By Bruce Sayler
The move was only about 30 yards but seemed to make Butte High feel like it was playing on foreign soil Thursday at Stodden Park.
The Bulldogs lost 11-1 to Helena Capital at Stodden Park in a Western AA Conference high school girls’ softball game. The game was delayed two hours because of rain, which caused a long in-game suspension of the preceding junior varsity contest as well.
The surface at Field 1 was swamped into unplayability by the rain, which was sometimes late and sometimes fierce. So, the Butte High players packed up their gear and moved the few steps to the third base dugout at Field 3, usually where the junior varsity game is played. It had been this time, too, but now the varsities needed it. Field 3 weathers the rain better than the other two diamonds, it was explained.
Capital pitcher Belle Glowacki became the problem then for the Bulldogs. She tossed a two-hitter, but struck out only one. She induced 11 flyball outs, including all three outs in order in the fourth inning, and the Bruins were winners in five innings where the game was ended on the 10-run difference rule.
Her rise ball seemed to be in command.
“We couldn’t hit. Period,” Butte High head coach Ryan Stosich said. “I don’t know what it is, right now but we just couldn’t hit today. We have to hit better.
“We have to attack good pitches. There were a lot of popups today.”
Singles by freshman Ally Godbout in the second inning and junior Taylor Drakos in the fifth were Butte High’s only hits.
Capital took a 1-0 first-inning lead when Anna Cockhill led off with a double and came in on a single by Kathryn Emmert after Glowacki’s sacrifice bunt.
The Bruins put together a big inning in the second, pushing five runs across the plate on four hits, two walks and a Butte High error. Cockhill’s home run that glanced off left fielder Ally Godbout’s glove at the fence was the big blow. Riley Chandler and Paige O’Mara had drawn one-out walks before Cockhill’s blast. Glowacki followed with a single and Emmert was safe on an error. After the runners advanced a bag on a flyout, Erin Hirschi knocked both in with a single lined hard off of first baseman Madisyn Swanson’s outstretched glove. Capital had a 6-0 lead going into the bottom of the second inning.
Butte High put its run on the scoreboard in its half of the inning. Gracie Ferriter worked a walk to start the Butte half of the frame. After an out, Ally Godbout singled to left. Ashby Lee hit into a fielder’s choice and an error on the play let Gracie Ferriter run home.
Both teams were held scoreless in the third inning and then the Bruins tallied three runs in their half of the fourth. Cockhill walked and stole second to initiate the surge. She moved to third on a groundout and scored on a base hit to center field by Emmert. Taylor Sayers doubled to center field to drive in Emmert. Taylor Lay subbed in for Sayers as a courtesy runner and ran home an out later on a wild pitch.
Glowacki retired three straight Bulldogs on flyouts in the fourth and her team came back for two more runs in the top of the fifth. O’Mara hit into a fielder’s choice that forced out Chandler, who had singled. Cockhill walked and the runners moved up on a groundout. Both scored on an Emmert single to left field.
Capital had its 10-run margin, 11-1, and needed to retire the Bulldogs with no runs in the bottom of the fifth to end the game with a win. Drakos poked a one-out base hit to right field, but was left on base after a popup and groundout.
Butte High dropped to 3-13 for the season with the loss. The Bulldogs are 2-10 in Western AA games. They will play a non-conference game in Bozeman against Gallatin High on Wednesday, then are to close the regular season on May 19 at home against Flathead High of Kalispell in a conference doubleheader.
Capital 150 32x x – 11 11 1
Butte High 010 00x x — 1 2 3
Belle Glowacki and Taylor Sayers. Rian Ferriter and Gracie Ferriter. W – Glowacki. L – R. Ferriter (3-11).
HELENA CAPITAL (11-4, 6-4) – Anna Cockhill 2-2, Belle Glowacki 1-3, Kathryn Emmert 3-4, Taylor Sayers 2-4, Erin Hirschi 1-3, Kate Rhodes 0-0, Kate Drynan 1-2, Cecily Blaz 0-0, Jolee Burgoyne 0-3, Riley Chandler 1-2, Paige O’Mara 0-2.
BUTTE HIGH (3-13, 2-10) – Kamber Leary 0-3, Dacelyn Lafond 0-2, Rian Ferriter 0-2, Gracie Ferriter 0-1, Madisyn Swanson 0-2, Ally Godbout 1-2, Ashby Lee 0-2, Taylor Drakos 1-2, Bryn Godbout 0-2.
Extra-base hits – 2B – Cockhill. HR – Cockhill.
Runs batted in – Capital 10 (Emmert 4, Cockhill 3, Hirschi 2, Sayers 1).
