Maroons grab wins on diamonds

MISSOULA —Ryan Hanson was not intimidated by the top competition Tuesday at Missoula County Stadium.

The Butte High senior posted a pair of personal-best marks to lead Mining City athletes at the Russ Pilcher Top 10 Meet. (Results)

Hanson won the long jump with a mark of 21 feet, 6 ¾ inches. He beat second-place Tamret Savik of Bigfork by a half an inch.

Hanson also reached a personal-best by clearing 6 feet, 4 inches to place second in the high jump. That is his best mark while officially competing for the Bulldogs. He also cleared 6-4 in an indoor meet in early March.

Landon Richards of Superior won the event by clearing 6-8.

Both of Hanson’s marks Tuesday would have qualified him for the Class AA State meet. Of course, he already reached qualifying standards in both events.

Fellow Butte High senior Camden Houchin placed fourth in the 1,600-meter race. The future Montana State Bobcat finished with a personal-best time of 4 minutes, 29.33 seconds.

Also for Butte High’s boys, senior Jacob Galle took seventh in the 110-meter hurdles, junior Brady Walsh took ninth in the long jump, and Colt Stenson finished 10th in the discus.

Butte High’s 1,600-meter relay team of Raeder Grey, Galle, Reece Cunneen and Houchin placed 10th.

Butte Central’s Danny McCartthy ran to ninth place in the 100.

On the girls’ side, Bulldog junior Cadence Graham ran to fifth place in the 300 hurdles and sixth in the 100 hurdles. She posted a personal-best time in each event. She finished the 100 hurdles in 15.99 and 46.61 in the 300 hurdles.

Both times qualified Graham for the Class AA State meet.

Graham also ran a leg of Butte High’s 1,600-meter relay team, which placed eighth. Evelyn Smth, Sophia Houchin and Wakely Burelson also ran a leg for the Bulldogs.

Butte High will compete at Butte Central’s John Tomich Invitational Saturday at Bulldog Memorial Stadium. The Bulldogs will also send a team to Friday’s Western AA Frosh Meet in Missoula.

McCarthy, Kellicut, Tippett win at Boulder track meet

BOULDER — Butte Central’s Danny McCarthy, Palmer Kellicut and Evyn Tippett posted wins to lead Butte Central’s track teams Friday at the Jefferson Invitational. (Results)

East Helena ran away with the boys’ title, scoring 153 points. Townsend took second at 91, finishing four points better than the host Panthers. Central placed sixth at 36,

On the girls’ side, Boulder won with 139 points. Townsend was second at 72, and Manhattan Christian placed third at 63. The Maroons took eighth in the 11-team meet with 19 points.

McCarthy, a junior, won the 100-meter race with a time of 11.44 seconds. He placed second in the 200.

Kellicut won the 110-meter hurdles, cross the finish line in 15.85 seconds. He also ran to third place in the 300 hurdles.

Also for the BC boys, freshman Henley Mansanit took fifth in the high jump.

Tippett, a freshman, won the girls’ 100-meter race, finishing in 13.88 seconds. She placed fourth in the 200.

Senior Caden Tippett placed fifth in the shot put for the Maroons, while freshman Harper McGree placed sixth in the 200.

Maroons rally for win

A seventh-inning rally carried Butte Central’s softball team to a 6-4 win over East Helena Tuesday in East Helena. (Boxscore)

The Maroons scored three runs in the top of the last inning. Natalie Osterman started the rally by working a walk. Kenzie McQueary was hit by a pitch before Kodee Badovinac reached on a one-out error, and Osterman and McQueary scored.

Badovinac raced home on a second error on the play.

Braelynn Schelin got the Vigilantes to go down in order, preserving the victory. Schelin pitched the distance, striking out 14 Vigilantes to get the win.

BC’s offense used five hits and took advantage of six East Helena errors. Blake Smith, McQueary, Badovinac, Zayonna Otherbull and Ryan Olson singled in the win. Badovinac drove in two runs. Olson knocked in one.

The win came three days after the Maroons split a pair of Southwestern A games in the Bitterroot Valley. Central went to Stevensville for a 7-5 win before falling 9-8 at Hamilton.

Luci Fantini blasted a home run, and Schelin hit a double and a single to lead the Maroons in the win over Stevi. (Boxscore) Schelin drove in a pair of runs.

Osterman poked two singles, while Smith hit one. Schelin pitched the distance, fanning nine in the win.

Emma Tan homered and Maddix Yaeger hit a pair of doubles and a single to lead the Yellowjackets.

Central’s rally in Hamilton came up just a little short. (Boxscore) One week after falling 15-0 to the Broncs, BC scored four runs in the top of the seventh.

Mariah Johnson went 3 for 3 with a walk, and RBI and four runs scored from the leadoff spot to lead the Broncs. Addalyn Henderson doubled, and Hayleigh Savage and Dawsyn Ekin each hit two singles for Hamilton.

McQueary, Osterman and Otherbull doubled to lead the Maroons. Smith and Schelin each added a pair of singles. Fantini and Badovinac also hit a single.

McQueary drove in a pair of runs. Osterman, Badovinac, Schelin and Otherbull knocked in one.

The Maroons are back in action Thursday when they welcome Livingston to Stodden Park for a 3 p.m. game. That game was originally scheduled for March 28.

Bailey blast Bulldog softball

Bailey Bridger belted a two-run home run in the bottom of the sixth inning Monday, lifting Missoula Sentinel to a 9-8 over the Butte High softball team. (Boxscore)

The game-winning blast came after the Bulldogs took an 8-7 lead with a pair of runs in the top of the inning.

Alyssa Hanninen, who struck out nine in the complete-game win, also homered for the Spartans. Payton Taylor hit two doubles, while Ella Wingo and Gigi Nimlos each hit one.

Kendallyn Schad went 3 for 4 with a double and three RBIs to lead the Bulldogs in the loss.

Ally Godbout, Gracie Jonart and Mattie Stepan added doubles, while Brittyn Klima, Allie Becker and Brea Henderson each hit a single. Cliry Conway worked a pair of walks, while Reese Johnson walked once.

The loss came after the Bulldogs split a pair of Western AA games in Kalispell.

Butte High beat Flathead 1-0 on Friday. (Boxscore). Less than 24 hours later, Butte High dropped a 12-5 decision to Glacier. (Boxscore)

Klima singled in pinch runner Savannah Stosich with the game’s only run in the top of the first inning against Flathead.

Henderson took over from there. The freshman pitcher struck out eight batters and allowed just three hits in the complete-game win. She walked one.

Butte High got four hits off Flathead pitcher June Stickney, who struck out eight in the hard-luck loss. Jonart, Becker and Conway added singles for the Bulldogs.

A nine-run fourth inning sunk the Bulldogs in Saturday’s battle with Glacier.

Ava Grady hit a home run and two doubles to lead the Wolfpack. She drove in five runs. Addyson Cunningham also homered in the win, and Olivia Warriner struck out 11 Bulldogs.

Schad hit a double and a single to lead the Bulldogs. She also worked a walk. Jonart and Klima each hit a single and drove in two runs. Becker singled in one run.

Butte High will head to Billings later this week for three non-conference games. The Bulldogs play Billings West on Friday. They will stay overnight to take on Skyview and Senior on Friday.

BC grabs pair of wins

Butte Central once again saw its game against Butte High washed out by wet weather on Monday.

The Maroons, though, still picked up home victories since last report.

The Maroons pounded Townsend 16-4 Tuesday afternoon at 3 Legends Stadium. (Boxscore) That came three days after Saturday’s 10-6 win over Livingston. (Boxscore)

Tuesday’s victory over Townsend was called after five innings by the run rule.

Colt Hassler and Kelton Berger each went 2 for three with three RBIs to lead BC’s 10 hit attack against Townsend. Leadoff hitter Trapper Stajcar went 3 for 4 with two RBIs. He also joined Hassler, Gunnar O’Brien, Jack Nagle and Beau McGree with two runs scored.

Nagle and Berger tripled in the win.

McGree and O’Brien singled for the Maroons. Cohen Stajcar worked a pair of walks. Drew Kachmarik, Nagle, O’Brien and McGree each walked once.

Hassler, Nagle and Kelsen Brackett pitched in the win.

Keaton Boylan tripled and singled to lead the Bulldogs, who managed five hits. Traven Chamberlin hit two singles, and Luke Tullos added one.

O’Brien had a big game at the dish and on the bump to lead BC past Livingston. He pitched six innings to grab the victory. He struck out four and worked around six walks.

At the plate, O’Brien went 3 for 3 with a walk and three runs scored.

Brackett and Berger doubled, while McGree hit two singles to knock in two runs. Berger also hit a single, as did Nagle and Cohen Stajcar. McGree, Berger and Nagle each knocked in two runs.

Hassler got the last three outs on the mound, helping O’Brien complete the three-hit win.

Ben Cipriani, Lliam Edwards and Brentin Allgood hit singles for the Rangers.

The Maroons are back in action Friday when they head to East Helena to take on the Vigilantes.

Dogs back in action

Thanks to Monday’s postponement with Butte Central, Butte High’s baseball teams did not play since last Tuesday’s loss at Missoula Big Sky.

Butte High is primed for two home games this week, and it looks like the weather forecast will cooperate this time as the Kalispell schools come to town for Western AA games at 3 Legends Stadium.

Butte High will host Flathead at 2 p.m. Friday before taking on Glacier at 2 p.m. on Saturday.

The Bulldogs split with the Kalispell teams earlier this month in Kalispell. Butte High rolled to a 21-5 win over Flathead before falling 1-0 to the Wolfpack.

A makeup date for Butte High’s game against Butte Central has not yet been set.

Tennis teams set for home matches

No reports from recent action from the Butte High and Butte Central tennis teams have been received in time for this report.

The Maroons were set to play Saturday in Anaconda, while the Bulldogs were headed to ta Western AA meet in Missoula.

Butte Central’s teams will be at home Friday to take on Lewistown at Stodden Park. Butte High’s junior varsity teams will get in on that action.

The Bulldog varsity teams will head to Missoula Saturday to play with Glacier, Flathead and Missoula Sentinel. Butte High will be at home next Tuesday as Missoula Big Sky, Sentinel and Belgrade come to town.