Blue Ponies slowed up by tough CMR Rustlers

After turning red hot over the last couple weeks, the Havre High girls softball team ran into a wall in Great Falls.

Tuesday afternoon the Central A Blue Ponies played one nonconference game against the Class AA CMR Rustlers junior varsity squad in Great Falls. Unfortunately, a Pony team that has erupted at the plate in recent outings was very limited, as the Rustlers defeated the Ponies 11-1. The Ponies overall record dropped to 5-3 with the loss.

But the lack of runs didn’t come from a lack of hits by Havre. The Ponies grabbed eight hits in the outing, and even got a double by Rachel Majeres, who went 3-for-3 and had the teams’ single RBI. Paige Henderson went 2-for-3 at the plate, while Harlee Boucher, Shaniah Carlson and Morgan Mazurkiewicz had one hit each. And after run support lifted the Ponies past Lewistown Monday, the runs didn’t come to the aid of Dani Wagner in the pitching circle Tuesday. Wagner pitched four innings, gave up 11 earned runs on 13 hits, and grabbed one strikeout. Wagner also walked five.

Defensively, the Ponies had a solid game, but the Rustlers’ 13 hits turned into 11 runs quickly. CMR led 5-1 after the first inning, but grabbed another run in the second, three more in the fourth, and two more in the fifth. The Ponies didn’t hurt themselves and committed just one error.

“It wasn’t a good day. It wasn’t a good day for us at all,” Havre High head coach Danny Wirtzberger said. “It was a cold day with snow, and we almost canceled the game, us and Conrad had already made the trip, so we decided to play anyway. It was just a good opportunity for our girls to get more at bats this season, and it gave us a chance to get a couple different girls some playing time.”

Havre will also face Lewistown in Lewistown Friday, followed by a conference doubleheader with Livingston Saturday in Havre.

CMR JV 11, Havre 1

Havre 100 00 – 1 8 1

CMR 510 32 – 11 13 0

WP – Schcores; LP – Dani Wagner

Havre – Dani Wagner 0-3, Harlee Boucher 1-2, Paige Henderson 2-3, Rachel Majeres 3-3 RBI, Scout Boucher 0-3, Shania Carlson 1-3, Morgan Mazurkiewicz 1-2, China Bohn 0-1, Sidney Huston 0-2.

CMR – Heryla 3-4, Robbins 2-3, Bushard 2-3 2RBIs, Krenih 2-3 3RBIs, Marcum 0-2, Gonzales 2-3 2RBIs, Huisman 1-3 RBI, Schcores 0-3 RBI, Carmichael 1-3.