Thompson Falls softball has big diamond weekend
Photo by Adam Herrenbruck Lady Hawk Nicole Hagedorn connects with a pitch during the fourth inning Friday against Troy in Thompson Falls. Hagedorn drove the pitch into left field for a three-run triple and the Lady Hawks went on to win the game, 6-0.
The Lady Hawks have finally given up a run, but they continue their softball winning streak with a weekend sweep of western Montana opponents Friday and Saturday in Thompson Falls.
Beginning Friday afternoon, the Lady Hawks took on Troy in a quick-paced game that went seven innings and ended with Thompson Falls on top 6-0. The Lady Hawks rallied around the high-level performance of senior pitcher Bria Howard. Howard faced 26 batters Saturday, fanning 18 and walking two.
Kyla Molzhon and Nicole Hagedorn provided the offensive boost against the Lady Trojans. Molzhon, a sophomore, went 3-4 with two singles and a triple and the senior Hagedorn drove in three runs in the fourth with a triple to left field. Thompson Falls head coach Randy Pirker said that was the point his team got rolling with their bats.
Pirker said Troy looked like a good team who could be among the top four in the league at the end of the year. The Thompson Falls Junior Varsity played after the Troy game and beat Troy's JV 15-1.
Later Friday night, the Lady Hawks faced Eureka and beat the Lady Lions 12-0. Pirker said pretty much everyone hit the ball against Eureka and Molzhon pitched five strong innings, striking out six and walking one.
“Molzhon did a really great job,” Pirker said. “She's 1-0 on the season. She'll probably see some more varsity pitching.”
Pirker said its important for his team to utilize all three pitchers they have.
“We always have to be developing our other pitchers,” Pirker said. “We're always building for the future.”
The Lady Hawks also use Molzhon and junior Megan Fitchett for varsity when not using Howard and for junior varsity games to help develop their skills. Fitchett pitched the JV game against Florence on Saturday in which Thompson Falls JV won 26-2. The game only went three innings and Fitchett struck out eight.
Saturday also saw the Lady Hawks junior varsity losing a close game to Loyola's JV 5-2 in seven innings.
“We play all our girls in these games,” Pirker said. “They played well and it was a heck of a game.”
For the varsity Friday, Thompson Falls notched their fifth shutout of the season with a 13-0 win over Florence. Howard pitched, giving up only two hits in five innings, struck out seven and didn't walk a batter. The two hits against Howard came in the second inning and it was the only inning she didn't retire the batters in order.
The Lady Hawks broke out the big sticks in their victory over Florence Saturday as Hagedorn hit a solo home run and junior Katelyn Jedlicka added a homer of her own. Jedlicka went 3-3 with three RBIs and only needed a triple to hit for the cycle if she would have gotten another at-bat. Sophomore Hannah Peters added three RBIs and went 2-3 in the game.
Pirker noted his team's offensive onslaught saying the Lady Hawks scored six runs to open the game.
“This was a pretty big game for us,” Pirker said. “We got at ‘em in the first inning and never let up.”
The next game was the big challenge of the weekend for Thompson Falls as Loyola scored the first runs the Lady Hawks have given up all year.
“Loyola is probably the best match-up we'll have all year in the West,” Pirker said. “It's always sure to be a dogfight to the end.
Howard pitched, striking out 13 and walking three. Pirker said she was a major factor in the Lady Hawks' 5-2 win.
“It just was an all-out good, high intensity softball game,” Pirker said. “They'd get people on base and Bria would shut ‘em down.”
At the plate Jedlicka went 2-2 with a pair of doubles and Howard went 2-3 with two doubles and two RBIs. Sophomore Karli Cavill chipped in a couple of RBIs and senior Jessica Pfister drove in a run with a double.
Pirker has been happy with his team's offensive production saying only three of the Lady Hawks' 55 runs this year have been unearned. Pirker said he's had his team focusing on the big weekend but now they need to prepare to face Plains Thursday in Thompson Falls.
“It was a tough weekend,” Pirker said. “A lot of games and boy, we sure came out on top.”