Havre softball and track cancelled

While the weather has been warming up, this week's cold and snowy weather is a reminder of what it is to live on the Hi-Line. This week's inclement weather has put a pause on the spring seasons of the Havre High softball team and the Havre High track and field teams. As the Blue Ponies head into their breaks, they should feel good early in the season.

The HHS softball team is off to a 3-4 start to this season. The Blue Ponies started the spring with three conference games that they dominated to a 3-0 start. They started the year with a sweep in a doubleheader against Miles City. The Ponies then returned home for their home opener at Sixth Avenue Memorial Field, where they defeated defending Northeast A champion Lewistown.

The Ponies played well on both sides of the plate to start conference play. Their bats were hot as they averaged 18.7 runs a contest in conference play. Pitchers Avery Carlson and Molly Huse also played well on the mound as they allowed 1.7 runs a game to start the year.

But the Ponies ran into trouble in non-conference play in a tournament in Lewistown this past weekend. Havre went 0-4 and averaged seven runs a game. Their opponents in Lewistown got their own offenses going as Havre allowed 12 runs a game over the weekend.

Several Ponies are off to strong starts to the season. Huse leads the team with a .688 batting average, a .773 on-base percentage, 14 RBIs and two home runs. Alyssa Oliver and Lizzi Haney have also played well as they both have a .500 batting average. Carlson is also a force at the plate with a .474 batting average and has ran the bases well with 13 runs scored this spring.

Carlson and Huse have led the Ponies on the mound this spring. In her four starts so far this season, Carlson has a 2-2 record and has recorded a 5.444 ERA, 17 strikeouts and 17 walks. In her two starts, Huse has a 1-0 record with eight walks and two strikeouts.

The HHS track teams are off to a solid start under new head coach Kari Filius. The HHS boys team has already won the Glasgow Invitational and the Havre Lions Invite to start the season. The HHS girls track team is also competing well early this spring with a seventh-place finish at the Glasgow Invitational and a first-place finish at the Havre Lions Invite.

Many Ponies have had strong starts to the year for the track teams. Brayden Kimberling has twice taken first in the 200-meter sprint with a personal record of 23.84. In the 100, he has taken first and third this spring with a personal best of 12.06.

Caleb Tomac has been a good long-distance runner with a pair of first-place finishes in the 1,600 with a personal best of 4:51.24. He has also placed first and second in the 800 with a personal record of 2:09.84. Brody Henry has also run well with a first-place finish in the 3,200 at the Havre Lions Invite and top three finishes in the 800 and 1,600 early this season.

Shane Patacsil has run well in the 200 and 400, including a time of 54.68 in the 400 to take first in the Havre Lions Invite. The HHS boys 1,600 relay team has taken first in both its meets this season.

On the girls team, freshman Kaydance Reiter is off to a strong start in the 100 and the 200. She placed first in the 100 in both meets this season with a personal record of 13.4. She also won the 200 twice this year with a personal best of 27.63. Hailey Gingery just had a strong weekend at the Havre Lions Invite with first-place finishes in the 800 and the 1,600.

The HHS softball team was originally scheduled to play conference opponent Glendive in a doubleheader at home this Friday. If the Ponies cannot reschedule their games soon, the Ponies will have to wait until next Friday to play Sidney on the road. The HHS track teams were supposed to compete in the Billings West Invite today before it got canceled, so they will have to wait for next Thursday's Malta Invite.