Dogs, Maroons host Senior Days

Butte High’s boys’ track team seems to be heating up at the right time.

The Bulldogs opened May with a team victory Saturday at Butte Central’s John Tomich Invitational at Bulldog Memorial Stadium.

Butte High captured first place in six events to chalk up 127 team points. Laurel took second at 114, and Frenchtown finished third at 71, one point better than Boulder. The Host Maroons placed eighth in the nine-team meet with 17 points.

Frenchtown won the girls’ title with 143 points. Boulder was second at 97, and Butte High placed third with 64.

Senior Jacob Galle had a huge day for the Bulldogs, winning both hurdles races.

Galle won the 110-meter hurdles in 15.28 seconds. He won the 300-meter hurdles in 41.57 seconds. The 110 time reached the qualifying mark for the Class AA State meet. That was the third time he reached that standard this season.

Galle also ran a leg of both Butte High relay teams. The Bulldogs won the 1,600-meter relay and placed second in the 400-meter relay.

Senior Camden Houchin won the 800-meter race in 2 minutes, 3.31 seconds. Classmate Levi Wiltsie won the 3,200 in 10:40.70.

Senior Ryan Hanson continued his outstanding season winning the long jump and placing second in the high hump. His long jump mark of 21 feet, 9 inches was a personal-best for Hanson. It once again reached a qualifying standard.

Running with Galle in the 1,600 relay were Reece Cunneen, Raeder Grey and Houchin. Galle ran with Miner Lee, Preston Jensen and Brady Walsh in the short relay.

Walsh placed third in the 100, fifth in the 200 and fourth in the long jump. Other place winners Tyce Snow (second in the 200), Jaeger Hansen (third in the javelin), Lee (fourth in the 200), Charles Killebrew (fourth in the 800), Chase Choquette (fifth in the 400), Bradey Doyle (fifth in the pole vault), Lincoln Zell (sixth in the 800), Isaac Zell (sixth in the 1,600) and Cohen Andrews (sixth in the triple jump).

Danny McCarthy won the 100 in 11.43 seconds to lead the Butte Central boys. Palmer Kellicut took third in the 110 hurdles and sixth in the 300 hurdles.

Butte High’s girls won the 1,600-meter relay. Evelyn Smith, Cadence Graham, Penelope Luebke and Wakely Burelson each ran a leg. The Bulldog 400-meter relay team placed second, with Kloe Dickinson, Autumn Clary, Kate DeShaw and Burelson each running.

Graham also placed second in both hurdles races for the Bulldogs. Milee Stillwagon placed third in the 1,600 and fourth in the 800, and Clary took fourth in the 100 and sixth in the 200.

Other place winners for the Bulldog girls were Sophia Houchin (fourth in the 400), DeShaw (fifth in the long jump), Luebke (sixth in the long jump), Burelson (sixth in the 400) and Emma Johnson (sixth in the discus).

Three days later, the Bulldogs hosted Missoula Big Sky and Butte Central in a meet at Bulldog Memorial Stadium.

Big Sky won on the boys’ and girls’ side, though the Bulldogs did not run their normal team.

The Eagles scored 105.5 points to win the boys’ race Butte High was next at 59, followed by BC at 10.5.

On the girls’ side, Big Sky scored 108.8 points. Butte High was second at 64.4, and BC scored 4.6.

Houchin, Isaac Zell, Wiltsie and Hansen picked up victories for the Butte High boys. Houchin won the 400 in 53.10 seconds, while Zell ran to a win in the 800 in 2:19.03. Wiltsie won the 1,600 in 5:02.91, and Hanson won the long jump in 20-2.

Galle took second in the 200 and third in the 100.

Other Bulldog boys placing in the top three were Killebrew (second in the 400), Lincoln Zell (second in the 1,600), Gannon Sullivan (second in the discus), Doyle (second in the pole vault), Andrews (second in the long jump) and Bridger Luebke (third in the 400).

Kellicut won the 110 hurdles with a personal-best time of 15.67 seconds to lead the Maroons. McCarthy placed second in the 100 with a PB of 11.14. That again reached a qualifying time for the junior.

Henly Mansanti took second in the high jump.

Saege Grey, Graham, Houchin, DeShaw, Johnson and eight grader Peyton Poole posted wins for the Butte High girls.

Grey won the 100 in 13.05 seconds, and Graham won the 100 hurdles with a personal-best time of 15.95. She also took third in the 200 and fourth in the 100.

Houchin added a personal best in the 400, winning in 1:01.77. DeShaw jumped a personal-best 16 feet to win the long jump.

Johnson won the discus in 101-3. She also placed third in the shot put.

Poole launched the javelin 111-5. That came withing 2 feet of the qualifying standard.

Other Bulldog girls in the top three were Allie Ballensky (second in the discus), Smith (second in the 400), Valerie Trabert (second in the pole vault), Stillwagon (third in the 800), Rylee Erickson (third in the 300 hurdles), Gabby Gamez (third in the javelin), Luebke (third in the long jump) and Kynslee Wrampe (third in the high jump).

Caden Tippett took second in the shot put to lead the BC girls. Harper McGree took third in the high jump.

The Bulldogs are back in action Saturday when they head to Billings West. The Maroons will compete Saturday in Dillon.

Maroons rally past Devils

Butte Central’s softball team made Corvallis pay for its mistakes Wednesday afternoon at a windy Stodden Park.

BC took advantage of 10 Corvallis errors to post a 13-8 Southwestern A victory. (Boxscore)

The win capped a busy stretch that saw the Maroons play six games in seven days. That includes four games at Frenchtown’s tournament over the weekend.

BC rolled past Livingston for a 15-0 win on Thursday. Then, the Maroons went 1-3 in Frenchtown. They lost 6-0 to Ronan and 19-9 to Frenchtown on Friday. BC beat Browning 17-0 before falling 13-7 to Havre on Saturday.

Only the Frenchtown game in that tournament counted in league standings.

Jordyn Samson scored on a wild pitch in the bottom of the fourth inning Wednesday to break an 8-all tie. The Maroons added four runs in the bottom of the fifth the pull away.

BC pounded 10 hits in the victory. Braelynn Schelin smoked two doubles, while Kenzie McQueary and Ryan Olson each hit a double and a single in the win.

Cambri Campbell, Luci Fantini, Natalie Osterman and Kodee Badovinac hit singles for a Maroon lineup that got contributions from top to bottom.

Blake Smith walked and scored twice, while Arika Stajcar drove in a run.

Schelin pitched the distance, striking out six, for the win.

McQueary drove in four runs in the loss to Frenchtown. Her day included a double and a single. Campbell also doubled in the game. Smith and Marly Mansanti also singled for BC.

BC used 11 hits in the win over Browning. That includes three singles by Samson and two by Campbell. Stajcar, Cendyl Campbell, Mila Carriger, Olson and Zayonna Otherbull doubled. Mya McGree pitched the distance in the game called by the run rule after three innings. Seven of the nine outs she got came by way of the K.

In Thursday’s home win over Livingston, Alli Forrelli and McGree combined to hold the Rangers to just one hit.

Cambri Campbell doubled, while the nine BC hits were singles. Carriger, Olson and Stajcar each smacked two hits, while Samson, Fantini and McGree hit one. Stajcar drove in four runs, and Olson knocked in three.

The Maroons will travel to Corvallis for another game with the Blue Devils on Saturday. Next week, BC will host the Laverne Combo Invitational at Stodden Park and the Longfellow Complex.

Bulldogs set for Senior Day

Butte High’s softball team will celebrate Senior Day Thursday when Missoula Sentinel comes to town for a 3 p.m. Western AA contest at Stodden Park.

The Bulldogs will honor their four seniors and their parents before the first pitch. Those seniors are Mattie Stepan, Lauren Warren, Gracie Jonart and Ally Godbout.

That comes after Butte High went 1-2 in three games against the Class AA Billings schools last week in the Magic City.

Butte High fell 11-0 to a strong Billings West team on Thursday. (Boxscore) The Bulldogs beat Skyview 8-3 on Saturday (boxscore) before falling 7-2 to Senior (boxscore)

West’s Taum Bush struck out 14 batters in Friday’s one-hit victory over the Bulldogs. Taytem Abrams hit a pair of home runs, while Asa Edwards added one to power the Golden Bears’ offense.

Allie Becker bunted for a fifth-inning single to break up the no hitter. Avery Barsness bunted and reached on an error.

The Bulldogs rebounded for a nice win over the Falcons to start the day Saturday. First baseman Kendallyn Schad had a big day, going 3 for 4 with four RBIs to lead the Bulldog 15-hit attack. Reese Johnson added two singles and a double, while Stepan hit three singles in the win.

Godbout belted two singles. Brittyn Klima, Jonart, Brea Henderson and Cliry Conway each hit one.

Henderson fanned seven batters in the victory from the pitcher’s circle.

Senior’s Rayvin Fischer struck out eight batters to get the win for the Broncs to end Butte High’s weekend. She held the Bulldogs to just two hits.

Braella Jennings and Soraya Shirley doubled to lead the Senior offense.

Becker hit two singles for the Bulldogs. Schad reached on a walk.

Butte High will head to Missoula to take on Missoula Hellgate Saturday at the University of Montana stadium. The Bulldogs will then close out the regular season with three games next week.

Butte High will play at Helena Capital on Tuesday, play host to Helena High on Thursday and play at Missoula Big Sky on Saturday.

Central baseball hosts Florence

It will also be Senior Day Thursday at 3 Legends Stadium as the Butte Central baseball team takes on Florence at 5 p.m.

BC will honor its six seniors and their parents before the first pitch. Those seniors are Kelton Berger, Colt Hassler, Jack Nagle, Kelton Keene, Trapper Stajcar and the very dapper Tony Stajcar.

The Senior celebration will come two days after Tuesday’s 7-1 loss in Dillon. (Boxscore)

Jase Alvarez doubled while going 4 for 4 to lead the Beavers in the win. Garrett Tackett hit a double and a single, while Andrew Bartlome and Trenton Moreni each hit a pair of singles.

Cohen Hartman struck out 12 Maroons in six innings to get the victory on the bump.

Hassler doubled, and Gunnar “Goo” O’Brien hit two singles for the Maroons. Trapper Stajcar, Cohen Stajcar and Treigh Hollow also singled for BC.

BC fell 10-6 to East Helena Friday at Helena’s Ryan Park. (Boxscore)

An eight-run first inning gave the Vigilantes a lead they would not relinquish. Hunter Sutton scored three times from the leadoff spot to lead the way for East Helena, which got two singles from Kash Walker.

Berger doubled in a 3-for-4 performance to lead the Maroons. He drove in two runs. Beau McGree and O’Brien each poked a pair of hits, while Kelsen Brackett and Hollow each added one.

The Maroons will play at Lone Peak at noon on Saturday. BC will close out the regular season next Thursday and Saturday with trips to Livingston and Florence on Thursday and Saturday.

Bulldogs rope Vigilantes

Kodye Kjersten had a huge game to lead the way as the Bulldogs pounded East Helena 13-2 Tuesday at Ryan Park. (Boxscore)

The sophomore outfielder went 4 for 4 with a double and three RBIs in the win. He also struck out four batters in two scoreless innings to close out the game.

Hunter Davies picked up the win, going four strong innings. The game was called by the run rule after six.

Calvin Cunningham smacked three hits and joined Kjersten with three RBIs. Logan Carden tripled, and Cole Solomon singled for Butte high, which used seven walks and took eight beanballs.

Teagan Duffy walked twice, while Carden, Kjersten, Evan McEwen, Grady Foley and Brooks Vincent each walked once. McEwen, Solomon and Cayde Stajcar were each hit twice. Foley and Carden were hit once.

That win came after Butte High split home games with the Kalispell schools. Butte High fell 11-6 to Flathead on Friday. (Boxscore) The Dogs rebounded for an 11-5 win Saturday over Glacier. (Boxscore)

Chase Lubick pitched into the sixth inning to grab the win Saturday. He fanned sixth. Solomon got the last five out — three by way of the K — to finish off the win.

Butte High smashed 16 hits in the win. That includes triples by Cunningham, Stajcar and Carden, and doubles by Stajcar and Carden.

Carden and Stajcar each had a three-hit game. Kjersten, Cunningham and Duffy each had two hits. McEwen, Gunner Bushman, Troy Samson and Foley hit one.

Ryne Gillette hit two singles to lead the Wolfpack.

Hunter Fann smacked three doubles to lead the 11-hit attack for Flathead on Friday. Eli Coopman added two doubles, and Jacobe Sullenger tripled as the Braves avenged an early-season loss to the Bulldogs.

Liam Rech pitched the distance for the win.

Stajcar and McEwen doubled for the Bulldogs. Stajcar also singled, and Cunningham hit two singles. Carden and Kjersten also singled for Butte.

The Bulldogs are in the hunt for the No. 2 seed in the Western AA as they head toward crunch time. The top two teams receive a berth in the Class AA State tournament, which is May 28-30 in Butte.

The Bulldogs will play at Missoula Sentinel at 5 p.m. on Thursday. They host Missoula Hellgate at 4 p.m. on Saturday before taking on Missoula Big Sky for Tuesday’s Senior Day celebration.

The Bulldogs will honor their seniors — Stajcar, Carden, Vincent, Lubick, Foley and Bushman — and their parents before the game. Jaxon Williams is missing his senior season after undergoing Tommy John surgery in November.

The Bulldogs will close the regular season next weekend against the Great Falls schools. They will host CMR on Friday before heading to Great Falls High on Saturday.

Tennis teams in action

Butte High and Butte Central will be in action in tennis this week.

The Bulldogs will be at home Friday to take on Helena High and Helena Capital, while the Maroons will head be home Thursday taking on East Helena at noon and Stevensville at 3 p.m.

Central played host to Lewistown last Friday. Jaylee Williams beat Kendall Tepper in a 6-7, 6-4, (10-3) thriller at No. 4 singles. That was BC’s lone win of the day.

The Bulldogs played Saturday in Missoula before hosting home action with Big Sky, Sentinel and Belgrade on Tuesday.

Results of those matches were not submitted in time for this report.