The LaVerne Tournament kicked off in Butte on Friday and the Havre fast pitch softball team had two contests to get it started. The first contest was a four-inning win against Polson, (7-1), while the second game against Anaconda ended in a (17-0) thumping as the teams only played two and a half innings.
In game one, the Ponies hit two home runs as right fielder Rachel Jette hit a three-run shot and designated player Bree Hanson went yard for a solo homer. Both occurrences came in the first inning and Havre went up, (4-0). Throughout the contest, Elle Verploegen controlled the circle, allowing one run on four hits and striking out six Lady Pirates. Catcher Camille Keeley tied the team lead in total bases with four, going 2-for-3 at the plate with a triple and a run batted in.
Game two saw some cool box score stats, such as Havre having as many runs batted in as walks with 11 each. The Blue Ponies batted around the order in both innings with all but one player walking and all but one player scoring. Left fielder Brenna Hanson hit two home runs: a three-run home run and a grand slam. Verploegen (12-3, 2.78 ERA) threw three perfect innings and fanned another six batters. She even helped her own cause at the plate by recording a triple, which drove in a run.
Two more contests are on tap for the LaVerne Tournament as Havre (13-6) will play Frenchtown and Corvallis on Saturday. New Media Broadcasters will have a recap of those games once the final out has been made.
