Blue Ponies look to keep rolling at state tournament

After winning the Eastern A Divisional title this past weekend, the Havre High softball team will look to build off that success as it competes in the Class A State Tournament in Belgrade this week. As the Blue Ponies now head into their most important games of the season, HHS head coach Tony Vigliotti believes they can make a run at a state trophy.

"This last month of the season, we've been playing really good softball so we just want to continue doing that," Vigliotti said. "If we play like we're capable of, the results will take care of themselves."

The Ponies will begin the tournament Thursday at 3 p.m. They will face either Libby or Lewistown, who will face each other at 11 a.m. Thursday. The Ponies have faced both these teams this season. As a conference rival, the Ponies played Lewistown twice this season. The Ponies swept Lewistown by winning, 11-0, and 13-4, but familiarity might make it a more competitive game this time out.

"We know Lewistown awful well," Vigliotti said. "It's always a tough game for us."

The Ponies played Libby in a tournament earlier this month in Butte. Havre got the better of Libby with a 13-5 victory. But if Havre did face Libby again, Vigliotti would expect a battle.

"They're a very good softball team," Vigliotti said. "Their top of the lineup, their first four hitters are very good hitters."

Many other teams will be competing for a state championship this weekend in Belgrade. At 11 a.m. Thursday, Laurel and Corvallis will play each other. The winner of that game would then face Polson at 3 p.m. Thursday.

On the other side of the bracket, Hardin and Hamilton will face each other at 1 p.m. Thursday. The winner of that game will then face Columbia Falls, the No. 1 seed from out of the West, Thursday at 5 p.m.

Defending state champion Frenchtown and Livingston will play each other at 1 p.m. Thursday. The winner of that game would play Billings Central at 5 p.m. Thursday.

It will be a double-elimination tournament, so there should be plenty of exciting games this weekend. Vigliotti believes schools such as Billings Central, Polson, Frenchtown, Columbia Falls and Havre should be the top teams in the tournament, so whoever is left standing at the end will have earned it.

"There's five really good teams and the rest of them are there for a reason," Vigliotti said. "Teams are going to have to play their best to try and get into the trophy mix."

If the Ponies want to make a deep run, their best players will need to show out this weekend. On the mound, pitcher Elle Verploegen will need to be reliable as she has been all season with her 15-4 record, 3.638 ERA and 114 strikeouts this season.

The Havre offense will also need to get rolling this weekend. Avery Carlson will look to end her career strong as she has a .568 batting average, 34 RBIs and six home runs this season. Jersi Morse will also look to make an impact as she has a .474 batting average, 26 RBIs and two home runs this spring.

Camille Keeley will look to end the season strong as she has a .447 batting average, 48 RBIs and eight home runs for the Ponies. Molly Huse will look to do well in her final games with the Ponies as she has a .357 batting average, 26 RBIs and five home runs this year.

The Ponies have had a stellar season going 19-4 and winning an Eastern A Divisional title. The Ponies will be facing their toughest games of the season this weekend, but Vigliotti believes the Ponies have the resilience to go on a deep run at the state tournament.

"These guys just have no quit. They don't quit until the final out so we just have to keep trying to do what we do," Vigliotti said. "If we can manage that stress like we have been, then I think usually the team that does that comes out on top."

The HHS softball team will begin the Class A State Tournament in Belgrade Thursday at 3 p.m.