Softball team off to a good start

The Columbia Falls softball team dropped Plains 14-2 in Polson to open the season Saturday.

Junior pitcher Maddie Moultray struck out seven and allowed two runs over four innings in the win.

Maddy Collins, Haden Peters and Sophie Robbins all had doubles. Peters had three RBIs to lead the club. Sydney Mann had two RBIs as well.

Plains led 1-0 after the first inning, but the Cats blew the game open in the third and fourth innings with 6 and 7 runs respectively.

The Kats should be just as strong as last year, with Moultray on the mound and Mann at the plate. Last year as a sophomore Moultray had an earned run average of just 1.5 and was the top class A pitcher in the state during the regular season.

Senior Mann has already signed to play Division 1 ball with Nicholls State University and batted just over .500 for the Columbia Falls last year and had an on base percentage of over .600.

She’s slated to play shortstop for Nicholls after graduation.

Peters is also an excellent hitter and Robbins has shown her moxie early on.

The Wildkats took fourth at state last year, but with another year of experience under their belt, they should be right in the mix for a state A title again this year.

The weekend game was the first time the Kats had even been on grass this season. The Columbia Falls fields were still snowy up until last week and the girls were practicing in the gym.

The Kats were also slated to play Butte in Polson, but that game was apparently canceled.

This week is spring break and the Kats are slated to open conference play against Libby at home April 4, with a 5:30 p.m. start.