Early exit: Pair of losses leads MAC to fourth place finish at state
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After a pair of incredible come-from-behind victories last week at the Class B-C divisional tournament in Thompson Falls, the Mission-Arlee-Charlo softball team headed to the state tournament in Great Falls with the No. 1 seed for the west. The team started off strong, downing Cut Bank in the opening round, but their road to the championship was altered when a talented Stillwater team stunned the team.
“Stillwater is definitely a team to be respected,” head coach Susan Weaselhead said. “They have an all-state sister pitcher/catcher combo that didn’t make it easy to get out bats going.”
The Lady Bulldogs then took on Plains, a team they had edged twice this year in close games. With the win they advanced to take on Loyola for a third time this year, falling 6-0 to take fourth at state.
In the first round the team faced off with Cut Bank. A sloppy start for MAC’s Lady Bulldogs allowed the Wolves to put up a quick four runs during the first inning. Kyla Olson and the Lady Bulldog defense answered by turning up the heat to allow only two runs throughout the remainder of the game, winning 16-6.
The Lady Bulldogs kept the pressure on the Wolves’ offense, earning them a win in the fifth inning with the 10-run margin rule. Olson picked up her 16th win of the season, downing Kim Suta in the circle.
Slugger Kinley Pope finished the game hitting 3 for 4, with two home runs and an impressive five RBIs to lead the team, while Camacho went 1 for 4 at the plate, with three RBIs.
For the Wolves, Paige Mazurkiewicz hit 2 for 2, while Kassy Calvi and Jennifer Greenwald both added a hit in the loss.
The win allowed MAC to advance to take on a talented No. 2 Stillwater team. The Renegades jumped out to a 5-0 lead in the bottom of the second and never looked back, winning big, 11-1.
The Lady Bulldogs’ only run came in the top of the third, as Stillwater pitcher Tiffany Morgan kept the team at bay for most of the game. The Renegades would score another four runs in the bottom of the fourth, and two in the bottom of the sixth to win the game early by the 10-run margin rule.
Olson was handed her fourth loss in the circle, as Tiffany Morgan tossed her way to the victory.
Heather Glenn and Kaitlin Campbell of Stillwater finished the game with a pair of RBIs, while Glenn went 2 for 3 at the plate.
MAC’s Loren Erickson had the team’s lone RBI, and went 1 for 3 at the plate. Alyssa Doty finished the game with the best batting percentage for her team, hitting 2 for 2 in the loss.
The loss sent the Lady Bulldogs to the consolation bracket, where they were paired with No. 4 seed Plains.
MAC jumped out to an early lead and held on to take down the Trotters, 7-3. Olson picked up her 17th win in the circle for the season, downing Aspen Rude.
Erickson and Doty each drove in a pair of runners to lead their team, while slugger Janeal McDonald went 3 for 4 at the plate.
For the Trotters, Tia Thompson, Meghan Massingale and Alex Green all had a single hit in the loss.
The win against Plains pit MAC against Loyola. The Lady Bulldogs needed to defeat the Breakers for a third time this year to advance in the Class B-C tournament.
Breaker Sara Goodman picked up her 20th win of the season in the circle, handing Olson her fifth loss of the year. Olson finished the season 17-5 for her team.
The Lady Bulldogs were able to smack a few pitches from Goodman, one of the best pitchers in the state, but the team’s impressive fielding kept the Lady Bulldogs in the dugout the entire game, loosing 6-0. The Breakers jumped out to a 2-0 lead during the first inning, and never looked back. The team continued to build their lead through the remaining six innings, scoring a run in the second and third innings, followed by a pair of runs in the fourth to end all scoring in the game.
“The girls played their hearts out,” Weaselhead said. “They have a lot to be proud of.”
Weaselhead is excited for the upcoming season, as seven starters will return. The Lady Bulldogs will loose Olson, Foust and Scott, all of which will be missed, Weaselhead said.
“We have a strong group coming back,” Weaselhead said.
