Ponies host Central A in quest for state softball

There is no question that the Havre High softball team has put together a successful season in the first year under new head coach Tony Vigliotti. But unless the Blue Ponies deliver a win Saturday at the Central A Divisional, their season will end up feeling a little empty.

Havre and the rest of the softball teams in the Central A, Belgrade, Livingston and Lewistown will converge on the Sixth Avenue Memorial Field Saturday for a four-game tournament that will send three teams to the Class A state tournament and another team home for the season. The action will get underway Saturday at 10 a.m. with Havre taking on Lewistown. Belgrade and Livingston will follow at 12 p.m. The consolation game will be played at approximately 2 p.m., followed by the championship game at 4 p.m.

"The goal is for us to get back to the state tournament," HHS head coach Tony Vigliotti said. "That's the main thing we want to achieve. But with us hosting the tournament, we feel like we have a good chance to play for the championship."

The reason Vigliotti feels good about his team's chances, is that the Ponies have already beaten Lewistown this season. In fact, Havre beat the Eagles on the same field back in late April, thanks to a complete-game gem by starting pitcher Alex Barkus and a memorable three-run home run by Kinzee Peterson, which helped the Ponies knock off the Eagles 8-5.

However, in the first game of the season for both teams, Lewistown, playing at home, routed Havre by a score of 14-4. Each team did finish with a record of 3-3 in the Central A, as both were swept by Belgrade and now they will meet again for the right to play for a divisional championship.

"Belgrade is the team to beat," Vigliotti said. "There is no question about that. They could very well be the state champions again this year. But after that, I think it's going to be pretty competitive. We split with Lewistown, but even Livingston is a team that could come in and win a game. They played Lewistown tough last weekend, so they are capable, too."

In previous years, the divisional tournament has been longer and featured more teams. However, after the departure of Browning from the Central A, the conference shrunk to four teams and with the league still getting three bids to the Class A state tournament next weekend, each team only needs one win to advance and keep the season alive.

For instance, the winners of the opening games Saturday will not only clinch a spot in the Central A title game, but they will also wrap up a berth at state. The final state tournament spot will be handed out in the consolation game.

While the Ponies were swept by Belgrade this season, Havre won three of four games against Lewistown and Livingston, including a 3-0 record at the Sixth Avenue Field. The Havre offense was critical in each of those wins, averaging 10 runs per game, compared to just an average of five runs allowed.

Another commonality in all those wins was the fact that Barkus was on the mound for each one of them. The senior earned complete-game victories in each of the three games and Vigliotti said she would likely start both games Saturday.

"Alex has done a great job for us all year," Vigliotti said. "And she will probably be starting both of those games, but we have confidence in our other pitchers as well if we need to use them."

Barkus will try to do her job on the mound, but the defense will need to be good behind her if the Ponies are going to contain an Eagles lineup that features Macy Mangold, Val Kolstad and Kinsey Irvin, as well as Gracia Butcher and Hanna Hayes. Irvin, the Eagles ace, will also likely be on the mound for Lewistown, which like Havre is hoping to make a return trip to the state tournament.

Camryn Huston will be at first for the Ponies and the senior will be joined in the infield by Peyton Brown at second, Sam Oliver at short and Lauren Kato at third. Freshman Sydney Wilting and Janae Boles are also regulars in the outfield, while others such as Jera Verploegen, Kaitlin Anderson, Katelyn Maloughney, Kylie Walker and Mia Olson are also consistent contributors.

Like Lewistown, Belgrade, which went undefeated in the Central A this season, will also be led into action with a deep and talented lineup and one of the top pitchers in the state in Erin Elgas.

"The girls have played really well and we have done some nice things," Vigliotti said. "But getting to state is one of our goals and that's something we are looking to achieve. I think we are ready and we just have to go out and give it our best shot."

The Central A Divisional will start at 10 a.m., Saturday at Sixth Avenue Memorial Field, which will host all four games in the tournament.