Plains softballers ready for divisional play-in

After an 0-3 week that could have been a 2-1 week, the Plains Trotters await word on their Western B-C division playoff opponent in what will be a “play-in” game to be part of the division tourney the weekend of May 16-17 in Florence.

Plains wrapped up the regular season portion of its 2025 fastpitch schedule with a thrilling, heart-breaking, 10-9 loss in Eureka this past Friday. 

They were fresh off a 19-3 loss to surging Sanders County rival Thompson Falls the day before in Plains (see accompanying story).  And they began the week with another nail-biter of a home loss, 7-5, to Troy. 

The Trotters enter the playoffs with a 3-15 overall record and a bucket full of potential from a solid core of talented underclasswomen. 

In their season finale versus Eureka’s Lady Lions, the Trotters entered the top of the third inning trailing the host Lady Lions 5-1.  After pushing one run across the plate, Plains loaded the bases with Taylor Saner coming to the plate. 

Saner blasted the ball to deep center field and circled the bases with an inside the park grand slam that put the Trotters ahead 6-5.  Saner’s grand salami came off Eureka’s Maddie Chase, who came on in relief of starter Aubrey Mee.   

The lead held up until the bottom of the fourth, when the Lions reclaimed the lead with a pair of runs on three singles, giving the Lady Lions an 8-6 advantage.   

Eureka added another run in the bottom of the fifth, pushing the lead to 9-6.   

But Plains plated three runs in the top of the sixth, tying score at 9-9.  In a moment of confusion, the scoreboard operator had posted the score as 10-9 Plains, but the mistake was corrected a short time later. 

Then, in the bottom of the seventh, the home-standing Lady Lions scored the winning run when Eureka’s Maren Lytle, who had reached third base earlier in the inning, tagged and scored on a fly ball, giving the Lady Lions a 10-9 victory. 

Chase and L. Tkachy had three hits each for the Lions, who had 11 hits for the game. 

Plains was led by Saner’s 3-5, five RBI day at the plate.  Karissa French also had three hits and drove in a pair of runs for the Trotters, who had 11 hits as a team.  Plains committed seven errors in the loss. 

The Trotters opened the week with a home game this past Tuesday versus Troy.  The visiting Lady Trojans took a 2-0 lead in the top of the second, then added a solo run in the top of the third, giving them a 3-0 advantage. 

Plains struck back with three scores in the bottom of the third to tie the game 3-3 after three innings. The Trotters took advantage of a pair of walks and a hit batter in the bottom of the third rally. 

Troy reclaimed the lead in the top of inning number four with a single score, putting them ahead 4-3.  After holding the Trotters scoreless in the bottom of the fourth, Troy plated three runs in the top half of the fifth, giving them a 7-5 lead that held up the rest of the way. 

Sophomore Aubree Butcher led Plains with a pair of hits in four trips to the plate.  Emery Josephson, an eighth grader, Bri Kulawinski, Larsen and French had one RBI each for Plains.  Plains out hit Eureka 5-4 during the game.

    Plains sophomore Aubree Butcher rounds third and heads for home during the Trotters game against Troy last week in Plains.  (Tracy Scott, Valley Press)