Injuries bite Kats in Frenchtown

The Columbia Falls girls softball team picked up a key conference win against Libby last week and went .500 at the Frenchtown tourney, though they suffered some injuries to key players.

The team likely lost catcher Erika Nelson after she broke a couple of fingers in her hand on a slide home against Corvallis in the opener of the Frenchtown tournament.

They may also have lost second baseman Niki Birky from an elbow injury. Birky was filling in at shortstop and went to cover second on a steal when she collided with the baserunner, coach Dave Kehr said. Doctors are waiting for the swelling to go down so they can fully evaluate her injury. The Kats lost the game 15-5 — they had a hard time recovering the impact of the injuries, Kehr noted.

But after that they really came together and played well as a team.

They beat Hamilton 11-4 on Friday and Saturday they beat Anaconda 7-6, but lost to Frenchtown 9-4.

"Anaconda was a total team effort," Kehr said. "I played everyone."

"There were a lot of good things that happened (over the weekend)," he added.

The Kats blanked the Loggers 6-0 away last Thursday. Renae Nelson and Cassidee Skiles had two RBIs and Shaun Rowe had a double. The Kats jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the third and Morgan Rowe pitched a shutout.

"Morgan pitched well," Kehr said. "And we played good defense."

Kehr said he hasn't quite sorted out who will permanently play catcher for the injured Nelson. Frosh Angela Tamburelli played after Nelson was injured and Jessica Owens, the team's second pitcher, filled in at second where Birky normally plays. Losing Birky and Nelson isn't just a fielding problem, it's a batting problem. Birky was not just a good hitter, she was one of the fastest girls on the team.

The Kats are now 5-4 overall and 1-1 in conference.

On Tuesday Shaun Rowe hit a home run and the Kats won, 8-5, over Ronan.