Kats shut out Bulldogs, 12-0; drop league opener to Libby

By JOE SOVA / Hungry Horse News

It was like both sides of the coin for the Columbia Falls High School varsity softball team during the opening week of the 2008 season.

Amanda Milliard, Drew Walter and Jessica Owens combined for a 4-hit shutout as the Wildkats blitzed rival Whitefish 12-0 in a non-conference game last Thursday in Columbia Falls.

Brooke Hageness pitched a 1-hitter, leading Libby to a 14-1 victory over the Kats in the Western A Conference opener on Friday in Libby.

The Kats plated 10 runs in the first inning in the opener against Whitefish, banging out eight hits — including four by consecutive batters.

"That really got us going," CFHS coach Dave Kehr said. "The girls came out of the gate real well. We were looking to hit the first strike. We ran the bases well."

Six of the Kats' 13 hits went for extra bases.

"We hit the ball real well," Kehr said.

The Kats led 12-0 after three innings, and the game ended via the 10-run rule in the fifth.

Tia Yager led the Kats at the plate, going 3-for-3 with a pair of doubles. Renae Nelson, Walter, Kayla Stinger, Milliard and Amber James each had two hits. Walter had a triple, and James and Stinger had doubles. Milliard drove in three runs.

"Our pitchers pitched very well. They kept them [the Bulldogs] off balance a little bit," Kehr said. "Whitefish has a good team."

Devyn Ost was 2-for-2 to lead Whitefish.

Hageness throttled the Kats' bats on Friday, allowing only a single to Milliard.

As did the Kats in their opener, Libby erupted for eight runs in the Loggers' first at-bat. The game ended in the fifth inning due to the 10-run rule.

"They hit the ball well," Kehr said of Libby. "Brooke is pitching very, very well."

The Logger senior pitched her team past Class AA Flathead 13-3 last Thursday.

"We kept our strikeouts down," Kehr said on a positive note. "The score disappointed us more than the losing the game itself… It was a learning experience for them."

Kehr said the Kats had the bases loaded in the first inning, but came away with just one run.

While Libby had 14 hits, the CFHS defense committed four errors.

Milliard took the loss. She was relieved by Walter.

Shelby Barton was 4-for-4 for Libby with a two-run triple in the big first frame. Alysia Martin supplied a three-run double in the third innings.

Kehr said that Morgan Rowe had a good showing while pitching for the Kats in the JV game against Libby.

Whitefish 000 00 — 0 4 3

Col. Falls (10)11 00 — 12 13 1

Sharpe and Mortenson; Milliard, Walter (3), Owens (5) and James. WP — Milliard (1-0). LP — Sharpe (0-1).

Whitefish (0-2)

FauntLeRoy 1-2, Clarke 0-2, Long 0-2, Holmes 0-2, Mortenson 0-2, Ybarra-Brunty 1-2, Ost 2-2, Sharpe 0-1, Williams 0-1, Schelling 0-2.

Columbia Falls (1-0)

R. Nelson 2-3, Cronquist 0-1, Yager 3-3, Milliard 2-4, James 2—4, Walter 2-3, Stinger 2-3, White 0-3, L. Nelson 0-1, Smith 0-3.

2B — Ost (2); Yager (2), Milliard, James, Stinger. 3B — Walter. RBIs — R. Nelson (2), Yager, Milliard (3).

Col. Falls 100 00 — 1 1 4

Libby 815 0x — 14 14 2

Milliard, Walter and James; Hageness and Barton. WP — Hageness (2-0). LP — Milliard (1-1).

Columbia Falls (0-1, 1-1)

R. Nelson 0-3, Yager 0-2, Milliard 1-3, James 0-2, Walter 0-2, Stinger 0-1, Cronquist 0-0, White 0-2, L. Nelson 0-2, Smith 0-2.

Libby (1-0, 2-0)

Hageness 1-3, Barton 4-4, Lapka 2-3, Dedrick 1-4, Wedel 0-2, Martin 2-3, Freebury 2-3, Refsland 1-3, Monroe 1-2, Schreiner 0-1.

2B — Martin, Refsland. 3B — Barton. RBIs — Barton (2), Lapka, Dedrick, Martin (3), Freebury (2), Refsland, Monroe.