Blue Pony softball team ready to return to the diamond

Things have not gone as planned for the Havre High softball team this season, at least according to the schedule.

The Blue Ponies were supposed to open their season a couple of weeks ago in Great Falls, however, they ended up hosting CMR and Great Falls High when field conditions canceled the Great Falls Invitational. Similar problems relating to weather forced a postponement of last Saturday’s scheduled trip to Lewistown, as well.

Now though, after a week without any competition, the Ponies will be back on the field Friday and Saturday in Lewistown as part of the Lewistown Invitational. The jamboree affords each team four games. Havre will open with Hardin Friday at 11 a.m., followed by Miles City at 3 p.m. Saturday, HHS will play Laurel at 11 a.m. and then Glendive to wrap things up. First pitch between Havre and the Red Devils is set to go out at 5 p.m.

“We are ready to get back on the field,” HHS head coach Tony Vigliotti said. “We had the two games against the Great Falls schools, but it has been a couple of weeks since then so it will be nice to see some Class A competition. We don’t see teams from the East very often so that will be exciting especially because they are full, seven-inning games.”

A key part of any successful softball team is great pitching and defense. It’s too early to tell if the Ponies, who dropped competitive games against CMR and Great Falls March 30, have those components. In terms of pitching, Lauren Kato and Sam Oliver each started a game on the first weekend, and they will share the pitching duties again in Lewistown Friday and Saturday, according to Vigliotti.

“The plan right now is for each of them to alternate and throw two (games),” Vigliotti said. “But that could change, it just depends on how games are going and how they are throwing. That is plan right now, though. They each have one game under their belt and I thought they threw pretty decent against the Great Falls schools. But we will find out more about their stamina this weekend. It will be a good chance for them to get out there and hopefully get 14 innings each. That’s what we’re hoping for and we will go from there.”

When they aren’t pitching, Kato and Oliver also contribute defensively at two important positions. Kato plays at third and was error-free with a pair of key outs, including a double play in her one start, while Oliver is a shortstop. In the outfield, Sydney Wilting (center) and Janae Boles have been key contributors in addition to Kinzee Peterson, who has a key role to play as the catcher. Outside of that, Vigliotti said he was hoping some other positions would sort themselves out over the weekend.

“Defensively, I am pretty happy with where we’re at,” Vigliotti said. “But there are a couple of positions at right and first base where we would like to find someone that can consistently be there. We will concentrate on that and see if we can’t solidify those spots this weekend.”

While solid efforts on the mound and from the defense will be key, Havre scored just three runs in its first two games and that’s another area that the Ponies are certainly looking to improve.

“In the last couple weeks of practice we have gotten some more hitting in,” Vigliotti said. “A focus for us is going to be getting some quality at-bats and putting the ball into play — forcing the defense to make some plays.”

Peterson is always a catalyst for Havre offensively, but some others such as Wilting, Boles, Oliver and Kato will also be relied upon heavily by HHS to put runs on the board. Either way, Vigliotti said the small-ball approach that worked so well last season would be a key to jumpstarting the offense this weekend in Lewistown.

“Putting the ball in play is always going to be a key for us,” Vigliotti said. “We have to try to do that more than we did against CMR or Great Falls High.”

Havre will open things up in Lewistown Friday against Hardin at 11 a.m. Following the four non-conference games, the Ponies host Belgrade in a Central A doubleheader April 19.