Broncs bust Libby state bid
Despite a 9-0 win over Hardin in the first round of the softball State Championship Thursday, a 10-4 loss to Hamilton sent Libby to the consolation round, where a 3-0 loss to Lewistown ended their postseason Friday.
The Lady Loggers started strong, with senior pitcher Khalyn Hageness holding Hardin to two hits over seven innings, while striking out 11 and walking none.
The game advanced quickly in the scoreless first two innings, and in the top of the third Hageness struck out three of four Lady Bulldogs.
Libby junior Linsey Walker scored the first run of the game in the bottom of the third on a Hardin error, and junior Emily Carvey sacrificed to bring junior Jayden Winslow — back from injury for state — home for the second run.
In the final run of the inning, Libby junior Sammee Bradeen hit a homer with a fly to left field, bringing the score to 3-0, Libby.
Both defenses held tight in the fourth, and while Libby cut Hardin hopes short in the top of the fifth — ending with a double play from sophomore second baseman Sheyla Gallagher and Winslow at first — Hardin was unable to stop the Lady Loggers in the bottom of the inning.
Winslow doubled on a line drive to left field, batting in sophomore Ashlyn Monigold. Then Bradeen singled with another line drive to left, sending Winslow home.
Gallagher snatched the final Libby run of the inning by sending freshman Bethany Thomas home after reaching first on a dropped third strike.
The Lady Logger defense kept the Lady Bulldogs locked down in the sixth, with Hageness striking out one while Carvey made two outs at shortstop.
Winslow batted in Walker on a line drive double to left field, and a failed attempt to reach on a dropped third strike by Carvey still sent Winslow home.
Senior Haylee Cannon doubled on a line drive to right field, bringing in Thomas and setting the final score to 9-0.
But Libby rose so high in their first game to only be taken out of championship play by Hamilton.
Libby had a 5-4 regular season loss to the Lady Broncs, and as the fourth inning ended with a 4-2 Hamilton lead, Thursday appeared as if it could be another close game.
Yet, in the top of the fifth, the Lady Loggers wouldn’t get a hit.
With three runs off a homer by Caitlin Dillon, the Lady Broncs added six runs to their lead in the bottom of the inning.
The top of the sixth was a repeat of the fifth for Libby, but they were able to hold Hamilton in the bottom of the inning.
The Lady Loggers battled to the end in the seventh, with Hageness batting in Gallagher, and Winslow sending sophomore Makenzie Proffitt home for the last Libby run of the game and a final score of 10-4.
In their consolation game against Lewistown, the defense on both teams fought to keep the score low. Despite a single run in the top of the first, the Lady Loggers were able to cut the Lady Eagles off until the top of the fifth, when Lewistown stretched the lead to 3-0.
In the bottom of the inning, Proffitt made it to third with junior Samantha Miller on second, but Hageness was tagged at first for the third out with both runners left on base.
The sixth saw nearly flawless fielding from both teams, with Cannon catching a fly out in center field, Winslow at shortstop snapping a grounder to Proffitt at first for the second out and Miller catching a fly out to right field.
But the Lady Loggers were unable to shake the Lady Eagle defense in the seventh.
Class A State Championship
Thursday, May 24
Game 1
Libby 9, Hardin 0
H 000 000 0 - R:0 H:2 E:2
L 003 033 X - R:9 H:12 E:3
AB-H
L: Linsey Walker 4-2, 2R; Khalyn Hageness 4-1; Jayden Winslow 4-3, 3R, 1K; Emily Carvey 2-0, 1BB, 2K; Sammee Bradeen 4-3, 1R; Haylee Cannon 4-1; Sheyla Gallagher 4-1, 1K; Makenzie Proffitt 3-1, 1K; Samantha Miller 1-0, 1BB; Bridgett Haskins 1-0, 1K; Ashlyn Monigold 1R (in for Hageness); Bethany Thomas 2R (in for Bradeen)
H: E Chavez 3-0, 2K; N Edgar 3-0, 3K; D Uffelman 3-1; N Green 3-0, 2K; S Blankenship 2-0; K Feller 3-0, 1K; H Cannan 2-0, 1K; C Uffelman 2-0, 2K; C Wood 2-1
Batting: 2B - Cannon, Winslow 2, Uffelman; HR - Bradeen; TB - Bradeen 6, Cannon 2, Gallagher, Hageness, Proffitt, Walker 2, Winslow 5 Uffelman 2, Wood; ROE - Bradeen, Uffelman, Cannan; RBI - Bradeen 2, Cannon, Carvey 2, Winslow 2
Pitching: W - Khalyn Hageness 7, 96 P, .667 S%, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 11 SO, 0 BB; L - D Uffelman 6, 123 P, .707 S%, 12 H, 9 R, 6 ER, 6 SO, 2 BB, 1 HR
Game 2
Hamilton 10, Libby 4
L 000 200 2 - R:4 H:7 E:6
H 031 060 X - R:10 H:13 E:5
AB-H
H: Sophia Doyle 4-2, 1R; Caitlin Dillon 4-2, 1R; Tessa Della Silva 3-0, 2K; Kelsie Meis 4-1; Mallory McGill 4-2, 2R; Abby Johnson 3-2, 2R; Hayley Hudgins 3-1, 2R, 1BB; Maggie Ringer 3-1; Jaley Hinson 1-0; Mikayln Brickley 4-2, 2R
L: Linsey Walker 4-0; Khalyn Hageness 4-1; Jayden Winslow 4-0, 1K; Emily Carvey 4-1, 1R, 2K; Sammee Bradeen 3-0, 1K; Haylee Cannon 3-1; Sheyla Gallagher 3-1, 1R, 1K; Makenzie Proffitt 3-3, 1R; Samantha Miller 2-0; Bridgett Haskins 1-0; Bethany Thomas 1R (in for )
Batting:
2B - Meis, Brickley, 3B - Dillon; HR - Dillon, Brickley; TB - Doyle 2, Dillon 7, Meis 2, McGill 2, Johnson 2, Hudgins, Ringer, Brickley 6, Cannon, Carvey, Gallagher, Hageness, Proffitt 3; ROE - Doyle, Dillon 2, McGill, Hinson, Bradeen, Miller, Walker; RBI - Dillon 3, Hudgins, Ringer, Brickley 3, Hageness, Proffitt 2, Winslow
Pitching: W - Sky Lopez 6, 86 P, .674 S%, 4 H, 2 R, 0 ER, 4 BB, 0 SO; Jordan Taggart 1, 26 P, .731 S%, 3 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 1 SO, 0 BB; L - Khalyn Hageness 6, 126 P, .587 S%, 13 H, 10 R, 10 ER, 2 SO, 1 BB, 2 HR
Friday, May 25
Game 3
Lewistown 3, Libby 0
F 100 020 0 - R:3 H:7 E:0
L 000 000 0 - R:0 H:5 E:2
AB-H
F: G Butcher 4-2, 2R, 1K; H Hayes 3-1, 1R, 1BB, 1K; M Mangold 3-1, 1BB; V Kolstad 3-1, 1BB, 1K; K Irvin 4-0, 1K; L Jeness 0-0; B Castillo 3-1; A Gremaus 1-0, 1K; K Gordan 3-1; S Long 2-0, 1BB; J Morgan 3-0
L: Linsey Walker 3-0, 1K; Khalyn Hageness 3-0, 1K; Jayden Winslow 3-0; Emily Carvey 3-1, 1K; Sammee Bradeen 2-0, 1BB, 1K; Haylee Cannon 3-1, 1K; Sheyla Gallagher 3-1; Makenzie Proffitt 3-2; Samantha Miller 1-0, 1K; Bridgett Haskins 1-0, 1BB; Bethany Thomas 1-0, 1K;
Batting: 2B - Hayes, Proffitt; TB - Butcher 2, Hayes 2, Mangold, Kolstad, Castillo, Gordan, Cannon, Carvey, Gallagher, Proffitt 3; ROE - Irvin, Castillo; RBI - Hayes, Mangold, Irvin
Pitching: W - Irvin 4, 57 P, .702 S%, 3 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 5 SO, 1 BB; Morgan 3, 39 P, .667 S%, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 SO, 1 BB; L - Khalyn Hageness 7, 140 P, .607 S%, 7 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 5 SO, 4 BB