Kats go 1-1 on the week
The Columbia Falls softball team walloped Whitefish but had a tough time getting runs across the plate against Frenchtown last week.
The Wildkats beat Whitefish at home May 4 by 11-0 in six innings but lost to the top-ranked Broncs in Frenchtown by 11-2.
The Kats hit the ball well in both games — they had seven hits against Frenchtown — but runs proved elusive. Sophomore Tiffany Hummer, who’s been hammering the ball lately, had the first home run of her career against the Broncs’ Abby Indreland, one of the top pitchers in the state.
Coach Dave Kehr said the game was closer than the score would suggest. Frenchtown was up just 3-1 after three innings, but Indreland had two three-run homers later in the game to seal the win for the Broncs.
“I was pleased by our hitting overall,” Kehr said. “They (Frenchtown) are a good team. They’re definitely the front-runner.”
Against the Lady Bulldogs, the Kats had 11 hits, including doubles by Niki Birky and Madison Sandefer. Sandefer also had a great defensive play in center field, snaring a catch at the fence to stop Whitefish’s best opportunity to score a run in the game.
The Kats are now 3-2 in conference play, and another win would go a long way toward securing a playoff spot. They face Polson this Thursday away and then travel to the Butte Central tournament Friday and Saturday.
The girls beat Polson earlier this season 8-3 at home for the first win ever against the Pirates.
Frenchtown 11, C-Falls 2
C-Falls 001 100 0 - 2 7 1
Frenchtown 111 305 x - 11 13 1
Ashley Trueblood and Erika Nelson. Abby Indreland and Madison McGuire. W - Indreland (10-0). L - Trueblood.
COLUMBIA FALLS - Tiffany Hummer 1-4, Jaylynn Cantu 0-3, Shawn Rowe 0-2, Niki Birky 0-3, Madison Sandefer 2-3, Nelson 1-3, Kathrin Jetty 1-3, Jordon Lefebvre 1-3, Ciarra Holm 1-3.
FRENCHTOWN - Katie Kees 1-3, Kaitlyn Indreland 1-3, Keller Leishman 3-4, A. Indreland 4-4, McGuire 0-3, Sarah Lester 1-3, Kayla Weishaar 2-3, Keegan Wickman 1-4, Emma Oostdyk 0-3.
C-Falls, 11, Whitefish, 0
Whitefish 000 000 0 - 0 6 7
Columbia Falls 411 104 x - 11 7 0
Baylee Tveidt and Peyton Twete; Ashley Trueblood, Katie King (4) and Kathrin Jetty, Erika Nelson (6). W - Trueblood. L - Tveidt.
WHITEFISH - Twete 0-3, Malia Morris 0-3, Andrea Lamoureux 3-3, Tveidt 1-3, Micah McFeely 0-2, Margot Myers 2-2, Emily Stiver 0-2, Abbie Taylor 0-2, Brynn Ingraham 0-2.
COLUMBIA FALLS - Tiffany Hummer 1-3, Tori Price 0-3, JayLynn Cantu 0-1, Niki Birky 1-2, Nelson 0-0, Madison Sandefer 1-2, Carlee Brown 1-1, Jetty 1-4, Jordan LeFebvre 1-2, Ciarra Holm 1-2, Winter Kemppainen 0-3, Trueblood 0-1, King 0-2.
2B-Myers; Birky, Sandefer; RBIs-Price, Birky, Jetty (4), LeFebvre.