Lady Bulldogs give Frenchtown a scare at state

Whitefish softball team has error-free game, but stranded runner is costly

By DAVID ERICKSON/Whitefish Pilot

The Whitefish softball team dropped their final game in the Class A state tournament to Butte Central 4-8 on Friday, as the Maroon's Kelli O'Leary ripped a grand slam home run in the fourth inning to seal the fate of the Lady Bulldogs. O'Leary also struck out 12 Whitefish hitters and allowed just four hits.

Torey Ost and Desiree Clarke both scored for Whitefish. Adele FauntLeRoy went 2-for-3 from the plate, as did Shannon Holmes. Camille Williams went 1-for-3.

"They went ahead 4-0, but we kind of came back on them," head coach David Dachs said. "It was tough, but that's what happens in state tournaments. You play the best teams in the state."

On Thursday, the Lady Bulldogs lost a heartbreaker 3-4 to Frenchtown. The Whitefish girls scored two runs in the top of the seventh inning and had the tying run on third base, but they stranded the runner and came up just short.

Frenchtown took second place at last year's state tournament. The Lady Broncs beat Whitefish earlier this year by the 10-run mercy rule.

"Other than Libby, Whitefish gave Frenchtown the most trouble of any team in the tournament," Dachs said. "Frenchtown kind of blew by everybody else. I was really proud of (the Lady Bulldogs). To be one run away, with a runner on third in the seventh inning, kind of makes it exciting."

Whitefish committed no errors in the game against the Lady Broncs.

The Lady Loggers of Libby were the eventual winners of the state tournament.

The Lady Bulldogs finished the season 7-17, qualifying for the state tournament after failing to make the big dance last year.

"In some ways, it is disappointing, but that's the way it goes," Dachs said. "We were a much better team than our record shows, I think. We played well against some good teams."

Whitefish 000 040 0 — 4 6 4

B. Central 006 020 x — 8 5 0

Torey Ost and Desiree Clarke; Kelli O'Leary and Brooke Pokorny, Hannah Manion (5). W — O'Leary (15-10). L — Ost.

WHITEFISH (7-17) — Adele FauntLeRoy 2-3, Ost 1-4, Clark 0-2, Hailey Mortensen 0-3, Devyn Ost 0-2, Shannon Holmes 2-3, Kristi Whisler 0-1, Shelbi Long 0-1, Taylor Ybarra-Brunty 0-2, Camille Wiliams 1-3.

HR — O'Leary. RBIs — O'Leary 4, K. Orizotti 2, Johnston, Daily; FauntLeRoy.