Kats take third at state softball

The Columbia Falls girls softball team took third at the state Class A tournament in Belgrade last week, the program’s best showing ever.

The Wildkats opened the tournament May 23 by thrashing Glendive 14-2 and slipping past the home team Belgrade 3-2 with a two-run rally in the top of the sixth.

The next day, the Kats had a slugfest against Hamilton, racking up 24 hits en route to a 24-10 victory to advance to the undefeated game against conference foe Frenchtown. Ciarra Holm and Madi Fetters both had home runs in the Hamilton game.

The Kats and Lady Broncs were tied 3-3 heading into the bottom of the seventh when Bronc Vanessa Stavish hit a double to bring the winning run across the plate for the Frenchtown victory.

Columbia Falls then faced up against another conference foe, Polson. The game was tied at one apiece after four innings, but the Lady Pirates rallied for three runs in the bottom of the fifth to take the lead. The Kats answered with a run in the top of the sixth, but Polson held on for the 4-2 victory.

Frenchtown won the tournament, dropping the Pirates 2-1 in eight innings in the championship game.

Sophomore pitcher Ashley Trueblood, who started all the tournament games for the Kats, was named to the all-state squad. Carlee Brown was named all-conference outfielder, and Kathrin Jetty and Ciarra Holm were named all-conference infielders.

The Wildkats finished their season 17-10. The future looks bright for Columbia Falls, as the core of their squad will return next year. Several of the girls are just sophomores.

Columbia Falls 205 2113 — 14 22 1

Glendive 001 100 0 — 2 70

Ashley Trueblood and Courtney Murray. Payton Schieffer and NA. W – Trueblood. L – Schieffer.

Columbia Falls – Tiffany Hummer 2-5, Carlee Brown 3-5, Ashley Trueblood 2-4, Kathrin Jetty 5-5, Ciarra Holm 1-5, Winter Kemppainen 2-4, Catie King 2-4, Alex Pederson 1-1, Courtnee Murray 1-3, Breanna Friar 1-1, Amanda Morrison 2-5

Glendive – Haylee Storlie 1-4, Jade Marquart 0-3, Amanda Mittlestadt 1-3, Alexa Hubbard 2-3, Payton Schieffer 1-2, Sydney Schieffer 1-3, Shay Deines 0-1, Sarah Temple 0-1, Lexi Pettersen 1-3

2B – Jetty, King, Pedersen, Trueblood. 3B – Hubbard. RBI – Jetty 2, Murray 2, Pederson 2, Trueblood 2, Holm, Kemppainen, King, Morrison; Storlie. SB – Brown 2, Jetty 2, Hummer 2, Trueblood. HBP – Murray (by Schieffer).

Columbia Falls 000 120 0 — 3 11 0

Belgrade 010 010 0 — 2 6 0

Ashley Trueblood and Courtney Murray. Kristina West and Taylor Hill. W - Trueblood. L - West (8-6).

Columbia Falls (16-8) — Tiffany Hummer 2-4, Carlee Brown 2-4, Trueblood 1-4, Kathrin Jetty 2-4 (2B), Ciarra Holm 1-2, Winter Kemppainen 1-3 (2B), Alex Pederson 1-3, Murray 0-2, Breanna Friar 0-1, Amanda Morrison 1-3.

Belgrade (13-10) — Skyla Neubauer 2-4 (2B), Judy Taylor 0-3, Autumn Rollins 0-1, West 1-3, Taylor Johnson 0-2, Hill 1-3, Allison Alstrom 1-3 (2B), Joey Severson 1-3, Kindall Bethke 0-2, Rylee Cygan 0-1, Marina Layman 0-2.

Columbia Falls 823 112 7 — 24 24 5

Hamilton 003 250 0 — 10 8 4

Ashley Trueblood and n/a. Brie Clifford, Kaytlyn Menk (6) and n/a. W - Trueblood. L - Clifford.

Columbia Falls - Tiffany Hummer 1-4, Lauren Fields 1-2, Carlee Brown 3-3, Kaitlyn Hoerner 0-1, Trueblood 4-5, Kathrin Jetty 1-5, Ciarra Holm 4-6, Winter Kemppainen 2-3, Alex Pederson 2-2, Catie King 1-4, Courtney Murray 3-3, Breanna Friar 1-2, Amanda Morrison 0-2, Madi Fetters 1-3.

Hamilton - McKayl Rothie 0-2, Taylor Goligoski 2-4, Clifford 0-4, Taylor Reynolds 1-4, Shaylan Mohn 2-4, Sabrina Friday 0-4, Grace Zohner 2-4, Kiley Newton 0-1, Menk 1-2, Kloie Nye 0-3.

LOB--Columbia Falls 10, Hamilton 3. 2B--Pederson, Friar, Trueblood, Murray (2), Fields, King, Reynolds, Zohner, Menk. HR--Holm, Fetters, Goligoski. HBP--Murray. SB--Fields (2), Reynolds.

C. Falls 000 003 0 – 3 6 1

Fr-town 000 210 1 – 4 4 1

Ashley Trueblood and Courtnee Murray. Morgan Ray and Larrisa Berg. W – Ray. L – Trueblood.

Columbia Falls – Tiffany Hummer 0-4, Carlee Brown 2-3, Trueblood 0-4, Kathrin Jetty 1-3, Ciarra Holm 0-3, Winter Kemppainen 1-2, Alex Pederson 0-3, Catie King 2-3, Murray 0-3.

Frenchtown – Holly Jacobs 0-3, Kayla Blood 0-3, Abby Indreland 1-3, Ray 0-3, Keegan Wickman 0-2, Krista Hebnes 1-3, Vanessa Stavish 1-3, Nicole Garren 0-1, Macey Newbary 1-1.

2B–Stavish, Newbary. HR–Indreland.

C. Falls 000 101 0 – 2 5 0

Polson 100 030 x – 4 8 1

Ashley Trueblood and Courtnee Murray. Shalaina Duford and Jaylin Kenney. W – Duford. L – Trueblood.

Columbia Falls – Tiffany Hummer 0-4, Carlee Brown 2-3, Trueblood 0-3, Kathrin Jetty 2-3, Ciarra Holm 0-3, Winter Kemppainen 1-3, Alex Pederson 0-2, Madi Fetters 0-1, Catie King 0-2, Amanda Morrison 0-1, Murray 0-2, Breanna Friar 0-1.

Polson – Kenney 1-4, Duford 2-3, Jessica Bagnell 0-2, Heidi Rausch 0-3, Martina Marquardt 2-3, Hannah Potter 1-2, Jordyn Evertz 0-2, Kaelen Wall 0-1, Kylie Murphy 1-2, Jaiden Toth 1-3.

2B–Toth, Marquardt, Kenney.