Havre softball opens season with doubleheader

It is finally time for the first pitch of the high school softball season as the Havre High softball team heads on the road to face Miles City in a doubleheader this weekend. The doubleheader will also serve as the beginning of the Blue Ponies' conference season in the Northeast A. While HHS head coach Tony Vigliotti has not gotten to see what his team is capable of yet this spring, he feels confident heading into this matchup.

"I think we match up really well. (Miles City) was young last year but they've got a lot of players back," Vigliotti said. "We're going to concentrate on doing what we do and that's hopefully throw strikes, put the ball in play and play some defense."

As a Northeast A team, the Miles City Cowgirls are a familiar opponent for the Ponies. In the regular season last year, the Ponies swept them by scores of 23-0 and 8-0. The Cowgirls played better when they faced Havre in the divisional tournament at Sixth Avenue Memorial Field last spring, but the Ponies pulled out the 6-5 postseason win. As they get on the diamond for the first time this spring, Vigliotti believes it will help to face a team they already have experience with.

"It probably does (provide) a little comfort zone knowing that we played them three times last year," Vigliotti said. "I'm glad that we've got some experience coming back with our seniors and our juniors so I think this group will be ready to go on Saturday. They're ready to play a game."

Miles City is already off to an 0-1 start this spring with a 6-5 loss to Hardin last weekend. But some of Miles City's returning players could give Havre some problems this weekend. As a freshman last season, Brynn Notbohm was a strong bat as Miles City's leadoff hitter. Even though it is early in the season, Vigliotti believes the Ponies' fielding will need to be ready for the rest of the Cowgirls' bats on Saturday.

"Last year, they put the ball in play an awful lot," Vigliotti said. "They swung the bats pretty well especially in the divisional tournament the last time we played them so we're going to have to play defense and we're going to have to throw strikes."

In the first game of the doubleheader, Vigliotti expects to go with junior Avery Carlson at pitcher. As the number two pitcher for the Ponies last season, Carlson started seven games at pitcher where she recorded 54 strikeouts, 30 walks and a 3.6 ERA. In the second game of the doubleheader Vigliotti plans on giving Molly Huse and Elle Verploegen time on the mound.

The Ponies had a solid season last year as they finished second in the Northeast A Divisionals and they qualified for the state tournament. As they finally get back on the diamond this weekend and try to build off that success, Vigliotti looks forward to seeing how his team comes out to start this spring.

"I just want them to play hard. Of course we want to have fun, but we want to get off to a good start and this group is experienced enough to do that," Vigliotti said. "Defensively, we should be pretty good and if we can get on the bases, we're going to score some runs so I like where we're at right now. We just need to get out and play a game and really see where we're at."

The Ponies begin the season this Saturday with a conference road game against Miles City at 1 p.m. The Ponies and Cowgirls will then play the second game of their doubleheader at 3 p.m.