by Scott Sacry, Sports Editor
The Florence girls softball team took 2nd place at the Class B State softball tournament in Glasgow on May 22-24. Florence played six games over three days, culminating in the championship game of Saturday, May 24, where Florence lost to Shepard 2-12.
State softball is a double elimination tournament with a winners and losers bracket. A team can lose and still claim the title, they just have to go through the losers bracket and win twice in the championship. This is the route Florence took to the championship game this year.
The Florence girls softball team took 2nd at the Class B/C State Tournament in Glasgow on Saturday, May 24. Photo by Florence Carlton School Activities.
On Thursday, May 22, they defeated Glasgow 17-2 in the first round, then lost to Manhattan 2-3 in the undefeated semifinal, sending them to the losers bracket. On Friday, they defeated Huntley Project 17-6, then defeated Mission-Arlee-Charlo (MAC) 7-2 in the 3rd/4th place game. On Saturday, they again played Manhattan, this time in the semifinal, and won 8-7, sending them to the finals. In the finals, they played Shepherd and lost 2-12. They would have had to defeat Shepherd twice to have claimed the crown.
It was another stellar season for Florence softball in 2025. They took second at state, won the Western B/C Divisionals and finished the season with a 27-4 record.
Game recaps
On Thursday, Florence defeated Glasgow 17-2. For Florence, Jaden Fisher went 4 for 4, scored 4 runs and had 3 RBIs. Taylor Pyette went 2 for 3, hit a home run and had 3 RBIs, and Kenzy Pickering went 3 for 4 with 3 RBIs.
Also on Thursday, Florence lost to Manhattan 2-3 in 9 innings. For Florence, Maggie Schneiter went 2 for 4 with an RBI. Lily Bender went 1 for 4 with an RBI, and Taylor Pyette went 2 for 4 and scored a run.
On Friday, Florence defeated Huntley Project 17-6. For Florence, Jaden Fisher had a big game; she went 4 for 4, hit 2 home runs, scored 4 runs and had 4 RBIs. Ava Philbrick went 2 for 4 with a home run and 4 RBIs, Kaylee Crawford went 3 for 3 and scored 5 runs, and Maggie Schneiter went 3 for 4 and scored 4 runs.
Also on Friday, Florence defeated MAC 7-2. For Florence, Ava Philbrick went 2 for 3 with a home run and 2 RBIs. Jaden Fisher went 2 for 3 with a home run and 2 RBIs, and Maggie Schneiter went 1 for 4 with an RBI.
On Saturday, Florence defeated Manhattan 8-7. For Florence, Ava Philbrick went 3 for 4 with 2 RBIs. Taylor Pyette hit a 2-run home run, and Lily Bender and Jemma Bouma each went 1 for 3 with an RBI.
Then finally in the championship game on Saturday, Florence lost to Shepherd 2-12. For Florence, Elizabeth Camp went 2 for 2 and Lily Bender, Kaylee Crawford and Maggie Schneiter each had hits.