GREAT FALLS — Butte High left 12 base runners stranded Thursday as the Bulldogs closed the regular season with a pair of Eastern AA losses to Great Falls Russell.
The Rustlers won the opener 1-0 before closing the doubleheader sweep with a 5-0 victory in the nightcap.
“We had our opportunities,” Butte High coach Steve Stosich said.
The losses leave Butte High at 6-6 in conference and 10-10 overall. Butte High will play Billings Skyview in a best-of-three playoff series next week with a trip to state on the line.
Where those games will be is still unknown. If Billings Skyview beats Billings West on Friday, the Bulldogs will hit the road. If West wins, the Bulldogs will host.
West has the No. 2 seed wrapped up, and has nothing to gain or lose either way.
CMR wrapped up the No. 1 seed from the Eastern AA and a spot in the state tournament with the win in the opener.
CMR 1, Butte High 0
McCall Enott singled and scored on a throwing error following a Kaydee Parsons fourth-inning double to account for the game’s only run.
That was enough for CMR pitcher Quinn Hartman, who scattered six hits and struck out seven batters to win a duel with Butte High ace Jessica Robertson.
Robertson struck out six and gave up seven hits. Enott and Savanna Voyles doubled for the Rustlers. Voyles also hit a single.
“She pitched well enough to win both games,” Stosich said of Robertson.
Ashten McCloskey hit a double and a single for the Bulldogs. Bobbie Osterman hit two singles, while Baylee Thatcher and Morgan Bagley each hit one.
“It was a good game,” Stosich said. “That’s two of the better pitchers in the state.”
BUTTE HIGH BULLDOGS AB R H BI GREAT FALLS RUSTLERS AB R H BI Ashten McCloskey 4 0 2 0 Madi Mahoney 3 0 0 0 Amanda Spear 3 0 0 0 Kylie Otis 3 0 1 0 Maria Michelotti 3 0 0 0 Savanna Voyles 3 0 2 0 Bobbie Osterman 3 0 2 0 Quinn Hartman 3 0 1 0 Bethany McLean 3 0 0 0 McCall Enott 3 1 2 0 Baylee Thatcher 3 0 1 0 Kaydee Parsons 3 0 1 0 Ashton LaFond 3 0 0 0 Erika Lankford 3 0 0 0 Kendall Alley 2 0 0 0 Tiffany Lefebre 2 0 0 0 Morgan Bagley 1 0 1 0 Shelby Vernon 2 0 0 0 Justyce Connole 2 0 0 0 TOTALS 27 0 6 0 TOTALS 25 1 7 0 BUTTE HIGH BULLDOGS 000 000 0 -- 0 GREAT FALLS RUSTLERS 000 100 x -- 1 LOB--BUTTE HIGH BULLDOGS 7, GREAT FALLS RUSTLERS 6. ERR--Bobbie Osterman, Kendall Alley (2), Tiffany Lefebre. 2B--Ashten McCloskey, Kaydee Parsons, McCall Enott, Savanna Voyles. BUTTE HIGH BULLDOGS IP H R ER BB SO HR Jessica Robertson (L) 6.00 7 1 0 0 6 0 GREAT FALLS RUSTLERS Quinn Hartman (W) 7.00 6 0 0 1 7 0 SO--Justyce Connole, Ashton LaFond, Bethany McLean, Amanda Spear, Kendall Alley (2), Baylee Thatcher, Madi Mahoney (2), Kaydee Parsons, Erika Lankford (2), Kylie Otis. BB--Justyce Connole.
CMR 5, Butte High 0
Robertson struck out seven batters in a losing effort in the nightcap. She surrendered seven hits and four earned runs.
Courtney Schroeder struck out five in the complete-game victory for CMR.
Enott went 2 for 4 with four RBIs to lead the Rustlers. Her big hit was a two-run home run in the fourth inning.
Hartman hit two singles for CMR. Voyles hit a double.
Thatcher, Bagley, Amanda Spear, Maria Michelotti and Ashton LaFond singled for the Bulldogs.
GREAT FALLS RUSTLERS AB R H BI BUTTE HIGH BULLDOGS AB R H BI Madi Mahoney 2 1 0 0 Ashten McCloskey 3 0 0 0 Kylie Otis 3 0 0 0 Amanda Spear 2 0 1 0 Savanna Voyles 2 1 1 1 Maria Michelotti 3 0 1 0 Quinn Hartman 3 1 2 0 Bobbie Osterman 3 0 0 0 McCall Enott 4 1 2 4 Baylee Thatcher 3 0 1 0 Kaydee Parsons 3 0 0 0 Morgan Bagley 3 0 1 0 Tiffany Lefebre 4 0 1 0 Bethany McLean 3 0 0 0 Courtney Schroeder 3 0 0 0 Ashton LaFond 3 0 1 0 Caitlin Soltesz 3 1 1 0 Justyce Connole 2 0 0 0 TOTALS 27 5 7 5 TOTALS 25 0 5 0 GREAT FALLS RUSTLERS 202 001 0 -- 5 BUTTE HIGH BULLDOGS 000 000 0 -- 0 LOB--GREAT FALLS RUSTLERS 8, BUTTE HIGH BULLDOGS 5. ERR--Ashten McCloskey, Jessica Robertson, Bethany McLean. 2B--Savanna Voyles. HR--McCall Enott. HBP--Kaydee Parsons, Savanna Voyles (2), Amanda Spear. SACB--Madi Mahoney, Kylie Otis. SB--Tiffany Lefebre. GREAT FALLS RUSTLERS IP H R ER BB SO HR Courtney Schroeder (W) 7.00 5 0 0 0 4 0 BUTTE HIGH BULLDOGS Jessica Robertson (L) 7.00 7 5 4 2 7 1 WP--Jessica Robertson. SO--Madi Mahoney, Tiffany Lefebre, Kaydee Parsons (2), Courtney Schroeder (3), Ashton LaFond, Bethany McLean (2), Bobbie Osterman. BB--Madi Mahoney, Quinn Hartman.
