Polson sluggers stepping up
Hey savvy news reader! Thanks for choosing local.
You are now reading
1 of 3 free articles.
The weekend was packed full of softball for the Polson Lady Pirates, who went 2-2 at the Frenchtown Invitational tournament. The two-time defending state champions are 6-4 on the season, which is a little behind the team’s usual pace, head coach Larry Smith noted.
“(But) we’ll work it out,” he said.
Midway through the season, Smith’s starting to see individual improvement from a few players.
Sophomore catcher Jaylin Kenney is one of those; she went 8 for 13 in four games over the weekend in Frenchtown.
“That’s batting very well,” Smith said.
Junior Heidi Rausch also stepped up to the plate, walking away from Frenchtown with three home runs under her belt, two of which came in Polson’s tournament opener against Anaconda Friday.
Also against Anaconda, Ashley Johnson had two doubles and went 3 for 5, while Martina Marquardt and Jessica Bagnell each had two singles. Hurler Shalaina Duford gave up five hits.
Later on Friday, Polson’s momentum slowed a bit as the Florence Falcons topped the Lady Pirates, 6-2. Marquardt led her team with two hits and an RBI.
Saturday morning, the Lady Pirates began the day with a 10-7 win over Hamilton, where Jaylin Kenney took the spotlight with a triple and two RBIs, going 3 for 4 over the Southwestern A Lady Broncs. Bagnell threw the complete game, allowing 11 hits, and Rausch doubled with two RBIs. Wilson and Colleen Jacobson each added another RBI.
Later that day, the Belgrade Panthers just managed to slip by Polson in a 4-3 victory despite Rausch and Riley Kenney’s grand slams. Makaliah Wilson added an RBI for the Lady Pirates.
The next three weeks hold plenty more action for the Lady Pirates, who have 11 games left to play this season after hosting Kalispell’s Glacier High Tuesday.
The big game of the week comes Thursday when the Frenchtown Lady Broncs will challenge the Lady Pirates on Polson’s home turf in a 6 p.m. matchup.
SUMMARY
Belgrade 4, Polson 3
Belgrade 010 102 0 – 4 7 0
Polson 100 100 1 – 3 8 1
Justine Taylor and Annie Prickett. Shalaina Duford and Jaylin Kenney. W – Taylor. L – Duford.
POLSON – Ashley Johnson 1-4, Riley Kenney 2-3, Duford 1-3, Martina Marquardt 0-3, Heidi Rausch 2-3, J. Kenney 1-2, Jessica Bagnell 0-3, Makaliah Wilson 1-3, Colleen Jacobson 0-3.
2B – J. Kenney. HR – Hill 2, Prickett 2, R. Kenney, Rausch. RBIs – Hill 2, Prickett 2, Kenney, Rausch, Wilson.
Polson 10, Hamilton 7
Polson 500 104 x – 10 8 0
Hamilton 022 001 2 – 7 11 6
Kaytlyn Menk, Rebecka Hood (6) and Candice Dunagan. Jessica Bagnell and Jaylin Kenney. W – Bagnell. L – Menk.
POLSON – Ashley Johnson 1-4, Riley Kenney 0-3, Shalaina Duford 1-3, Martina Marquardt 0-3, Heidi Rausch 1-4, Makaliah Wilson 0-3, J. Kenney 3-4, Bagnell 1-3, Colleen Jacobson 1-3, Jaelyn Ellenwood 0-0.
2B – Rausch, R. Hood, Lyons. 3B – J. Kenney. HR – R. Hood, Goligoski 2. RBIs – Wilson, J. Kenney 2, Jacobson, R. Hood 3, Goligoski 4.
Florence 6, Polson 2
Polson 100 100 0 – 2 9 3
Florence 060 000 x – 6 10 1
Shalaina Duford and Jaylin Kenney. Courtney Byrne and Paige Bodner. W – Byrne (8-1). L – Duford.
POLSON – Ashley Johnson 0-4, Riley Kenney 2-4, Duford 2-4, Martina Marquardt 2-4, Heidi Rausch 1-4, Makaliah Wilson 0-3, J. Kenney 2-3, Jessica Bagnell 0-2, Jordyn Evertz 0-2, Collen Jacobson 0-1.
2B – R. Kenney. RBIs – Marquardt, Bagnell. Bodner, H. Cole, M. Cole, C. Byrne 2.
Polson 16, Anaconda 2
Polson 422 102 5 – 16 15 0
Anaconda 002 000 0 – 2 5 1
Shalaina Duford and Jaylin Kenney. Brooke Chapman and Delanie Chapman. W – Duford (5-2). L – B. Chapman.
POLSON – Ashley Johnson 3-5, Riley Kenney 1-4, Duford 2-5, Martina Marquardt 2-2, Heidi Rausch 3-5, Makaliah Wilson 1-5, J. Kenney 1-4, Jessica Bagnell 2-5, Jordan Evertz 0-2, Colleen Jacobson 0-1.
2B – Johnson 2, R. Kenney. 3B – Bagnell, Bolton. HR – Rausch 2. RBIs – Bolton.
