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Havre pitcher Davee McLEOD fires to home during Thursday's game at the Sixth Avenue Memorial Field.
Havre High's Mary Lyons takes a cut during a high school girls fastpitch softball game between the Blue Ponies and the Conrad Cowgirls Thursday afternoon at the Sixth Avenue Memorial Field in Havre. The Cowgirls handed the Ponies their first official loss of the young season.
Fresh off of a dominating road conference win just two days ago, the Havre High softball team wasn't as fortunate in a nonconference games at home.
The Central A Blue Ponies were at home Thursday afternoon, facing the Conrad Cowgirls at the Sixth Avenue Memorial field in Havre. And though the Ponies were riding the wake of a 17-3 win over Browning on Tuesday, they weren't able to find the same results against Conrad, as the Cowgirls defeated the Ponies 6-3. The loss gives the Ponies a 1-0 conference record, and a 1-1 record overall.
"Conrad outplayed us," Havre High head coach Mike Thill said. "We gave up three runs early, we put some girls on the base that we shouldn't have put on, and yeah, basically Conrad just outplayed us. They wanted the win more than we did, and not everybody played to their full potential."
Davee McLeod got the start on the mound for the Ponies, and HHS fell behind 3-0 early, as the Cowgirls scored two runs in the top of the second and another run in the top of the third.
In the second inning the Cowgirls took advantage of a leadoff hit by Brittany Greyn, who later scored on a pass ball. And in the third inning, Erica Grubb hurt the Ponies with a leadoff double, while Michaela DeBoo drove her in on the ensuing at bat. The Ponies defense then turned three straight outs, but found themselves down 3-0.
Conrad led the Ponies 3-0 through the fourth inning, but the Ponies finally got some offense going in the fifth. With two outs, McLeod grabbed a triple to righ field, and Mary Lyons drove her in with a double. Morgan Mazurkiewicz then drove in Lyons with a well-hit ball that resulted in an error by the Cowgirls' second baseman.
Prior to the two-run fifth, the Ponies had just two hits. Their offense struggled most of the game, and their bunting game even gave them fits. Through the first four innings of play, the Ponies had five girls foul off bunts for strikeouts, leaving two runner son base, one in scoring position.
"We made some mental and physical errors on things that we work on everyday," Thill said. "And we have to clean that stuff up. A lot of the girls were bunting on their own because they were having trouble swinging the bat, but they just have to execute how we do in practice. We throw a bunting practice every day and hardly any of them were bunting how they were taught. They reverted back to something they learned previously, and that is why we had trouble. If we could have kept the bat level and square to the plate, a lot of those fouls would have been fair. "
The Cowgirls went on to score another run in the sixth, scoring on a throwing error by catcher Lyons to third base. Conrad also scored two runs in the seventh inning on wild pitches.
The Ponies fell behind 4-2, but did add a run in the sixth inning. Lexi Olson got her first hit of the afternoon, laying down a near perfect bunt, scoring Kylee Kaul who was a running for Clarissa Martin.
McLeod got the start on the mound for the Ponies, but pitched just three innings. She got off to a solid start, retiring the first three batters, but struggled a bit in the second and third innings. She gave up three runs after facing a total of 14 batters, and giving up three hits.
Rachel Majers came on in relief, and while she too had her struggles, looked solid after defeating Browning earlier in the week. Majers faced 18 batters in four innings. Majers also gave up just two hits, while the three runs scored on errors and wild pitches.
"(Majers) did a nice job," Thill said. "When she faced Browning (on Tuesday), that was the first time she had ever pitched seven innings. But it was encouraging to see her pitch well again today (Thursday)."
In the game, the Ponies totaled five hits. Sydne Huston had a single, Paige Henderson had a single, McLeod had a triple, Lyons had a single and Olson had a single. Lyons also had an RBI, as did Mazurkiewicz and Olson.
HHS is back in action on Saturday, as the Ponies will now hit the road to take on Columbia Falls on Saturday. It will be a non conference doubleheader, and the Ponies know they are up against a very tough squad. Already this season, the Wildcats have knocked off top teams like the Polson Pirates with hot bats. If the Ponies hope to be competitive and even grab a win or two, coach Thill said his squad has to have a more appropriate attitude than the one they had after the loss to Conrad.
But the Ponies also have to get the bats going, and clean up some things on defense. The Ponies had some errors that hurt them against the Cowgirls, and a team like the Wildcats will take full advantage. Defense will be key on Saturday.
"We have to play defense," Thill said. "And we have to cut down on the simple errors and mistakes that we have made. We just have to clean up the things that we know how to do, but haven't been doing well. We need to play like we have been practicing, and not revert back to old habits. They have practiced well and have been working hard."
The Ponies will take on the Wildcats in a non conference doubleheader on Saturday in Columbia Falls.
Conrad 6, Blue Ponies 3
Conrad 021 001 2 – 6 5 1
Havre 000 0 210 0 – 3 5 2
WP – Rashelle Johns; LP – Davee McLeod
Conrad – Erica Grubb 1-4, Michaela DeBoo 2-3 RBI; Rashelle Johns 0-4, Brittany Greyn 1-4, Morgan Fowler 0-4, Taylor Judisch 0-4, Devon Rauscher 0-3, Kaylee Taule 0-2 RBI, Rachel Bokma 0-2, Gabby Drishinski 1-1.
Havre – Michaela Boles 0-4, Sydne Huston 1-4, Davee McLeod 1-4, Mary Lyons 1-4 RBI, Morgan Mazurkiewicz 0-4 RBI, Paige Henderson 1-4, Clarissa Martin 0-3, Masha Barnekoff 0-2, Lexi Olson 1-3 RBI.
Havre's Masha Barnekoff hauls in a fly ball during Thursday's high school softball game against Conrad in Havre. The Blue Ponies lost to the Cowgirls 6-3 and will hit the road Saturday for a doubleheader in Columbia Falls.
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