Ponies earn a big split with Panthers

After a stretch of spring storms temporarily derailed the Havre High softball team's schedule, the Blue Ponies finally reached conference play and packed in three games this weekend.

But the Central A Ponies still aren't firing on all cylinders, as they now sit at 4-3 overall and 1-2 in the

Havre High senior Davee McLeod smacks the ball during Saturday's Central A doubleheader between the Blue Ponies and the Belgrade Panthers at the Sixth Avenue Memorial Field.

conference.

On Friday, the Ponies faced the Lewistown Golden Eagles in Lewistown, losing 14-4 in six innings. But playing at home on Saturday, the Ponies were able to split with the powerful Belgrade Panthers at the Sixth Avenue Memorial Field. Havre won the first game 3-1, but Belgrade won the nightcap 10-5.

In the win over the Panthers, the Ponies displayed just how good the team can be, as well as made a little history.

In the early stages of the Blue Pony program, the Ponies had just a couple tournament/jamboree wins over the Panthers, those coming before the Ponies and Panthers were conference rivals. The narrow win on Saturday marked the first time the Ponies have defeated the Panthers in conference play. Senior Davee McLeod has suffered her share of losses to the Panthers, and knows how big of a win this was as one of the teams' senior leaders.

"It was fun," McLeod said. "It feels like some weight was lifted off of our shoulders, and it shows that we can beat one of the toughest teams in our conference, and the state. We can go far this season by doing that, and now we are ready to play Browning and go to Livingston next week."

Havre High's Roxanna Jensen, left, looks to throw out a Belgrade runner during Saturday's Central A fastpitch doubleheader at the Sixth Avenue Memorial Field.

The win was somewhat of a milestone for the Ponies, but more importantly, they showed just how well they could play in all facets of the game.

McLeod got the start in the circle, and pitched an incredible seven innings. McLeod faced five batters before allowing a hit, and only allowed four hits in the game. She also walked just two batters, as McLeod's aggressive pitching forced the Panthers into a lot of ground balls and pop ups, giving the Pony defense ample opportunity to show their abilities as well. Center fielder Dani Wagner recorded several outs, but had three very difficult catches on the run to help support the pitching efforts.

The ballgame was tied at 0-0 heading into the sixth inning.

And the Ponies escaped a basis loaded jam in the fifth, as well two out, and two runners on situation in the top of the sixth before the HHS offense put together a solid stretch at the plate in the bottom of the sixth. With one out, McLeod got on base with a single, while Paige Henderson also got on base with a fielder choice throw out attempt of McLeod. Both runners were safe, and on the throwing error, both were in scoring position. Roxanna Jensen followed suit with a two RBI single, giving the Ponies the 2-0 lead. Harlee Boucher also drove in Jensen with an RBI double to give the Ponies a 3-0 lead.

Belgrade earned its single run in the top of the seventh on one hit and one HHS error. But there was no harm done as the Ponies anchored down and ended the game with a ground ball hit right back up the middle to McLeod.

"I told the girls after the game," Havre High head coach Danny Wirtzberger said. "What today did for us was prove that we are one of the top teams in the conference. If we can compete at the level that we know we can compete at, then we are going to be around in the end. It was good that we didn't show our youth in (the win), but unfortunately we showed it in the second game, but that victory, that was good to see."

A Belgrade base runner collides with Havre's Sydne Huston at second base during a girls faspitch softball game Saturday in Havre.

The Ponies had seven hits, and were led by McLeod and Boucher, who were both 2-for-3. Boucher had one RBI. Jensen, Liz Facio, and Rachel Majeres were all 1-for-3, while Jensen had two RBIs.

In the loss to the Panthers, the Ponies didn't display the same level of crisp play as they did in the win. And the Ponies didn't have any excuses for their level of play.

"I told the girls that we aren't going to make any excuses," Wirtzberger said. "Belgrade just played better than us in the second game, they also have a young team, but they came out more prepared to play after our delay."

The second game of the doubleheader did have a 30-minute delay due to thunder and lighting in the area. It was the only delay, as the Ponies and Panthers played through continuous wind, as well as rain that hit the area off and on throughout the afternoon.

Belgrade took a 2-0 lead after the

second inning, but the Ponies answered with two runs of their own, one in the third and one in the fourth. Tori Mazurkiewicz had a single and later scored on and error in the third, while Boucher reached base on an error and later scored on another Panther error in the fourth. The Ponies took the lead at 4-2 in the fifth, but fend off the Panthers who quickly got hot. In the bottom of the fifth inning the Panthers cored five runs on four hits and one HHS error. Belgrade's lead was stretched to 7-4, then 10-5 after six inning.

"It seemed like we couldn't get their middle of the lineup to hit a duck," Wirtzberger said. "They just hit the ball hard, and sometimes we were able to get the out, and other times they just killed us with a base hit."

Majeres got the start and the loss for the Ponies, as she pitched four and two-thirds innings. McLeod came on in relief, but the Ponies gave up a combined 12 hits in the loss. The HHS defense also committed six errors.

At the plate, Tori Mazurkiewicz was 2-for-3 with an RBi, while Wagner, McLeod, Jensen and Boucher had one hit each.

Friday's road loss to the Eagles was tough for the Ponies. The Eagles are continuing to prove they may be the team to beat in the Central A, and did so in dominating fashion.

"They played hard," Wirtzverger said. "They played good, and they are going to be the team that everybody in this conference is looking at and saying that is the team that we have to beat. They are just a great team and are well coached."

McLeod suffered the loss, while the Ponies gave up 19 hits and recorded just seven of their own. McLeod and Jensen were both 2-for-2, while Wagner, Facio, and Boucher all had one hit each. The Ponies also had three errors.

Friday the Ponies get back to conference play when they host Browning. They also return to the road for another conference matchup with Livingston on Saturday.

FRIDAY

Lewistown 14, Havre 4

Havre 300 010 – 4 7 3

Lewistown 214 322 – 14 19 2

WP – Henderson; LP – Davee McLeod

Havre — Dani Wagner 1-4, Morgan Mazurkiewicz 0-4, Davee McLeod 2-2, Paige Henderson 0-2, Roxanna Jensen 2-2 2RBIs, Liz Facio 1-3 RBI, Tori Mazurkiewicz 0-3, Rachel Majeres 0-2, Harlee Boucher 1-3.

WP – Judy Taylor; LP – Rachel Majeres

Havre — Dani Wagner 1-3, Morgan Mazurkiewicz 0-3, Davee McLeod 1-4 RBI, Paige Henderson 0-4, Roxanna Jensen 1-4, Liz Facio 0-4, Harlee Boucher 1-2, Rachel Majeres 1-3, Tori Mazurkiewicz 2-3.

Belgrade — Skyla Neubauer 0-4, Autumn Rollings 0-3, Taylor Johnson 1-3, Jordan Branch 0-1, Taylor Hill 0-3, Allison Alstrom 1-4, Joey Severson 1-4, Kindall Bethke 2-3, Madison Cade 1-3, Judy Taylor 1-4.

Havre 3, Belgrade 1

Belgrade 000 000 1 – 1 4 2

Havre 000 003 x – 3

WP – Davee McLeod; LP – Kristina West.

Belgrade — Rylee Cygan 0-3, Autumn Rollings 0-2, Taylor Johnson 1-3, Taylor Hill 0-4, Allison Alstrom 0-3, Hannah Goulet 1-3, Rachel Salsbury 0-2, Taylor Salsbury 1-3, Marina Layman 1-2.

Havre — Dani Wagner 0-3, Morgan Mazurkiewicz 0-2, Davee McLeod 2-3, Paige Henderson 0-3, Roxanna Jensen 1-3 2RBIs, Liz Facio 1-3, Harlee Boucher 2-3 RBI, Rachel Majeres 1-3, Sydne Huston 0-1.