Western A softball: Polson, C-Falls reach semifinals

May 18—POLSON — Libby won a wild one, and Columbia Falls and Polson cruised into the semifinals at the Western A Divisional softball tournament Friday.

When the two-day event continues Saturday, Polson will take on Frenchtown and defending state champion Columbia Falls will battle Dillon for spots in the 7 p.m. championship.

Polson shut out Hamilton 10-0 and Columbia Falls drubbed Stevensville 12-4.

In earlier games, Libby outscored Corvallis 21-20 and Ronan blanked Butte Central before dropping a 7-6 decision to Dillon.

The top six out of 12 tournament teams will make the State A tournament May 23-25 in Billings.

Columbia Falls 12, Stevensville 4

Maddie Moultray threw a complete game, offsetting eight walks with 11 strikeouts and hitting a home run and double for the Wildkats.

Onnika Lawrence's RBI double capped a five-run third inning and put C-Falls up 6-0; after Stevensville scored four runs in the fifth — on a grand slam by Layla Brushia — the Kats answered with four runs in their half of the inning.

Lawrence hit another RBI double to push the lead to 7-4; Addy Bowler hit an RBI single ahead of Moultray's two-run homer.

Annika Reid's triple sparked a two-run sixth for Columbia Falls, who out-hit the Yellowjackets 17-5.

Polson 10, Hamilton 0

Samantha Rensvold threw a six-inning, two-hit shutout for Polson, and Carli Maley's solo home run in the first inning gave her all the support she needed.

Olivia Jore had three of the Pirates' 11 hits, scored three times and drove in two runs.

Teammate Elizabeth hit a three-run triple to make it 6-0 in the sixth inning. Emma Smith and McKenna Hanson also hit doubles; Smith and Jore each hit two run singles in the sixth inning, ending the game under the mercy rule.

Rensvold walked four and struck out seven.

Libby 21, Corvallis 20

Lyndee McElmurry's two-out RBI single scored Dakota Allen with the winning run in the seventh for Libby.

Doubles by Aleesha Bradsen and Madison Vincent got the inning going, and the Loggers took advantage of a hit batter, an error and two passed balls to close to 20-19. Then with two out Maddie Willis and Paislee McDonald singled and Allen tripled, tying the score and setting up McElmurry's game-winning hit, her fourth of the game.

Allen also homered in the game and drove in five runs; Leah Rusdal homered as well, had two RBIs and four runs scored. Bradeen doubled twice.

Ava Loran tripled and drove in six runs in a 4-for-5 performance for Corvallis.

Libby later dropped a 7-1 decision to Frenchtown.

Ronan 10, Butte Central 0

Nikki Kendal doubled, tripled and drove in two runs and Kailyn Marango threw a one-hit shutout as the Maidens won a game shortened to six innings by the mercy rule.

Marengo gave up one walk, hit one batter and fanned nine. The offense backed her with four first-inning runs, with Kendall's triple driving in two.

Marengo helped her own cause with an RBI single in the second inning that made it 6-0. Kaydence Santos had three hits and scored three times, and Mira Corum had two hits, two RBIs and scored twice.

Dillon 7, Ronan 6

Ronan made up a 6-3, sixth-inning deficit with NikkI Kendall's two-run homer and Ernestine Tapia-Torosian's two-out, RBI double.

Dillon answered with pitcher Adyson Creighton's tie-breaking RBI single in the bottom of the sixth inning. Creighton then retired the Maidens in order in the seventh, picking up two of her 11 strikeouts in the frame.

Kendall went the distance for Ronan, which jumped ahead 3-0 partly due to some shaky Beaver defense. She allowed eight hits, four walks and four earned runs. She fanned nine.

Western A Divisional

May 17-18, Polson

Friday

Game 1: Libby 21, Corvallis 20

Game 2: Hamilton 15, Browning 0

Game 3: Ronan 10, Butte Central 0

Game 4: Stevensville 3, Whitefish 0

Game 5: Frenchtown 7, Libby 1, quarterfinal

Game 6: Polson 10, Hamilton 0, quarterfinal

Game 7: Dillon 7, Ronan 6, quarterfinal

Game 8: Columbia Falls 12, Stevensville 4, quarterfinal

Saturday

Game 9: Corvallis vs. Stevensville, 9 a.m., loser out

Game 10: Browning vs. Ronan, 9 a.m., loser out

Game 11: Butte Central vs. Hamilton, 11 a.m., loser out

Game 12: Whitefish vs. Libby, 11 a.m., loser out

Game 13: Frenchtown vs. Polson, 1 p.m., semifinal

Game 14: Dillon vs. Columbia Falls, 1 p.m., semifinal

Game 15: Game 9 winner vs. Game 10 winner, 3 p.m., loser out

Game 16: Game 11 winner vs. Game 12 winner, 3 p.m., loser out

Game 17: Game 15 winner vs. Game 16 winner, 5 p.m. (fifth-sixth)

Game 18: Game 13 loser vs. Game 14 loser, 5 p.m. (third-fourth)

Game 19: Game 13 winner vs. Game 14 winner, 7 p.m., championship