Polson defeats Hamilton, 15-4

From John Heglie, Special to the Leader

Polson 15, Hamilton 4

At Polson, the host Lady Pirates corralled the visiting Lady Broncs 15-4 in the first game of a weekend Bitterroot doubleheader shortened to five innings on account of the ten run rule. In the top of the 1st, leadoff batter Rebecka Hood opened with a high fly ball to left field which was caught, but slipped out of the glove of the outfielder partially due to the wet conditions. Hood took full advantage and arrived at second. After successive flyouts with two out, cleanup hitter Nichole Hood singled to advance her twin sister Rebecka over to third. With runners at the corners, middle-of-the-order batter Candice Dunagan stroked a RBI single to plate Rebecka Hood that gave Hamilton a 1-0 lead. A flyout to the outfield would end the inning with a pair left on base.

In the bottom of the 1st, leadoff batter Kodi Woods drew a walk, then stole second. Number two batter Ashley Johnson singled to advance Woods over to third. Johnson then busted a move by stealing second to place two runners in scoring position. Number three batter Shay Duford obliged the opportunity by crunching a twin RBI double to plate both Woods and Johnson to take over the lead at 2-1. After a flyout, middle-of-the-order batter Heidi Rausch reached first safely on a dropped third strike, then stole second. Number six batter Kayla Duford drew a walk to load the bases. Number seven batter Kylie Knutson followed by stroking a 2 RBI single to plate both Shay Duford and Rausch to give Polson a 4-1 advantage. Kayla Duford then successfully stole third. Knutson followed by stealing second. After a flyout with two away, bottom-of-the-order batter Tina Marquardt hit a RBI single to plate Kayla Duford. Top-of-the-order batter Woods then hit a 2 RBI single to plate both Knutson and Marquardt to extend the Polson lead to 7-1. Woods subsequently stole second, then third, crossing the plate on a passed ball that gave her team a 8-1 advantage. Hamilton would get out of the inning with a strikeout.

In the top of the 2nd, Hamilton would be retired 1-2-3 with a flyout, putout and strikeout. In the bottom of the 2nd, Shay Duford opened with her second double of the morning. Cleanup hitter Sallie Sams reached on a dropped third strike. Both runners advanced on a passed ball. Another passed ball would allow Shay Duford to cross the plate for a 9-1 Polson advantage. Middle-of-the-order batter Rausch drew a walk, followed by a subsequent walk by Kayla Duford to load the bases once again for Knutson, who would flyout to short for the first out of the inning. After a strikeout to make it two away, bottom-of-the-order batter Marquardt smacked a liner between second and first that looked like it would plate some runs. But flex player Kelsey Remus snared a lemon-colored snow cone of a potential hit before it could get by her to secure the third out and snuff another big inning by the defending state champions.

Refusing to be tamed quietly, the Lady Broncs did some bucking in the top of the 3rd. After an opening lineout to short, number two batter Presley Chadwick singled, advanced to second, then stole third. After an infield flyout, cleanup hitter Nickole Hood stretched a single into a double, but Polson was able to hold the runner at third. Middle-of-the-order batter Dunagan then stroked a 2 RBI double to plate both Chadwick and Nickole Hood to carve into the Polson lead 9-3. Number six batter Kendra Newton followed with a RBI single to plate Dunagan to shrink the Lady Pirate advantage to a handful at 9-4. A subsequent strikeout would end the inning.

In the bottom of the 3rd, top-of-the-order batter Woods was hit-by-a-pitch, then stole second. Follow-up batter Johnson hit an infield grounder which was fielded, but Johnson beat the throw to first while Woods, who had been checked from advancing initially, then proceeded to steal third. Johnson followed that by stealing second. A passed ball would allow Woods to score and Johnson to advance to third. Number three batter Shay Duford then executed her third hit of the morning to plate Johnson for a 11-4 Polson lead. A subsequent single by Sams and a walk to Rausch would load the bases for number six batter Kayla Duford, who reached on a fielder’s choice when Hamilton negated the run at the plate for the first out. Number seven batter Knutson then took advantage of her third opportunity at the plate with the bases loaded by stroking a 2 RBI single left field to plate both Sams and Rausch. A third run would score when the ball got by the outfielder to extend the Polson lead to 14-4. Number eight batter Makaliah “Smackin Mak” Wilson followed with a sacrifice hit to advance the remaining runner. An infield putout would end the inning.

In the top of the 4th, Hamilton would be retired 1-2-3 on a flyout, a strikeout and a putout. In the bottom of the 4th after an opening strikeout, number two batter Johnson busted a double. Number three batter Shay Duford followed with another double to plate Johnson for a 15-4 Polson lead. Cleanup batter “Slammin” Sallie Sams hit an infield sacrifice to advance the runner. Pinch hitter Stephanie Angle came to the plate with the intent to take advantage of a scoring opportunity, but hit a bouncer to the mound which the pitcher was able to field and throw to first to end the inning.

In the top of the 5th after an infield flyout, number three batter Elizabeth Taylor singled to give Hamilton some hope of extending the game. After a subsequent strikeout, middle-of-the-order batter Dunagan was conked on the helmet with a pitch to place two runners on board. But Polson pitcher Shay Duford snuffed any hope of a rally by striking out the following batter.

Hamilton - 103 - 00 - 4
Polson - 815 - 1x - 15 

Hamilton - 7 hits and one error. Polson - 12 hits and one error.

Rebecka Hood and Presley Chadwick. Shalaina Duford and Kayla Duford. W - S. Duford ()5 strikeouts, 7 hits, 0 walks, hbp), L - R. Hood (5 strikeouts, 12 hits, 5 walks, hbp).

HAMILTON - R. Hood 0-3, Chadwick 1-3, Elizabeth Taylor 1-3, Nickole Hood 2-3, Candice Dunagan 2-2 (hbp), Kendra Newton 1-3, Rebecca Lyons 0-2, Mishaila Conway 0-2, Valerie Tayler 0-2.

POLSON - Kodi Woods 1-2 (w,hbp), Ashley Johnson 3-4, S. Duford 4-4, Sallie Sams 1-3, Heidi Rausch 0-1 (w,w), K. Duford 0-1 (w,w,fc), Kylie Knutson 2-3, Makaliah Wilson 0-2, Tina Marquardt 1-3, Steph Angle 0-1.

2B - N. Hood, Dunagan, S. Duford 3, Johnson. RBIs - Dunagan 3, Newton, S. Duford 4, Knutson 4, Woods 2, Marquardt. SacH - Sams, Wilson. SB - Chadwick, Woods 5, Johnson 2, Rausch, K. Duford, Knutson.

Unofficial game summary by John Heglie in collaboration with Lady Pirate statistician Julie Duford. Some details may vary from official version.