The diamonds were filled this weekend in Hamilton and Corvallis. Anaconda and Butte Central were at Corvallis while Butte Central and Stevensville played Hamilton. As Melodee Mildenberger, coach of the Hamilton Broncs predicted, the conference looks to be tight. Stevensville defeated Corvallis earlier in the week. Then Corvallis lost to Anaconda but then turned around and defeated Butte Central. Butte Central defeated Hamilton but then the Lady Broncs came back to top Stevensville. And it was only the first weekend of the season!
Hamilton opened their season against Ronan. Rebecka Hood pitched a complete game and earned the 12-2 win. The Broncs pulled ahead in the third inning with the help of Nichole Hood’s grand slam. She was 3-for-3 in the game. Shyalyn Mohn also had a grand slam in that inning.
The Lady Broncs lost to Butte Central, 7-5. The Maroons scored five runs in the fifth inning to take the lead and the game. Rebecka Hood and Tayler Reynolds knocked in two runners each for Hamilton.
Hamilton topped Stevensville, 16-5, behind the bats of Candace Dunagan and Taylor Goligoski. Dunagan was 4-for-4 including two doubles. Goligoski got the Lady Broncs going with a homer in the first inning. Hamilton scored eight runs on seven hits in the second inning to pad their lead. With a roster full of seniors and freshmen and not much in between, Mildenberger has to rely on the leadership of the seniors to guide the younger players.
“We have a lot of experience at the top of the roster,” said Mildenberger. “And then there’s no experience.”
Stevensville regrouped in the fourth inning and got their bats going after Alycia Sims knocked an RBI double up the middle.
“They battled in the middle. We had some jitters tonight,” said first year coach Joey Wark of his Stevensville team. “They (Hamilton) are good and they’ve got the banners to prove it.”
