Lady Pirates’ bats hot
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FRENCHTOWN — Polson’s defending state champion softball team won a close game over Butte Central, 2-1, at the Frenchtown Invitational Friday.
“(It was a) great fast-pitch game between two very sound teams, a pitchers’ duel,” head coach Larry Smith said.
Polson got off to a good start with the first two batters, Jaylin Kenney and Shalaina Duford, reaching base, followed by Jessica Bagnell with a RBI single-scoring Kenney. But the Lady Pirates failed to score again in the inning after loading bases and no outs.
“(We) just never got the one hit that could have given us the big lead and put Butte in a deep hole early,” Smith said. “Both teams played great defense and pitched well throughout.”
Butte tied the score at 1-1 in the bottom of fifth by getting two of their three total hits that inning, plus excellent base-running. Polson responded in the top of the sixth with a one-out triple (by substitute Taylor Brackey) to the right field corner, scoring on Sarah Rausch’s ground ball to short and beating the throw home. Polson stranded nine base runners but was helped by Duford’s pitching with 10 strikeouts and some great defensive plays keeping Butte off the bases.
The win brought Polson’s record to 9-1 overall and 4-0 in conference. Polson played Glacier at home Tuesday before heading to Frenchtown Thursday. On Saturday, the Lady Pirates play a doubleheader at home with Hamilton at 1 and Corvallis at 6 p.m.
