Butte Central went 1-2 its last three games of the high school softball season and missed advancing to the Class A play-ins with the two losses coming against Southwestern A Conference rivals.
The Maroons lost a close 8-7 decision to Dillon on Tuesday’s Senior Day closer after splitting Friday games in the again rain-havocked annual LaVerne Combo Invitational tournament. The BC Girls lost 21-0 to reigning state Class A champion and conference rival Frenchtown after dumping nonconference opponent Sidney 5-2.
The Saturday slate of the tournament was drowned out by rain and snow. So, Butte Central’s games scheduled with Whitefish and Glendive were among the casualties of the weather.
All three of the Maroons’ last game were played on their Stodden Park diamond. The BC girls finished with a 7-10 overall. Senior Day honoree Arika Stajcar is the only player graduating off the club and she was a four-year valuable member, seeing time at pitcher, catcher, and all over the infield before going to right field as the starter there this year.
Following are capsules from Butte Central’s last three softball games of 2026.
Frenchtown 21, Butte Central 0
The Broncs had 10 runs before the Maroons even batted as the defending champs flexed their muscles. Makenzie Brush went 3-for-4 at the plate with a home run and two doubles as she led the Frenchtown attack. Jezzy Smith also clubbed three hits and drove in three runs, and Brooklyn Smith knocked in three runs. Dizzle Smith pitched the win, which came in four innings due to the 15-run difference rule.
The Maroons got three hits, a double by Natalie Osterman and singles by Kodee Badovinac and Marly Mansanti.
Frenchtown (10)03 8xx x – 21 18 0
Butte Central ( 0)00 0xx x — 0 3 5
Dizzle Smith and Aspen Courtney. Alli Forelli, Braelynn Schelin (1) and Natalie Osterman. W – D. Smith. L – Forelli.
FRENCHTOWN – Aspen Courtney (C ) 2-4, Jezzy Palmer (SS) 3-3, Grace Kreis (PH) 1-1, Brooklyn Smith (CF) 3-5, Makenzie Brush (1B) 3-4, Delanie Magnuson (RF) 2-3, Eva Burton (RF) 0-1, Miley Lieshman (LF) 1-3, Anna Klimpel (LF) 1-1, Dizzle Smith (P) 0-2, Madysen DeSilva (PH) 1-1, Sophie Lebsock (2B) 1-2, Kylee DeBoo (PH) 0-1, Taylor Middlestadt (2B) 0-0, Maren Wexler (2B) 0-1, Abbi Edwards (3B) 0-3.
BUTTE CENTRAL – Natalie Osterman (C ) 1-2, Braelynn Schelin (DP) 0-3, Alli Forelli (Flex/P) 0-0, Kenzie McQueary (SS) 0-2, Luci Fanini (CF) 0-0, Kodee Badovinac (1B) 1-2, Mya McGree (2B) 0-2, Marly Mansanti (3B) 1-2, Zayonna Otherbull (LF) 0-1, Jordyn Samson (PH) 0-1, Arika Stajcar (RF) 0-1.
Extra-base hits – 2B – Brush 2, B. Smith, Kreis, Lieshman, Osterman. HR – Brush.
Runs batted in – Frenchtown 17 (Palmer 3, B. Smith 3, Brush 3, Burton 2, Lieshman 2, Courtney 1, Kreis 1, Magnuson 1, Lebsock 1), Butte Central 0.
Butte Central 5, Sidney 2
Sophomore shortstop Kenzie McQueary whacked a home run while going 3-for-3 and batting in three runs to front the Butte Central effort. A double and triple were her two hits as the Maroons backed a seven-strikeout three-hitter pitched by Braelynn Schelin. Blake Smith’s single was BC’s only other hit.
Sidney’s hits were singles by Aiyana Kirn, Swayzie Hansen and Ammie Kern.
The game was limited to five innings by the tournament 75-minute time limit.
Sidney 110 00x x – 2 3 2
Butte Central 101 03x x – 5 4 2
Adessa Saita and Madison Kapp. Braelynn Schelin and Natalie Osterman. W – Schelin. L – Saita.
SIDNEY – Jessica Entz (2B) 0-3, Adessa Saita (P) 0-2, Aiyana Kern (SS) 1-2, Kylin Smith (3B) 0-2, Madison Kapp (C ) 0-2, Zoey Weiland (DP) 0-2, Alyna Garcia (1B) 0-2, Swayzie Hansen (LF) 1-2, Ammie Kirn (RF) 0-2.
BUTTE CENTRAL – Natalie Osterman (C ) 0-3, Braelyn Schelin (P) 0-2, Kenzie McQueary (SS) 3-3, Luci Fantini (CF) 0-2, Kodee Badovinac (1B) 0-2, Blake Smith (2B) 1-2, Zayonna Otherbull (LF) 0-1, Ryan Olson (3B) 0-2, Arika Stajcar (RF) 0-2.
Extra-base hits – 2B – McQueary. 3B – McQueary. HR – McQueary.
Runs batted in – Sidney 2 (Aiyana Kirn 1, Hansen 1), Butte Central 3 (McQueary 3).
Dillon 8, Butte Central 7
Dillon barely eked to a win over Butte Central and needed to push home a run in the top of the seventh inning to provide the difference.
Maisy Hutchinson hammered a home run to pace the Dillon offense. Hutchinson knocked in two runs with two hits and Tymber Barnes also drove a pair of runs home. Barnes smacked a double while going 4-for-4 at the plate.
Braelynn Schelin and Zayonna Otherbull bashed doubles for Butte Central, and Kenzie McQueary, Luci Fantini, Jordyn Samson, Ryan Olson and Arika Stajcar all pasted singles while celebrating Stajcar’s Senior Day.
Dillon113 101 1 – 8 13 4
Butte Central 221 010 1 – 7 7 1
Tymber Barnes, Mya Creighton (2) and Bridget Lovaas. Braelynn Schelin and Natalie Osterman. W – Creighton. L – Schelin.
DILLON – Tymber Barnes (P-2B) 4-4, Mya Creighton (SS-P) 1-4, Bridget Lovaas (C ) 1-3, Kaitlyn Konen (CF) 1-4, Maisy Hutchinson (LF) 2-4, Ashlyn Burk (RF-SS-RF) 2-3, Reese Jensen (DP) 1-4, Katie Alle (Flex/3B) 0-0, Kenndyl Meine (1B) 1-4, Lila Guiberson (3B) 0-1.
BUTTE CENTRAL – Natalie Osterman (C ) 0-4, Braelynn Schelin (P) 1-4, Kenzie McQueary (SS) 1-4, Luci Fantini (CF) 1-2, Kodee Badovinac (1B) 0-4, Jordyn Samson (RF) 1-4, Ryan Olson (3B) 1-4, Zayonna Otherbull (LF) 1-3, Arika Stajcar (2B) 1-4.
Extra-base hits – 2B – Barnes, Schelin, Otherbull. HR – Hutchinson.
Runs batted in – Dillon 8 (Barnes 2, Hutchinson 2, Creighton 1, Lovaas 1, Jensen 1, Meine 1), Butte Central 4 (Schelin 1, Fantini 1, Olson 1, Stajcar 1).
