Scottie Softball Ends Season at Divisional

"I mean it's always disappointing when you don't finish were you want to." Despite the fact that the Scottie softball team will not be moving on the State tournament this weekend, head coach Ryan Hartwell stressed his team did meet accomplish a number of their goals this season.

Glasgow's young team came into the tournament as the fourth seed and finished the year with a 10-9 record, the first winning season for the team since 2017. The Scottie coach also highlighted that the team will be returning their full pitching staff for the next two years, finding the silver lining in fielding a young team. He said, "The future is looking bright."

His reflection came after the Glasgow team went 1-2 at the Eastern B/C Divisional Tournament held at Sullivan Park in Glasgow last Friday and Saturday. The team started the tournament on Friday, playing in weather that would test the most dedicated athlete's devotion to the game. With a windchill below freezing, Hartwell chuckled that he was happy the team came out of the games without any broken bats, noting the composite bats are not meant to be hit in temperatures under 55 degrees.

Glasgow first braved the wind and the cold in a game against Shepherd, who went on to win 25-12 after a huge fourth inning. The Scotties rallied in the bottom of the fifth, but not enough to overcome the deficit and the game ended early.

Shepherd took a 4-0 lead after the first. Glasgow shut them out in the top of the second as Shepherd went three-up, three-down. The Scotties got on the scoreboard in the bottom of the inning when Stevie Hartwell took advantage of an error by the first baseman and rounded home. Shepherd came back hard in the top of the third, sending four more runners home.

The Scotties answered in the bottom of the third, adding three runs of their own to the scoreboard. Alexys Mann kicked off the action, homering on the first at-bat. Ashlee Meland scored on a Daley Aune triple after being walked. Shepherd's pitcher, as she would do throughout the game, intentionally walked Davyn Myrick, denying the senior any chance at a hit. Aune made her way home on a passed ball with Tatum Nyquist at bat. Myrick made her way home when Meranda Bechel grounded out.

Shepherd then took control of the game, scoring 10 runs in the top of the fourth inning. Glasgow made a pitching change midway through the inning, bringing in Meland to relieve Aune in an attempt to slow the tide. The top of the inning ended when Carly Nelson snagged a catch in right field, one of three she made in the game. Aune batted in two runners in the bottom of the inning, sending Mann and Meland home on a double fly ball to center field.

Up 18 to 7 at the top of the fifth, Shepherd continued to score. The team sent seven runners home before Glasgow was back at bat. Facing an uphill battle to extend the game, the Scotties hit two home runs and scored five times, but the effort fell short of sending the game into the sixth inning. Mann hit a home run and batted in Brielle Partridge and Nelson. Aune sent a fly ball to center field for her home run and batted in Meland.

Aune took the loss for Glasgow, allowing 16 runs on 13 hits and throwing a 61.4 strike percentage. Meland, in relief, allowed nine runs on six hits and threw a 45.7 strike percentage. Aune led the team in RBIs, sending five runners home an dgoing 3-for-4 at bat. Mann had four RBIs and went 2-for-4 at the plate.

The Scotties came back strong that afternoon, hitting the field against Great Falls Central Catholic and keeping tournament hopes alive with a 13-4 victory. Glasgow held GFCC to a single run in the bottoms of the first, fourth, fifth and seventh innings while amassing 20 hits in 36 at-bats offensively.

Mann started the scoring, and her six-RBI game, in the top of the second when she tripled to center field and sent S. Hartwell, Partridge and Nelson home. Glasgow ended the inning with a double play from first baseman Nelson to Partridge to Myrick at third. Myrick scored in the top of the third on a Bechel double.

The Scotties built on their lead in the top of the fourth when S. Hartwell, Partridge, Nelson and Mann all completed trips around the bases. S. Hartwell and Partridge added a run each in the top of the fifth. Myrick add the Scotties' 11th run in the sixth, taking advantage of S. Hartwell's sacrifice fly. Meland and Aune crossed the plate in the top of the seventh to cement Glasgow's lead and eventual win.

Meland earned the win as pitcher for Glasgow, allowing two runs on four hits over three innings. She struck out five players while throwing a 52.3 strike percentage. Partridge allowed two runs on five hits over four innings. She struck out three players while throwing a 61.1 strike percentage.

Partridge went 3-for-3 at the plate and scored three runs. Mann led the team with six RBIs, going 3-for-5 at the plate. Meland racked up three stolen bases while going 4-for-5 at bat.

Saturday morning, the Scotties hoped to keep their postseason going with a win against Cut Bank. Unfortunately, Cut Bank took an early lead and held on to it for seven innings, going on to win 7-3. They scored three times in the first and once in the third, before turning in seven run sin the seventh inning. Glasgow put up three runs in the bottom of the fifth and three more in seventh.

In the bottom of the fifth, Myrick homered on a fly ball to center field, sending Meland and Aune home. Glasgow kept Cut Bank off the scoreboard in the top of the sixth, with three-up, three-down action. Playing down in the seventh, Mann scored on a Meland double before Meland rounded home on an Aune single to center field. Aune scored on a Bechel single. Glasgow had two runners on base when S. Hartwell struck out swinging.

Aune took the loss for Glasgow as pitcher, going all seven innings in the final game of the season. She allowed 11 runs on 17 hits and struck out four. She threw a 68.6 strike percentage. Myrick led the team with three RBIs, while Aune, Bechel and Meland added one each. Meland, Aune andT. Nyquist had two hits each.