U18 team falls to Mining City Magic in loser-out action on Saturday

The Mining City Magic used two Glacier Emeralds errors in the fifth inning to break the ice and score two runs en route to a 2-0 victory Saturday afternoon in a loser-out game in the U18 bracket of the Montana ASA Junior Olympic Fastpitch Softball Tournament at Conrad Complex.

"They did (hurt)," Glacier Emeralds coach Lane Bennett said of the mistakes.

"Big time.

"My third baseman is usually really solid. I really feel bad for (pitcher) Dakota (Peterson)."

The Magic broke up a classic pitcher's duel between Peterson and Marianne Leathers when Jordan Peterson reached on an error to lead off the fifth. Amber Orizotti followed with a double, putting runners on third and second.

Julia Robinson's sacrifice fly scored Peterson, and Orizotti scored later on another infield error.

Glacier, on the other hand, never got on track. Leathers was solid in the circle, limiting the Emeralds to four singles.

Peterson held Mining City to five hits. She struck out four.

"I'm not really much of a strikeout pitcher," Leathers said.

"I pitch so my defense can back me up."

And back her up they did. They committed no errors and turned two double plays.

Leathers struck out one batter and walked one.

"If I work my corners and all my pitches, they don't hit it hard most of the time," she said.

The Emeralds went down in order in the second, third, fourth, sixth and seventh innings.

"I told them to be more patient at the plate," Bennett said of his hitters.

"They were swinging at too many first pitches. They were swinging at the off-speed stuff, reaching for them."

The Magic lost their other tournament pitcher - Rebeca Gibson - in the fourth inning. She twisted an ankle stealing second base. Gibson opened the game at first base.

So that means Leathers will be the starting pitcher for as long as her team keeps winning.

"It's fine," she said.

Is she ready?

"Oh, yeah. I have to be."

Leathers gave the Magic a scoring opportunity in the first inning, tripling to left field with two outs. Peterson, however, fanned Gibson to end the inning.

"It hit the top of the fence and it came back," Leathers said of her near-home run.

Glacier left fielder Kalin Lingle crashed into the rubber fence, knocking it over while trying to make a spectacular play on the ball.

It would have been Leathers' first home run in ASA play this summer. She hit five for Butte High during the prep season.

The Magic mounted another threat in the third inning, loading the bases with two outs. But sure-handed Glacier shortstop Courtney Christensen made a diving grab on a low liner to end the inning.

Christensen came back in the sixth with an over-the-shoulder catch on a fast-dropping blooper to end that inning.

The Emeralds had a couple of scoring opportunities, but stranded a runner at second in the first and fifth innings.

Glacier opened tournament play Friday with a 3-0 victory over the Electric City Heat. Peterson threw a four-hitter in that one.

The Capital City Thunder then sent Glacier to the loser's bracket, winning that game 4-1.

"Possibly," was Bennett's reply to this being his final game as coach.

"If my daughter comes back and plays next summer after her senior year at Flathead, I will coach one more year. Otherwise, this would be my swan song."

Kendra Bennett, Glacier's second baseman, singled to center in the second inning.

The Magic lost 12-0 to the Big Sky Blast, the defending state champions, on Friday in their opener. The Magic began play Saturday morning with an 8-5 win over the Billings Bulldogs. Gibson was the winning pitcher in that contest.

The Magic played again Saturday evening,

The three-day event winds up today with all the action at Kidsports Complex. It starts with loser-out action at 8 a.m. Championship games will be played at 2 and 4 p.m. Titles will be determined in five divisions - U10, U12, U14, U16 and U18.

There are 62 teams and more than 700 girls in attendance. A total of 120 games will be played over the course of three days.

The Glacier Emeralds still have teams playing in 10U and 12U (Green). The 12U squad is 3-0 and is guaranteed a finish of third place or higher.

Mining City Magic 000 020 0 - 2 5 0

Glacier Emeralds 000 000 0 - 0 4 2

Marianne Leathers and Jesse Taylor; Dakota Peterson and Kaemyn Meagher. W - Leather. L - Peterson.

MINING CITY (13-7) - Amber Orizotti 2-3, Julia Robinson 0-3, Leathers 1-4, Rebeca Gibson 1-2, Kelly O'Brien 0-1, Jesse Taylor 1-3, Chelsey Durkin 0-3, Rachel Durkin 0-2, Brittany Graham 0-3, Jordan Peterson 0-3.

GLACIER - Courtney Christensen 1-3, Kate Fowler 0-3, Meagher 0-2, Ashley Koepke 0-3, Kayla Stinger 0-3, Kendra Bennett 1-3, Lauren Montijo 1-2, Amanda Milliard 1-2, Kalin Lingle 0-2.

2B-Orizotti; 3B-Leathers; RBIs-Robinson.

ASA State Softball

Saturday's Results

Kidsports Complex - 10U, 12U, 14U

Conrad Complex - 16U, 18U

10U

Lakers 13, Ronan 6

Billings Bulldogs 8, Bitterroot Sparks 0

Great Falls Selects 9, Bozeman Stealers 1

Glacier Emeralds 17, Great Falls Selects Gold 1

Bitterroot Sparks 3, Great Falls Selects Green 2

Great Falls Selects Green 6, Electric City Heat 4

12U

Ronan Orange & Black Attack 14, Kootenai Krushers 8

Billings Bulldogs 10, Electric City Heat 1

Bitterroot Sparks 9, Bozeman Stealers 1

Montana Madness 11, Ronan Orange & Black Attack 0

Billings Bulldogs 12, Helena Thunder 2

Belgrade Wolfpack 15, Glacier Emeralds White 0

Purple Wave 8, Bitterroot Sparks 1

Great Falls Selects 11, Lady Osprey 2

Glacier Emeralds Green 6, Big Sky Blast 1

Montana Madness 5, Billings Bulldogs 3

Purple Wave 12, Belgrade Wolfpack 0

Montana Madness 3, Big Sky Blast 2

Lady Osprey 3, Purple Wave 2

14U

Montana Bandits 12, Mountain West Crush 4

Billings Bulldogs White 16, Silver Storm 1

Montana Bandits 11, Polson Lakers 3

Glacier Emeralds 15, Columbia Falls Kats 0

Electric City Heat 2, Bozeman Stealers 1

Billilngs Bulldogs White 8, Belgrade Wolfpack 4

Great Falls Selects 14, Magic City Havoc 0

Billings Bulldogs 13, Montana Madness 0

Montana Bandits 6, Glacier Emeralds 0

Billings Bulldogs White 6, Electric City Heat 3

Montana Bandits 14, Montana Madness 0

Billings Bulldogs White 7, Magic City Havoc 2

16U

Falls Flames 11, Bozeman Stealers 6

Mining City Magic 6, Montana Madness 1

Falls Flames 3, Glacier Emeralds 2

Flathead Monsters 8, Havre Ponies 0

Helena Thunder 6, Mission Valley Raptors 0

Mining City Magic 8, Hellgate Knights 6

Lady Osprey 7, Great Falls Selects 1

Billings Blues 6, Big Sky Blast 5

Flathead Monsters 10, Falls Flames 9

Mining City Magic 6, Helena Thunder 1

Big Sky Blast 15, Flathead Monsters 8

Great Falls Selects 12, Mining City Magic 11

18U

Mining City Magic 8, Billings Bulldogs 5

Electric City Heat 6, Purple Rain 2

Big Sky Blast 6, Helena Thunder 0

Montana Rockis 9, Billings Blaze 1

Mining City Magic 2, Glacier Emeralds 0

Electric City Heat 5, Mountain West Crush 0

Billings Blaze & Mining City Magic N/A

Helena Thunder 7, Electric City Heat 6