Ponies hope to begin Central A play

After an unexpected delay in action, the recent dry weather can mean only one thing for the Havre High softball program, and that's… play ball.

The last three games the Central A Blue Ponies have attempted to play were canceled due to the cold and snowy weather. The Ponies would have faced Conrad and conference rival Browning over the stretch, but will have to move on, and gear up for two more conference opponents this weekend.

Havre High freshman Dani Wagner takes a swing during a high school girls softball game earlier this month in Havre. The Blue Ponies travel to Lewistown today, then host the Belgrade Panthers Saturday at the Sixth Avenue Memorial Field.

Today the Ponies will open up conference play when they face the Lewistown Golden Eagles in Lewistown. Saturday the Ponies will return home to the Sixth Avenue Memorial Field in Havre to host two more conference games against the Belgrade Panthers. The first game will be at 2 p.m. on Saturday, while the tail end of the doubleheader will follow immediately after, roughly around 4 p.m. The junior varsity squad will also face the Belgrade junior varsity at 2 p.m. at the Hospital Park softball field in Havre.

Teams typically like to get in as many games as possible before getting into the heart of their conference schedule. And even without a lot of quality practice time over the last week, the Ponies know they have to play well this weekend against two of the top teams in the Central A.

"This past week we got in a lot of team building in," Havre High head coach Danny Wirtzberger said. "When the weather is like this we don't get as much quality practice time as we would like. We have been practicing in the gym, that doesn't quite cut it, we run in the halls in the morning, that doesn't cut it, and while that serves a purpose, it just doesn't cut it. You can't really make up for not practicing on the field, but I think everybody is pretty much in the same boat.

"These games should set the tone for the conference," Wirtzberger added. "And hopefully we can set the tone for being one of the top three teams in the conference. If it doesn't happen, we need to know where we can improve, and that is what this weekend is going to be a good test for.

Both the Panthers and the Eagles are going to test the Ponies on all levels, especially if HHS wants to come away with a win.

The Eagles have stepped up and have shown they are one of the top contenders I the conference this season. They have a lineup that hits the ball extremely well, and that is fundamentally sound in all areas of the game. And the visiting Panthers are the same way, as the Ponies will have to play to near perfection to earn a win. The Panthers have been the team to beat in the Central A for a number of years, and that shows. They are traditionally the team to beat, and Belgrade takes the field with a lot of confidence.

"Our girls just have to stay within themselves and play like they know how," Wirtzberger said. "If we keep our main goal in mind, of getting better everyday, I think we will come out and play very well this weekend. Whether we get wins or not, that would be icing on the cake, but we really have to get ourselves better before the divisional tournament."

All weekend long, the Ponies have to play their best. HHS will run into tough pitchers like Belgrade's Kristina West, and can't waste their at-bats or scoring opportunities. The Ponies have to find ways to get on base, and when they do, their speed will be utilized as well. The Ponies are still putting an emphasis on aggressive base running, especially since the Eagles and Panthers have been stingy in runs allowed this season.

Pitching will also be heavily relied on by the Blue Ponies, as Davee McLeod and Rachel Majeres will face a lot of good ball players today and Saturday. McLeod will start tonight and again on Saturday. Majeres will also get one of the starts against the Panthers. Coach Wirtzberger said McLeod has to throw the ball low and hard to be successful, also staying in the strike zone. And for Majeres, she also needs to throw strikes and take full advantage of the movement she has on her pitches. The HHS pitching staff cant give the opposition bases when they have the skill to make them earn it.

West will lead the Panthers at the plate as well on Saturday, while McLeod and Majeres will also face the bat of Autumn Rollins, Taylor Johnson, Sllison Slstrom, Joey Severson and Rylee Cygan, to name a few.

Dani Wagner has anchored the outfield this season, while third baseman Morgan Mazurkiewicz, has helped lead a very talented infield. And if the Eagles and Panthers heat up at the plate, communication will also play an important role in playing well this weekend.

"We have to focus on what we do best," Wirtzberger said. "It is still too early to focus on other team tendencies, but when we get to the divisional tournament, that is when we will start to do some situational things with different teams."

Today the Ponies are in Lewistown to face the Golden Eagles. But Saturday, the Ponies will host the Belgrade Panther in a doubleheader at the Sixth Avenue Memorial Field in Havre. Game one will be at 2 p.m. on Saturday, while game two will be played immediately after.