblood and Courtney Murray. Hannah England and Devon Gallagher. W - Trueblood. L - England.
COLUMBIA FALLS - Tiffany Hummer 1-4, Carlee Brown 0-2, Trueblood 0-3, Kathrin Jetty 0-3, Ciarra Holm 0-2, Winter Kemppainen 0-3, Catie King 1-3, Murray 0-3, Amanda Morrison 0-3.
LIBBY - England 1-4, Mahalah Wedel 1-4, Rachel Rebo 1-1, Kelsey Klin 0-4, Rebecca Kyriss 2-4, Auria Benefield 0-3, Devon Gallagher 1-2, Dayln Germany 0-2, Harley Nelson 0-3.
2B - Hummer. RBIs - Kyriss 2.