Wildkats have second seed at state softball

With a split with Polson and Libby last week, Columbia Falls will have the No. 2 seed from the Western A Conference in next week's Class A State Softball Tournament in Polson.

C-Falls and Polson each had just one league loss going into last Thursday's game in Polson, and the Pirates made it a sweep of the Wildkats with a 12-3 victory. C-Falls rebounded in a big way, pounding out 13 hits en route to a 15-8 win at Libby. The Wildkats swept a non-conference doubleheader with Stevensville on Saturday, winning 20-3 and 4-1.

The Wildkats take a 7-2 league mark into Saturday's 11 a.m. home game with Whitefish to wrap up the regular season. C-Falls is 17-4 overall. Polson will be seeded first, C-Falls second, Havre third, and either Whitefish or Libby fourth.

C-Falls plays at 1 p.m. next Thursday in the first round at state against the No. 4 team from the Eastern A.

Polson scored in every at bat against the Wildkats, taking a 3-0 first-inning lead. The Pirates collected 16 hits off C-Falls pitcher Morgan Rowe while the Wildkats had only five hits off winning hurler Charlee Jenson. She struck out five and walked one, pushing her season record to 7-0.

Tia Yaeger led the Wildkats, going 2-for-4 with her first home run of the season. Shaun Rowe and Cassidee Skiles each had an RBI.

"We just didn't hit the ball well," C-Falls coach Dave Kehr said. "We made some defensive errors. You can't do that, to allow them (Polson) to put people on base. They're a very good hitting team."

SENIOR AMBER James was a terror at the plate against Libby. She clubbed her fourth homer of the season and had a double, driving in five runs. Skiles was 3-for-4 with two RBIs, and Kayla Stinger was 2-for-4 with a double and four RBIs.

Rowe gave up 10 hits to get the win in the circle.

C-Falls exploded for nine runs in the first at bat in the first game against a young Stevensville squad. The game went only five innings due to the 10-run rule.

"We hit the ball well the first game. Their pitcher's (Maddie Jones' not bad. She has good velocity."

Yaeger was perfect at the plate, going 5-for-5. Renae Nelson was 3-for-3. Lindsey Hoerner and Amanda Milliard each had two hits. The Wildkats had 15 hits off Jones.

Rowe got the win, with Milliard pitching the last two innings. They gave up a combined five hits.

In the second game, C-Falls scored a run in four different inning while Rowe scattered five hits. Stinger was 2-for-3 with a double and two RBIs.

Columbia Falls 011 001 0 - 3 5 3

Polson 311 142 x - 12 16 0

Morgan Rowe and Amber James; Charlee Jenson and Kayla Duford. W - Jenson. L - Rowe.

Columbia Falls - Tia Yaeger 2-4, Renae Nelson 0-4, Amanda Milliard 0-3, James 1-2, Kayla Stinger 0-2, Shaun Rowe 1-3, Cassidee Skiles 1-3, M. Rowe 0-3, Niki Birky 0-3.

Polson - Staci Benson 2-5, Sarah Newton 3-5, Riley Kenney 2-4, Rochelle Woods 2-3, Sallie Sams 3-3, Dakota Peterson 1-4, Duford 0-1, Jenson 2-3, SuSan Perez-Tenas 1-3.

Columbia Falls 200 521 4 - 15 13 3

Libby 001 002 5 - 8 10 6

M. Rowe and James; Taylor Armstrong and Lexi Hagness, Cat Wilson (7). W - Rowe. L - Armstrong.

Columbia Falls - Yaeger 1-5, Nelson 2-6, Milliard 1-5, James 2-5, Stinger 2-5, S. Rowe 1-3, Tessa Cowan 1-2, Skiles 3-4, M. Rowe 0-4, Birky 0-1.

Columbia Falls 910 46 - 20 15 3

Stevensville 210 00 - 3 5 5

Rowe, Milliard (4) and James, Celina Brian (4); Maddie Jones and Courtney Croft. W - Rowe. L - Jones.

Stevensville 010 000 0 - 1 5 2

Columbia Falls 111 001 x - 4 5 2

Jones and Croft; Rowe and James. W - Rowe. L - Jones.