Trotters win Twilight Zone battle

There is a dimension beyond that which is known to man. It is a dimension as vast as space as timeless as infinity. It is the middle ground between light and shadow, between science and superstition, and it lies between the pit of man's fears, and the summit of his knowledge.

This is the dimension of imagination. It is an area we call... the Twilight Zone.

Black-and-white television dramatics aside, the Plains-Hot Springs Trotter softball team lived through an episode of the Twilight Zone in Missoula Thursday, and emerged on the other side after the game with a hard-earned 15-13 win over Loyola in eight innings.

Coach Michele Bangen said P-HS's extreme troubles fielding the ball – the Trotters committed a total of 14 errors during the game – put her team into the Twilight Zone, but that hot hitting at timely junctures helped them escape with the victory.

"We kind of entered the Twilight Zone for a little while there on defense," Bangen said, "but we didn't give up. And that attitude is what I like about this team, we don't give up, we just keep playing hard, and that is what pulled us through against Loyola."

Hoping for less Twilight Zone fielding drama and more winning, Bangen and her Trotters will take District 7B's top seed into this week's Western B-C divisional tournament in Florence, where they will open that tourney Friday facing the winner between Tuesday's play-in game between Deer Lodge and Manhattan.

If the Trotters win that game, and then triumph in the second round later Friday, they will already be in the top four and will advance to the State B-C tournament in Belgrade the following week. And that is exactly where Bangen thinks they should be going.

"The top four teams go to State and we certainly think we are capable of being one of those four," she said, "and I like the draw. Florence, Mission-Arlee-Charlo and Loyola are all on the other side of the bracket, so we just need to take care of business on our side to set ourselves up well for the second day."

The Trotters took care of Thursday's game in Missoula, in spite of the short trip into the Twilight Zone along the way.

After falling behind 8-1 after two innings, the Trotters used a 7-run fourth inning to take a 9-8 lead. Falling behind again 12-10 after six innings, the Trotters came through with two runs in the seventh and three more in the extra-inning eighth to pull out the 15-13 win.

Kassidy Kinzie, who picked up the pitching win, was the hitting star for the Twilight Zoners, lashing out two doubles and driving in a team-high three runs.

MacKenzie Elliott added two hits and two RBIs, and Stacy Gray, Sydney Jackson, Natalee Deschamps, Kelsey Standeford, Sage Jackson and Skylar Bergstrom all drove in a run each.

Gray finished the game with two base hits and Sage Jackson, Sydney Jackson, Bergstrom, Jessica Thompson, Dakota Butcher and Kenzie Angle had one apiece.

Charla Goodman almost matched Kinzie's efforts for Loyola, pitching the whole game and knocking in three runs for the Breakers.

Bangen liked how her Trotters came back in Missoula last week, and looks for more never-say-die play from her girls this week.

"The best thing we took away from the Loyola game is the fact that we didn't give up," she said. "If we play with that kind of determination this week I think we will be fine."

Clearly the team to beat, the Florence Falcons, who have won the last two State B-C titles, showed very well against Class B-C and A teams from around the state in the Laverne Combo tournament in Butte last week, and will host this week's Western B-C as the No. 1 team from District 6B.

"Florence is tough, great pitching sets them apart," Bangen said, "but they are beatable. We need to put some pressure on their defense if we end up playing them, but I think we are totally capable of defeating them."