Cowgirls nick Maroons in Combo tourney tilt

By Bruce Sayler
A good-playing and well-coached Miles City team paired up with the time limit to deny Butte Central a victory in their game at the LaVerne Combo Invitational high school girls’ softball tournament Saturday on the Stodden Park diamonds.
The Cowgirls edged Butte Central 4-3 in five innings. Time expired on the game before the teams could get to the sixth.
The Maroons had rallied for two runs in the bottom of the fifth to close the gap to the one-run final. Alex Morey and Renee Creekmore both reached on an errors, and Morey scored on a wild pitch. Sophia Gelling drew a walk. Hattie Mehring singled to center, driving in Creekmore. However, Morey got caught off base rounding second on a heady Miles City play for BC’s first out of the inning. Kathryn Lalicker singled before a fielder’s choice and flyout ended the game.
“The girls did a good job,” Butte Central head coach Chunky Thatcher said. “We had played Frenchtown (Friday night) as well as we could play them and we played well against Miles City. We’re coming along.”
The first run of the game was by the Maroons in the bottom of the second inning. Morey lined a shot off the mitt of Miles City first baseman Samantha Brown for a single, sending Mia Keeley, who had walked, to third base. Keeley then sped home on a passed ball.
Keeley, the BC catcher, erased two Cowgirls from the basepaths with throw-outs denying them stolen bases.
Miles City answered Butte Central’s second with a three-run third inning. Kalynn Heidemann walked to lead off, but was out at second on a forceout as Brown bounced into a fielder’s choice. Chrystean Logan singled to right and stole second. Brynn Notbohm followed with a two-run base hit to left field. She scored a batter later when Jacie Chapweske singled to left field. The Cowgirls owned a 3-1 lead.
Nobody scored again until Miles City notched a run in the fifth inning on back-to-back doubles by Logan and Notbohm.
Then came Butte Central’s rally that came up a run short.
Mehring had two singles to lead the Maroons on offense. Notbohm and Logan bookended the Cowgirls’ lineup with a double and single apiece.
Miles City 003 01x x – 4 5 2
Butte Central 010 02x x – 3 4 1
Ella Morris and Brynn Notbohm. Hattie Mehring and Mia Keeley. W – Morris. L – Mehring.
MILES CITY – Brynn Notbohm 2-2, Izabelle Wagner 0-3, Jacie Chapweske 1-3, Cadence Blankenship 0-0, Ella Anderson 0-2, Ella Morris 0-2, Abi Dyba 0-2, Kalynn Heidemann 0-1, Samantha Brown 0-2, Chrystean Logan 2-2, Makenzie White 0-0.
BUTTE CENTRAL – Hattie Mehring 2-3, Kathryn Lalicker 1-3, Brooke Badovinac 0-3, Jaeden Berger 0-3, Arika Stajcar 0-2, Mia Keeley 0-1, Alex Morey 1-2, Renee Creekmore 0-2, Sophia Gelling 0-1.
Extra-base hits – 2B – Logan, Notbohm.
Runs batted in – Miles City 3 (Notbohm 3), Butte Central 1 (Mehring).