Win, lose, draw season start for Kats

Here’s a standing you don’t see everyday in softball: 1-1-1.

But that’s how the Columbia Falls girls season started out.

The Wildkats drubbed the hapless Whitefish Bulldogs Monday, 27-3 as the Kats racked up 29 hits.

“The hitting tonight, oh my goodness,” said Kats coach Dave Kehr. “Line drives. Hit the ball hard.”

Carlee Brown, Breanna Friar and Winter Kemppainen all went 5 for 5 at the plate.

But they had a tougher time against Polson to start the season.

On April 8 the Wildkats opened their season with a 3-0 loss to conference rival Polson at home. The game was knotted up 0-0 until the top of the sixth when Polson loaded the bases. Lady Pirate Hannah Potter struck a single and two runs scored. Polson added an insurance run to go up 3-0. The Wildkats put two on with two out in the bottom of the sixth, but couldn’t get the run across.

The Kats had a couple of chances earlier in the game to get a run across the plate. In the bottom of the third Tiffany Hummer was thrown out at the plate trying to take home on an error to left field. In the bottom of the fifth the Kats had the bases loaded with one out when Hummer hit a ball sharply to shallow left.

Polson left fielder Kyrie Bitterman however made a fantastic catch and turned the double play to end the threat.

Three days later the girls got the bats going and scored seven runs against Glacier High School at home.

Problem was Glacier scored seven runs as well. The game went into extra innings and was called for darkness, final score 7-7.

The Kats had a 2-1 lead after two, but Glacier rallied with four runs in the top of the sixth to go up 5-2. But the Kats scored three in the bottom of the seventh to knot it up. In the ninth Glacier scored two and the Kats scored two in the bottom of the inning to tie it again in thrilling fashion.

But it was too dark to play anymore and the umpires called the game.

Madi Fetters wielded a hot bat, going 3 for 5 from the plate.

Fetters hits the ball hard for her size.

The Kats travel to Libby Thursday for a key conference game against the Lady Loggers. It’s almost a must-win for the Kats.

“We need to hit the ball,” Kehr said. “Libby’s a good hitting team.”

Polson 000 003 0 — 3 5 3

Columbia Falls 000 000 0 — 0 6 1

Jessica Bagnell and Jaylin Kenney. Ashley Trueblood and Courtney Murray. W — Bagnell. L — Trueblood

POLSON — Jaylin Kenney 1-3, Jaiden Toth 1-4, Jessica Bagnell 1-4, Kaelen Wall 1-4, Hannah Potter 1-3, Kyrie Bitterman 0-1, Skyla Krantz 0-3, Sarah Rausch 0-1, Lydia Dupuis 0-1.

COLUMBIA FALLS — Tiffany Hummer 1-3, Carlee Brown 2-3, Ashley Trueblood 0-2, Winter Kemppainen 0-3, Madi Fetters 1-3, Amanda Morrison 1-3, Courtney Murray 0-3, Kaitlyn Hoerner 1-2, Samantha Collins 0-2, Katie Price 0-1, Alysha Cantu 0-1

RBIs — Potter 2, Bitterman.

Glacier 010 004 002 — 7 10 1

Columbia Falls 020 000 302 — 7 9 5

Ali Williams and Christine Connolly. Ashley Trueblood and Courtney Murray.

GLACIER — Kayla Russell 4-5, Taylor Riggles 1-4, Ali Williams 0-4, Kayleena Ikeda 1-5, Hannah Atlee 0-4, Anna Jenks 1-4, Katie McHugh 2-4, Tacey Howe 1-3, Josie Brosseau 0-1, Christine Connolly 0-3,

COLUMBIA FALLS — Tiffany Hummer 1-4, Carlee Brown 0-4, Ashley Trueblood 1-4, Breanna Friar 2-4, Winter Kemppainen 0-3, Madi Fetters 3-5, Amanda Morrison 2-2, Alysha Cantu 0-2, Courtney Murray 0-4, Samantha Collins 0-0, Kaitlyn Hoerner 0-3.

2B — Ikeda. Fetters. 3B — Russell. RBI — McHugh 2, Ikeda 1, Jenks 1, Howe 1, Russell 1. Morrison 2, Friar 1, Fetters 4.

Columbia Falls 6(10)6 41 — 27 33 3

Whitefish 030 00 — 3 8 3

Ashley Trueblood and Courtney Murray; Halle Reading and Malia Morris. W — Trueblood. L — Reading.

COLUMBIA FALLS — Tiffany Hummer 4-4, Carlee Brown 5-5, Trueblood 4-6, Breanna Friar 5-5, Winter Kemppainen 5-5, Madi Fetters 2-6, Murray 4-5, Amanda Morrison 2-5, Samantha Collins 2-4.

WHITEFISH — Morris 2-3, Georgia Donaldson 1-3, Micah McFeely 1-3, Madi Davis 0-2, Michaela McDowell 0-1, Kenzie Carl 2-3, Jordan Sletten 1-1, Abby Reese 0-1, Savannah Eisenbarth 1-2, Reading 0-2.

2B—Kemppainen, Murray