Scottie Softball Fourth in the State

Despite their best efforts, the Scottie softball team was unable to bring home hardware from the state tournament in Kalispell.

Bracketing, contentious calls, and foul weather may have been contributing factors in the disappointing results.

Glasgow faced Florence in their first game on Thursday. During warm-ups just prior to the game, a lightning strike initiated a mandatory waiting period before play could begin.

Then, following the first few innings, the sky opened up with a heavy spring hailstorm, forcing another delay and preventing adequate warm-up time. In the end, the Scotties lost to the Falcons 6-3, scoring their only runs in the third inning of the game. At the plate, Kennedy Schmidt was 2-4; Kiauna Barstad 1-3; Tasha Chamberlain and Ziggy Chamberlain 1-3; and Lexi Nixdorf 2-3. Pitcher Tyra Johnson recorded six strike-outs during the contest.

On Friday, the Scotties faced Ronan in the first of three tough games of the day. With 10 runs scored off 10 hits, Glasgow finished the game on top with a score of 10-7.

After the first inning, the Chiefs led the contest 3-2. The score would remain unchanged until the fourth inning when the Scotties scored twice more.

In the bottom of the fifth, a catcher's obstruction call against Z. Chamberlain resulted in a scored run for Ronan, and the Chiefs would complete the inning with three total runs. The obstruction call caused rumblings by the Glasgow fans and was unsuccessfully questioned by head coach Gil Johnson.

The call was enough to light a fire under the girls, however, and they came out swinging in the top of the sixth inning, bringing in five runs.

Although Ronan was able to score additional runs later in the contest, Glasgow out-scored them in the final innings and claimed the win.

Offensively, Schmidt, Barstad, and Z. Chamberlain all had successful at-bats in the contest with Schmidt going 2-4, Barstad going 1-3 with a home run, and Z. Chamberlain going 3-4 with two RBIs and a home run. Johnson finished the game with 5 RBIs and a home run of her own.

In their second game on Friday, the Scotties were matched up against Columbus, and Glasgow out-scored the Cougars 3-2 for the win.

All three of Glasgow's runs were scored in the third inning, including a home run hit by Khloe Krumwiede. Columbus was able to bring in runners in both the fifth and sixth innings, but were held to just the two runs for the remainder of the contest.

Johnson's defensive performance on the mound contributed to the win, as she recorded 10 strike-outs in the game. Offensively, Schmidt was 2-4, T. Chamberlain 1-3; and Nixdorf 1-2.

Although winning is good, the Scotties found themselves bracketed to play a third game on Friday. With little opportunity for rest, the Scotties faced Huntley Project in their third game of the day. It was a disappointing loss, with the Red Devils winning by mercy rule in the sixth inning. The game ended with a final score of 16-6. Senior Abbi Kolstad was 1.000 at the plate, going 2-2. Krumwiede was 2-4, and Z. Chamberlain was 1-2, while Tiana Johnson, Barstad, and Nixdorf all went 1-3.

Coach Johnson expressed his pride in the team and their efforts throughout the season. "The girls had a great season with finishing fourth at state, he said. "They wanted to bring a championship back to Glasgow and they left it all on the field in Kalispell trying to accomplish that goal." 

The girls finished the season 19-7 overall and 8-0 in conference play, beating state runner-up Huntley Project 12-2 in five innings during conference play, and losing to the eventual state champion Conrad Cowgirls 1-0 in the divisional tournament.

They averaged almost nine runs a game and shattered the school record for home runs in a season, going yard 35 times. Krumwiede was an undeniable factor in that statistic, with her individual record-breaking 12 home runs in the season. According to Johnson, Krumwiede had an exceptional season overall as she led the team in stats in most of the offensive categories.

Johnson added that seniors Kolstad and T. Chamberlain were a large part of the success of the team and will be missed next year.

"The returning girls have a very good chance of doing very well next year," he added. "It's not going to be a cake walk, but there is a lot of experience coming back with seven starters returning and some younger girls that will be able to fill in where needed."

In conclusion, Johnson complimented the team's determination and athleticism. "They played with a lot of heart and Bryan (Krumwiede) and I are very proud of them," he said. "I've said it all year: there is a lot of athletic talent on this team. They were fun to watch. One through nine in the batting order, there wasn't a weak link, they all could hit it out of the park at any given time."

Earning All-State honors for the Scotties were Tyra Johnson and Khloe Krumwiede. Krumwiede and Johnson were also selected to Eastern B/C All-Conference first team, while Abbi Kolstad and Ziggy Chamberlain were named to the Eastern B/C All-Conference second team.