By Bruce Sayler
Frozen players were plenty Thursday, but frozen ropes were few.
They were especially scarce for Helena High hitters as Butte High freshman ace Brea Henderson chucked a one-hitter for the first six shutout innings in an 8-1 Western AA Conference high school girls’ softball win over the Bengals.
Temperatures hovered in the 50s, but a wicked, blustery cold wind from mostly the west whipped through the complex all game while Henderson finished with a four-hitter and Helena High got a run across in the top of the seventh. Henderson struck out 11 batters, walked none and knocked in a run with a double.https://buttesports.com/wp-admin/edit.php?post_type=product
“Brea pitched well,” Ryan Stosich, head coach of the Bulldogs, said. “And, our defense made no errors.”
Both Henderson and Helena High pitcher Kira Thomas, a left-hander, had shutouts going for five innings. And after Henderson tacked on a scoreless sixth from the circle, striking out the side in order, her Bulldog teammates caught up with Thomas’ pitches in the bottom of the frame.
Singles by Matie Stepan and Brittyn Klima and an intentional walk issued Kendallyn Schad loaded the bases to start the Butte High half. Gracie Jonart then singled in the first two runs of the game with a base hit to left field. Reese Johnson drew a walk to refill the bags. Allie Becker then pounded a two-run single off the field umpire and into left field. Ally Godbout hit into a fielder’s choice that erased Johnson at third base before Henderson hammered a double down the left-field line and Becker scored. Savannah Stosich reached on an error, that let Godbout and Henderson’s courtesy runner, Taylor Regan, cross the plate. Stepan then batted again in the inning and lined a run-scoring double off the right-center field fence. Two groundouts and an error followed before the inning ended.
So, Henderson and Butte High owned an 8-0 cushion heading into the top of the seventh and Henderson had faced just 19 batters through the first six innings. A bunt single by Dakota Lieberg to begin the fourth inning had given the Bengals their only baserunner.
However, Helena High put together a mini-rally in the top of the seventh, refusing to go quietly under Butte-rooted head coach Ryan Schulte. After Heidi Ricketts flied out to windy right field to start the inning, Bailey Smith poked a single into center field and Rylee Murgel looped a base hit to short-center, just behind second base. Charlotte Schulte a bouncer that appeared to fall for a hit, but right fielder Jonart grabbed it thew pinch-runner Hayden Oliviera out at second base on a fielder’s choice. A bunt by Charlee Benson, however, squeezed Smith home and then Grace Dobler beat out an infield hit to pack the sacks with two out.
Henderson whiffed Alexa Lundstrom to end the suspense.
“Our bats woke up,” coach Stosich said. “Jonart had a great day at the plate. And, nobody hit Brea hard.”
Jonart, Henderson and Stepan notched two hits apiece and Klima and Becker each registered one.
The win pushed Butte High’s season record to 9-7 with an8-5 conference mark. The Bulldogs will close the regular season with a Western AA game at Missoula Big Sky on Saturday. Butte High will be home for a state tournament play-in game sometime next week against an opponent to be determined.
The loss sent Helena High home with a 6-13 overall ledger, 3-10 in league games. The Bengals will finish their regular season on Saturday against in-town rival Helena Capital.
Helena High 000 000 1 – 1 4 2
Butte High 000 008 x – 8 8 0
Kira Thomas, Heidi Ricketts (6) and Ava Haden. Brea Henderson and Mattie Stepan. W – Henderson. L – Thomas.
HELENA HIGH (6-13, 3-10) – Dakota Lieberg (SS) 1-3, Heidi Ricketts (1B-P) 0-2, Bailey Smith (CF) 1-3, Alexa Murgel (3B) 1-3, Hayden Oliviera (PR) 0-0, Charlotte Schulte (2B) 0-3, Charlee Benson (RF) 0-3, Grace Dobler (DP-1B) 1-3, Kira Thomas (Flex/P) 0-0, Alexa Lundstrom (LF) 0-3, Ava Haden (C ) 0-2, Nalyssa Jerome (PH) 0-1.
BUTTE HIGH (907, 8-5) – Mattie Stepan (C ) 2-3, Brittyn Klima (DP) 1-4, Avery Barsness (Flex/CF) 0-0, Kendallyn Schad (1B) 0-3, Gracie Jonart (RF) 2-4, Reese Johnson (2B) 0-2, Allie Becker (SS) 1-3, Ally Godbout (LF) 0-2, Elli Graham (CR) 0-0, Brea Henderson (P) 2-3, Taylor Regan (CR) 0-0, Cliry Conway (3B) 0-1, Savannah Stosich (PH) 0-1.
Extra-base hits – 2B – Henderson, Stepan.
Runs batted in – Helena High 1 (Benson), Butte High 6 (Jonat 2, Becker 2, Stepan 1, Henderson 1).
