Eagles edge Ponies in extra innings

In their first conference game of the year, the Blue Pony softball team went toe to toe with one of its biggest rivals, but ultimately, fell just short in extra innings.

After opening its season at the Great Falls Jamboree, the Havre High softball team traveled to Lewistown and rallied from a 3-0 deficit after three innings, to force extras. But in the end, the Eagles scored in the bottom of the eighth to win it 5-4.

“The girls did incredible,” HHS head coach Whitney McNally said. “So far they been playing really well as a team and so far this season, we have been playing really strong.”

Facing a team it struggled against last season, Havre fell behind early after allowing one run to cross in the bottom of the second and another in the bottom of the third. Yet, the Ponies got their bats going and scored two runs apiece in the fourth and fifth innings to take the lead at 4-3. Jacy McDonald roped a triple that scored two runs to put Havre in front by one in the fifth.

However, the lead wouldn’t stick. In the bottom half of the fifth, Lewistown plated a run to tie the score at 4-4. Both teams were held scoreless in the sixth and seventh innings. Then, after Havre again failed to score a run in the top of the eighth, Lewistown broke the stalemate with a run in the bottom half of the inning to walk off as the victors.

Hassa ended up getting the start for the Ponies and despite getting the loss in the end, put forth an admirable effort. She allowed 14 hits in eight innings of work, but she allowed just five runs. She also struck out six batters. Hassa was also helped by a defense that finished the game with just two errors, compared to five for Lewistown.

“J.J. did an amazing job,” McNally said. “The defense behind her also did a great job. They were where they were supposed to be, backing each other up and there were multiple times that they had a couple of runners on base and we didn’t let them score. The defense did what it needed to do.”

Hassa also had a big day at the plate, going 2-for-4 with an RBI also to her credit. Jenae Boles tied Hassa for the team lead in hits with two. McDonald went 1-for-1 at the plate after drawing some walks. She had a team-high two RBIs. Alex Barkus and Madison Tommerup also managed hits for Havre.

“So far for the first conference game we are happy with our offense,” McNally said. “We would like to get runs earlier in the game, but everyone was swinging and that’s a big thing for this early in the season.”

The Ponies will be back in action this Thursday as they play host to Browning. Then Havre will head to Lewistown Friday for the start of the Lewistown Invitational.

Lewistown 5, Havre 4

Havre 000 220 00 - 4 7 2

Lewistown 012 100 01 - 5 14 5

WP: C. Carpenter. LP: J.J. Hassa.

Havre: Nicole Parsons 0-5, Jenae Boles 2-5, Alex Barkus 1-3, Jacy McDonald 1-1, Madison Tommerup 1-4, J.J. Hassa 2-4, Camryn Huston 0-4, M. Matosich 0-3, Kate Compton 0-2, Lauren Kato 0. 3B: McDonald. RBIs: McDonald 2, Hassa.

Lewistown: G. Butcher 3-5, H. Hayes 0-4, M. Comes 3-4, D. Gapay 2-4, K. Irvin 0-4, V. Kolstad 1-3, M. Mangold 1-2, K. Gobble 0-1, A. Lensing 2-4, H. Potter 0-1, A. Gremaux 2-3. 2B: Butcher, Gapay. RBIs: Butcher, Kolstad, Lensing.