Blue Ponies ready to represent Havre at Veterans Memorial Softball Classic

While the high school softball season ended months ago, softball will be making its return to the diamond this weekend. In Belgrade this Friday and Saturday, the 9th Annual Veterans Memorial Softball Classic will take place with the best high school softball players in the state competing against one another. The Havre High softball team will be well represented as Molly Huse, Avery Carlson and Lizzi Haney competing this weekend.

Five teams for each branch of the military will play each other in a three-game guarantee tournament format this weekend. They will play at least 10 games this weekend with maybe a championship game if needed. There will also be some skills contests such as a home run derby Friday.

The tournament will start Friday at 1:30 p.m. with a game between teams representing the Coast Guard and the Army. The Coast Guard team will play in honor of Fireman Heriberto Segovia Hernandez of San Antonio, Texas, and the Army team will play in honor of Army Sergeant Michael W. Picard of Bainville, Montana.

Huse will represent the Blue Ponies on the Coast Guard team. She had a strong season in her return for the Ponies as she earned all-state honors. She led the team with a .529 batting average, 45 RBIs and six home runs this past spring. Mia Andersen from Laurel is another all-state player from this past season who will play for the Coast Guard team this weekend. Billings Central's Gigi Hastings will play for the Army team this weekend.

Also at 1:30 p.m. Friday will be a game between the Air Force and Marines teams. Air Force will play in honor of Air Force Captain Arild C. Nielsen of Missoula and Marines will play in honor of Marine Corporal Carl F. Eder of East White Beaver, Montana.

From Havre, Haney will play for the Marines team. She earned all-state honors this past season as she recorded a .400 batting average, a .471 on-base percentage and 24 RBIs. Other all-state players on the Marines team include Brynn Notbohm from Miles City and Marissa Taylor from Livingston. On the Air Force team will be all-state players Molly Eaton from Glendive and Peyton Whitehead from Billings Central.

The Navy team will not play until 3:30 p.m. Friday against an opponent yet to be determined. The Navy team will play in honor of Seaman Apprentice Ray Dale Kerr of Bozeman.

Carlson will play for Navy after a strong year with the Ponies. In her all-state season, she led the team with a .630 on-base percentage and she recorded a .507 batting average and 23 RBIs. Other all-state players on the Navy team include Ava Malone from Livingston and Ella Crookston from Laurel.

The 9th Annual Veterans Memorial Softball Classic will start Friday at 1:30 p.m. in Belgrade. The tournament will then go through Friday night and through most of Saturday until the ending the tournament with a game at 7 p.m.