FRENCHTOWN WINS STATE. BEAT BUTTE--6-1
May 31, 2009 Northwest Montana A Conference
FRENCHTOWN WINS STATE. BEAT BUTTE--6-1
STATE A SOFTBALL: Broncs handle Maroons: Russ leads Frenchtown to State A championship
By the Missoulian POLSON - The Frenchtown Broncs were tired of the second-place trophy.
They went out and did something about that on Saturday afternoon.
Senior Shelby Russ struck out 12 batters and belted a home run in the Broncs' 6-2 win over Butte Central, giving Frenchtown the State A softball championship. It's the second title for the Broncs at the Class A level - the last came in 2005, also in Polson - and the school's sixth overall after winning four at the Class B-C level. Frenchtown was the runner-up to Libby last year and Polson the year before.
"All these girls were there for that and saw those seniors deal with that," Frenchtown coach Eli Field said as the team gathered for a celebratory dinner Saturday evening in Polson. "It's pretty sweet for us to get over the top and get that second place thing off our backs."
The Broncs reached the title game by downing the Maroons 4-0 in the undefeated game Saturday morning.
Belgrade beat Billings Central 8-1 in the loser-takes-fourth game. Butte Central rebounded to oust Belgrade 7-6 in the loser-takes-third game to earn its way back to the championship.
"Polson's always good to us," Field said. "Our girls play well up here; it's a great atmosphere. Our team stepped up and played the best they had all year."
Frenchtown 6, Butte Central 2
The Broncs broke a 1-1 tie with two runs in the fourth with only one ball leaving the infield.
Megan Farmer walked and scored on a squeeze bunt by pinch-hitter Kelsey Indreland. Two batters later, Indreland made it 3-1 by scoring when Erin Maxted reached on a fielder's choice.
"The kids made plays, all sorts of kids," Field said. "A kid we brought off the bench - Kelsey Indreland - had a perfect sacrifice bunt that got us two runs in the Belgrade game, then today she had a squeeze bunt to break 1-1 tie. We asked her to do a job and she did it. Everybody did little things like that."
Russ belted a home run off a tiring McKenzie Doherty in the fifth inning to make it 4-1.
"There isn't much you can say because everyone knows about her," Field said of Russ, the Broncs' career home run leader. "We'll miss her, I tell you that."
The Broncs added a pair of insurance runs in the sixth on back-to-back RBI singles by Kayla Bordner and Stephanie Klucewich.
The Maroons (14-9) didn't go quietly in the seventh. Breanne Krzan drew a walk, took second on an Angela Piazzola groundout and scored on a single by Brooke Pokorny.
But Russ got Saidee Johnston to hit into a fielder's choice before ending the game by getting Amber Orizotti with her 12th strikeout.
"She was amazing this weekend," Field said of Russ. "There were probably even things people didn't notice. Her location was amazing; she did not miss many spots this weekend. She was focused and in the zone."
Before the tournament began, Field said defense would be key for the Broncs.
"At one point in fifth inning, I turned to my assistant coach Tony Davis and said, ‘When did we start doing things like that?' " Field said. "We looked at each other and shook our heads. We made some really amazing plays, in my mind."
The Broncs ended the season at 23-4 overall.
Butte Central 000 100 1 - 2 5 1
Frenchtown 010 210 x - 6 8 1
McKenzie Doherty, Quinn Peoples (6) and Brooke Pokorny. Shelby Russ and Kristy Kees. W - Russ (19-4). L - Doherty (8-7).
BUTTE CENTRAL - Pokorny 1-4, Saidee Johnston 0-4, Amber Orizotti 1-3, Quinn Peoples 2-3, Kacey Daily 1-3, Kylie Orizotti 0-2, Doherty 0-3, Carlee Norbeck 0-2, Breanne Krzan 0-0, Angela Piazzola 0-3.
FRENCHTOWN - Erin Maxted 1-4, Kees 1-4, Russ 1-4, Kayla Bordner 1-3, Stephanie Klucewich 1-3, Megan Farmer 2-3, Mariel Maxted 0-3, Keller Leishman 1-3, Sakai Scheffer 0-0, Shelby Jutila 0-1, Kelsey Indreland 0-0.
2B - A. Orizotti, Kees, Farmer. HR - Russ. RBIs - Pokorny, Russ, Bordner, Klucewich, Farmer.
Frenchtown 4, Butte Central 0
Russ had the Maroons swinging and missing all morning.
The super-fast pitcher struck out 16 batters - 15 swinging - to send the Broncs to the championship game, where they had two chances to win one game.
Russ also singled and scored the Broncs' first run in the fourth inning. She crossed on a single by Farmer.
Keller Leishman singled in Klucewich, who bunted and reached on a fielder's choice, to make it 2-0.
Klucewich led off the sixth with a bomb over the left field fence to make it 3-1. Farmer followed with a single. She scored on a triple by Shelby Jutila.
Amber Orizotti, who doubled, had two of Butte Central's three hits. Daily had the other one, a double.
Butte Central 000 000 0 - 0 3 0
Frenchtown 000 202 x - 4 8 0
Doherty and Pokorny; Russ and Kees. W - Russ. L - Doherty (7-6).
BUTTE CENTRAL - Pokorny 0-3, Johnston 0-2, A. Orizotti 2-3, Peoples 0-3, Daily 1-3, K. Orizotti 0-3, Doherty 0-2, Norbeck 0-2, Krzan 0-0, Piazzola 0-2.
FRENCHTOWN - E. Maxted 0-4, Kees 0-2, Russ 1-3, Bordner 0-2, Klucewich 2-2, Farmer 3-4, M. Maxted 0-2, Leishman 1-3, Jutila 1-1, Indreland 0-1.
2B - A. Orizotti, Daily. 3B - Jutila. HR - Klucewich.
Results
State A softball tournament
at Polson Softball Complex
Thursday
Ronan 4, Libby 0
Frenchtown 10, Havre 3
Columbia Falls 4, Livingston 2
Corvallis 3, Laurel 0
Belgrade 3, Ronan 0
Frenchtown 5, Polson 0
Billings Central 7, Columbia Falls 5
Butte Central 8, Corvallis 0
Friday
Frenchtown 7, Belgrade 4
Butte Central 3, Billings Central 0
Ronan 7, Livingston 2, loser out
Polson 4, Laurel 2, loser out
Libby 8, Columbia Falls 5, loser out
Corvallis 2, Havre 1, loser out
Ronan 1, Polson 0, loser out
Corvallis 7, Libby 1, loser out
Belgrade 7, Corvallis 5, loser out
Billings Central 9, Ronan 3, loser out
Saturday
Frenchtown 4, Butte Central 0, undefeated game
Belgrade 8, Billings Central 1, loser takes fourth
Butte Central 7, Belgrade 6, loser takes third
Frenchtown 6, Butte Central 2, championship |
NATIONAL
MONTANA
