The Havre softball team went up and down like a carnival ride during a run at the 2024 Eastern ‘A’ Divisional Tournament. The Ponies were able to win the first game of the day, but fell to Laurel in a (19-18) thriller. Through it all, Havre got back up to win two straight contests to close out the tournament and take third place. The softball team qualified for the double-elimination state tournament through a top-6 berth at divisional’s.
New Media Broadcasters caught up with head coach Tony Vigliotti and he said that the Laurel game was a unique experience for him and praised his team for the way they handled themselves thereafter.
“In my seven years, I don’t remember a softball game like that,” Vigliotti said. “Everyone was hitting the ball.”
“Resiliency? (I was) proud of them,” Vigliotti continued. “I told them after Saturday when they secured that third place that it would have been awful easy to just be deflated and down.”
“But, to their credit, they came back,” Vigliotti said. “They played two really good softball games and there’s no doubt they earned that third-place finish.”
The attention turns now to Hamilton, the No. 6 seed out of the western region. Havre was supposed to gain experience from a meeting earlier this season, but that game never happened because of weather. Vigliotti complimented Havre’s upcoming opponent, but said that his team is going to compete until they are unable to anymore.
“We were actually supposed to play Hamilton our last game at the Frenchtown tournament earlier this year and that was the game that got rained out,” Vigliotti said. “But they’ve got good athletes. They’re coached well. They’ll do the little things well and they’re at the state tournament for a reason.”
“We’ll have to play well. Let’s just have fun,” Vigliotti continued. “Let’s just play until somebody tells us to take our ball and go home.”
“If that means (playing) on Saturday afternoon (for a state title), that’s what it is,” Vigliotti said.
Catcher Camille Keeley agreed with her coach about the prospects of what this team can achieve in Billings. Her team is eyeing the school’s first state championship, which she believes will happen if her teammates can rally around one another and play the ball they’re capable of down the stretch.
“I think we are going to put up a good challenge for Hamilton, Polson, and whoever we play in the future,” Keeley said. “I’m very excited to see how we grow and how we actually play in this tournament.”
“We’re just very excited to make ourselves known in that tournament,” Keeley continued. “We’re still pushing to make an impact.”
“Of course, every team wants to win that state title,” Keeley said. “We’re also pushing for that.”
The MHSA State Class ‘A’ Softball Tournament will be held in Billings. Havre will play Hamilton at 10am on Friday. If the Blue Ponies win, they will play against Polson on Friday at 2pm. If they lose, the loser-out contest will be at 4pm on Friday against the loser of Laurel and the Frenchtown-Lockwood winner.
