P-HS wins third place

by John Hamilton

Talk about finishing strong and leaving a lasting legacy.

Coach Michele Bangen and her Plains-Hot Springs Trotters made softball history for both Sanders County schools with a strong third place finish in the State B-C tourney last week. It is the second State B-C team trophy for P-HS in the last five years as the 2014 Trotters also brought home third place.

The 2019 Trotters played some of their best softball of the season when it mattered most Thursday through Saturday at the State B-C tournament in Belgrade, winning their first two games, very nearly knocking off the eventual champs in a tense undefeated game, and finally settling for a hard-earned third place trophy after falling to the two-time defending B-C champs in the loser takes third game.

Huntley Project defeated Florence 8-5 in the State B-C championship game, after Florence had defeated P-HS 12-2 in the loser-third game earlier Saturday.

Senior Kassidy Kinzie's fine pitching Friday – she allowed only one run in 14 innings against Missoula Loyola and Huntley Project – was perhaps the single biggest factor working in P-HS's favor.

"Kass really pitched well and our defense played great behind her," Bangen said. "I am very proud of this team, they left it all out there on the field and played with a lot of heart."

The Trotters opened State B-C play with a 9-1 win over Cut Bank Thursday, paying back the Wolves for eliminating the Trotters from the 2018 tournament last spring, and then knocked off favored Missoula Loyola 1-0 behind a no-hitter pitched by Kinzie in the next round to win a place in the tournament undefeated game against Huntley Project.

Sydney Jackson stole home in the first inning to score P-HS's only run against Loyola and the Trotter defense did the rest behind Kinzie's effective pitching. Loyola was pegged as one of the teams to beat in Belgrade after McKenna Bessette became eligible to play a few weeks ago and the Breakers went on an extended winning streak to end the regular season.

"That was a big win for us," Bangen said. "We knew we could beat that team and the girls went out and proved it."

In spite of another fine pitching performance from Kinzie, the Trotters could not get any runs to support her and fell to the Red Devils 1-0 after defeating Loyola. A lot like Kinzie was for the Trotters, Huntley ace Addy Hultgren was very difficult to hit for the Red Devils, striking out 17 P-HS hitters.

"We were the only team to hold Huntley to one run or less this season," Bangen said. "We just couldn't score ourselves, Hultgren is a very good pitcher and we couldn't get to her."

The Trotters then fell 12-2 Saturday to Florence to settle for the third place State B-C trophy.