Softball has a great week, drop Polson on the road

The Columbia Falls Wildkats added four more wins to their season tally last week, improving to 11-6 with a gritty one-run victory over Ronan on Tuesday and a dominant doubleheader sweep at Browning on Thursday. They capped it off with a 15-13 win over Polson Tuesday.

On April 29 in Ronan, Columbia Falls edged the Maidens 9-8 in a tight contest. The Wildkats pounded out 15 hits, with Onnikka Lawrence leading the way by going 3-for-4, including a home run and a double. Chevelle Bedford also delivered three hits and two RBIs, while Annika Reid and Tayler Lingle each had multi-hit performances and drove in a run apiece.

Ella Branstetter handled the bulk of the pitching duties, working 8 and 1/3 innings and allowing five runs (four earned) on 10 hits while striking out nine. Katie Bulawsky came on in relief, closing out the final two-thirds of an inning despite giving up three earned runs.

The Wildkats jumped ahead early with two runs in the first but Ronan responded in the second with three runs. Columbia Falls would gain the 6-4 lead in the fifth inning, but the Maidens, once again, responded with three runs for the 7-6 advantage. Columbia Falls scored two in the sixth but Ronan tied the game up in the bottom of the frame. After two scoreless innings, the Wildkats finally plated the winning run and blanked Ronan in the bottom of the frame for the victory. 

Columbia Falls followed that up with a pair of dominant shutout wins against Browning on May 1, combining for 32 runs across both games and not allowing a single run.

In Game 1, the Wildkats erupted for nine runs in the second inning en route to a 17-0 win in three innings. Annika Reid and Alexa Friske both went 3-for-3, while Bella Mann added a 2-for-2 effort with two RBIs and two doubles. Lawrence drove in two runs on one hit, and Bedford and Burke also brought in a pair of runs each.

Bulawsky was dominant in the circle, tossing three hitless innings and striking out all nine batters she faced.

Columbia Falls kept up the offensive pressure in the second game of the doubleheader, posting another 15-0 win. The Wildkats collected 15 hits, including three apiece from Addy Bowler, Tayler Lingle, and Sydnee Burke. Lingle led the team with four RBIs, while Bowler, Lawrence, and Mann each chipped in with two

Against Polson, Annika Reid and Addie Bowler both had homers. Bowler also had a triple as did Tayler Lingle in a slugfest.

The Kats are now 12-6.