On Saturday, Helena faced Big Sky in a battle between two of the state's top teams. The Helena Bengals fell just short of the Big Sky Eagles by a score of 8-6. Helena was given a dose of their own medicine in this game as Big Sky apparently hadn't forgotten their loss the last time these teams played back in May of 2023.
Faith Howard put in work no matter where she played. She struck out 13 batters over seven innings while giving up seven earned (and one unearned) runs off 11 hits (and only one walk). Howard has been consistent recently: she hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts every time she's pitched this season. Howard was even better at the plate, going 2-for-4 with a home run and three RBI.
In other batting news, Kylee Gardipee made the most of her time at bat despite the final result and scored a run while getting on base in all four of her plate appearances. The team also got some help courtesy of Katryn Seliskar, who went 1-for-3 with a home run.
Even though they lost, Helena didn't let batters stay on the plate for long and finished the game with 13 strikeouts. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Big Sky only tossed eight.
On Big Sky's side, the team relied heavily on Grace Hood, who went 2-for-4 with a home run, three RBI, and a double. Sadie Mcguinn was another key contributor, going 1-for-3 with a home run and two RBI.
Helena has traveled a rocky road recently having lost four of their last five matchups, which put a noticeable dent in their 3-6 record this season. As for Big Sky, the win for them keeps them at an undefeated 8-0-1.
Both squads will have to hit the road in their upcoming games. Helena will challenge Capital at 3:00 p.m. on Thursday. Capital is coming into the match with four straight victories at home, so Helena will have to stop a team with plenty of momentum. As for Big Sky, they will head out on the road to face off against Butte at 3:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Big Sky is strutting in with some hitting muscle, as they've averaged 9.1 runs per game this season.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
