HHS softball plays big games in Lewistown

After returning to the diamond from a nearly two-year break, the Havre High softball team started their season with two straight wins. Now, they will head to Lewistown to compete in a tournament this Friday and Saturday. The Blue Ponies will play three games across the two days, facing off with Billings Central, Livingston and Laurel.

"They're all going to be pretty decent," HHS head coach Tony Vigliotti said. "All those Class A teams are going to compete and that's what all of those are so we're looking forward to just getting out on the field again and getting some work for our hitters and pitchers and just looking to improve each time we go out."

All three teams that the Blue Ponies will face this weekend come from the Southeast A. The Ponies will start the weekend at 11:30 a.m. Friday when they face Billings Central. Billings is coming off a 9-4 loss to Lewistown, so they will be looking to bounce back against Havre. The Ponies will then play against Livingston Friday at 3:30 p.m. The last time Livingston played back in 2019, they qualified for the state tournament. While it has been nearly two years since then, it shows that they have a history of being a formidable opponent.

The Ponies will then have to get up early Saturday to play Laurel at 9 a.m. In 2019, Laurel qualified for the state tournament and so far in 2021, it looks like they will have another chance at that. They are 4-0 this season with wins over Manhattan, Miles City, Lewistown and Hardin. Their offense is averaging 12.5 runs a game, so the Havre pitchers will need to be at the top of their game.

Lexi Haney has started both games for Havre this season. She picked up wins in both of the team's first two contests, recording 18 strikeouts, allowing one walk and giving up three earned runs off of 11 total hits. Havre will also need its offense to have a strong weekend. Quinn McDonald leads the team with four runs batted in this season. Avery Carlson leads the team with four total hits and she is tied with Alyssa Oliver for the team lead of four runs scored this season.

Heading into the weekend, Vigliotti expects his team to play strong as they try to continue their strong start to the season.

"The expectation for us is to just keep concentrating on ourselves," Vigliotti said. "Trying to have good at-bats, trying to throw strikes and trying to make the plays we should make defensively."

After two games played this season against Browning and Columbia Falls, Vigliotti is confident in his team's defense and pitching but he believes they still need to improve on the offensive side.

"We had too many strikeouts against Columbia Falls," Vigliotti said. "We need to get a little bit better at putting the ball in play and then we need to just improve on our base running."

The weekend should also prove to be quite the test for the Ponies as they will have to play three games in a short span while on the road.

"It is tough, you're playing on the road, you're staying in a motel," Vigliotti said. "We'll find out if we're able to travel and play and keep up the intensity with three games in less than 24 hours."

Havre begins play this weekend in Lewistown against Billings Central Friday at 11:30 a.m. The Ponies make their home debut next week.