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THE 2002 BISON SOFTBALL SEASON

2002 SEASON SUMMARY

. It was a magical year, one that we want to experience again.

 Friday 3/29/02- The games against Helena and Helena Capital were cancelled due to an early morning snow. We might be making them up Tuesday afternoon, weather permitting. 

We had finally gotten outside on Thursday, up until that day we were forced to be inside the fieldhouse. The girls are working really hard and I am very pleased with their efforts. Our pitching is coming along and the girls' arms are ready. I'm not sure if I want to pitch them whole games or split them up. I'm leaning to 4 innings max then relief. I will repeat the same thing for the latter game. Kate Sinnott (Sr.) will get the first start and Ashley Thatcher (Jr.) will get the second. Both girls are looking really tough and I expect great things from both of them.

Monday 4/1/02- Woke up this morning with lots of snow.... I don't anticipate playing on Tuesday afternoon since the forecast says temp. of 15 degrees. Hopefully we can play this weekend when we open our conference schedule against Billings. Check back and read what's new. The first player to tell me they read this information gets out of conditioning for that day.  -Coach Olson

Thursday 4/4/02- We got outside today. The weather was cool and crisp but it was very nice to be outside on a field. We got an opportunity to run through some situations and throw the ball around.- Coach Olson

Friday 4/5/02- Opening day for the Bison. We open against a very determined Billings Skyview team. This is a team you can't look past because they are very determined to do whatever it takes to win. In the first game we fell behind and  had to come back. We ended up winning 4-2 with a strong effort in pitching from Kate Sinnott. We made lots of errors and basically looked like we've never even attempted a game of catch before. The girls really battled though, and never gave up. We won both games and we are sitting at 2-0 for the season. Ashley Thatcher pitched a NO HITTER in the second game. She was throwing excellent. Tomorrow we face last year's runner up in Billings Senior. Senior has 9 seniors, 1 junior and 2 sophomores. They are loaded and they come to play. Wish us luck.- Coach Olson

Saturday 4/6/02- Today we faced Billings Senior. Senior is last year's runner-up team at the State Tournament. They are very solid and in order for us to compete we need to play well. We struggled in the field. The first game we committed 10 errors and provided no back up support for our pitcher, Ashley Thatcher. Ashley held Senior to just 5 hits but she had to throw a lot more pitches than necessary because our  defense couldn't make the routine play. The wind was blowing and it did cause some trouble with pop ups but Senior played in the same conditions and they only committed 1 error in the two games. Our throwing errors are correctable and we will work on that this week in practice. Over all I was very pleased with the way we are swinging the bat. We are being aggressive at the plate and good things are happening. We out hit Senior in both games so that is very encouraging. It was just a rough day and I need to remind myself that it was ONLY the 3rd time outside on the field. The BISON will come back. Check out the STATS page to see how the girls faired individually.-Coach Olson 

Friday 4/12/02- Today we faced Bozeman. As usual, as soon as we step off the bus, it starts to rain. We did get the game in though. It wasn't pretty but we came out on top 3-1 in 10 innings. Kate Sinnott pitched the first 4 innings and Ashley Thatcher finished the game. The best thing about this game was the fact that the girls never gave up. At times they didn't play very well, and we didn't run the bases very well, but we got it done. Michela Schmitz came through with a huge hit to plate 2 rbi's. Off to Billings to face undefeated Billings West.

Saturday 4/13/02- Billings West is a very good team. We were ready to play today. In the first game, (the conference game), we beat them 6-1. We made no errors and hit the ball well. All girls contributed and played very well defensively. Kate Sinnott was the winning pitcher and did a great job striking out 8 and walking only 2. There were times when West was threatening but our defense stepped up and made the plays when they had to. Megan Schmitz had 2 hits and scored twice, Ashley Thatcher ripped a double and knocked in two runs, The second game we moved some people around to see what they could do at different positions. We played well for the first 4 innings. Ashley Thatcher pitched well but 2 errors gave them 2 runs and we lost the non conference game 2-0. The girls were not happy and that's good. I like it that they hate to lose. Michela Schmitz is really hitting the ball and driving in the runs as well as getting on base. Sandy Niemeyer played excellent defense and is starting to hit the ball hard. Molly Sinnott ripped 2 doubles in the second game. Another good week of practice and we're off to Billings again. Keep working hard girls!

Friday 4/19/02- Just when you think things are going great....BAM! Right in the face...We got "snowed out" in Billings this weekend. They received snow all week long and we had nothing but wonderful weather. It was beautiful here in Great Falls. I don't know when we will make up the games but it will put some pressure on all teams involved right before the State Tournament. We scrimmaged on Friday and the girls are coming along great. Lot's of hustle and enthusiasm, supporting each other and having fun. We have CMR this Thursday. We will have to play a great game to come out on top. Until then...Coach O

Thursday 4/25/02- CMR 7- Bison 1. This was a game that I thought we were very prepared for. Unfortunately, our mistakes led to their win. We cannot expect good things to happen when we don't make the plays. Kate Sinnott threw a pretty good game and was getting it done until the bottom of the 4th. That's when it seemed like the wheels fell off our wagon. 3 errors and 3 hits led to 7 unearned runs for the Rustlers and a disappointing loss for the Bison. Tiffany McKnight threw a good game against us. She throws a drop and change-up and we couldn't adjust to the slow pitches. Instead of waiting on the ball and crushing it up the middle, we swung at pitches in the dirt and fouled off all the off speed stuff. If we want to compete at the top we will need to eliminate the things that are costing us success. I expect the ladies to learn from this and come back more determined then ever. We are still a very good team when we play the game correctly. - Coach Olson

Friday 5/3/02- We are in Billings today to play Billings Skyview. As we are coming into Billings the sky is starting to look very unfriendly. These are "must win" games, especially the conference game. As we start warming up, the weather takes a severe turn for the worse. It is cold and raining. The Skyview Coach comes up to me and says that the A.D. there has informed him that we must play and get the conference game in....regardless of the weather. Ashley Thatcher is scheduled to start the game on the mound. We are soaked and frozen before the first pitch is thrown. After the first inning, we are up 3-0, the umpires call the game and we will wait it out. After an hour in the bus we resume play and go on to win the conference game 5-1. Michela Schmitz had two hits, Lacy Ekert hit a triple and had 2 rbi's. Ashley threw a great game despite the conditions and K'd 5 batters. The second game was not a good one for the Bison. We lost 6-5 in the last inning after leading the whole game 5-2 and then 5-4. It's the same story for us when we lose. We aren't making the routine plays. We practice and practice situations and are successful in practice but something happens when it becomes game time. We just cannot catch the easy ball and make the easy throw. At times it is somewhat surreal. Billings Senior tomorrow, they are on a 10 game win streak. We are now 4-2 in conference and 5-5 overall.

Saturday 5/4/02- Senior is a very good team. They are very disciplined and very confident in their abilities. They are without a doubt the team to beat at State. We open the game in the first inning with Carrie Conners hitting a double. Megan Schmitz sacrifice bunts her to second and Ashley Thatcher knocks her in with a single. I'm thinking "Alright, we are here to play!" Senior answers with 3 runs in the bottom of the 1st inning while sending 7 hitters to the plate. They continue to put runs on the board and continue to shut us down. We are hitting the ball but they are making the plays. We lose 10-1. Kate Sinnott takes the loss and actually didn't throw that poorly. We do not play very good defense behind our pitchers and I feel that it puts unnecessary pressure on them to strike everyone out. Routine grounders aren't routine for us. The second game they  jump on us early but we come back and take the lead 4-3 in the 5th inning. Ashley Thatcher is pitching and we should feel comfortable with a lead with our pitching but the wheels fall off our wagon and we find a way to give the game away. I cannot tell you how frustrated the coaching staff is as well as the players. It is bazaar what happens to us. Poor decisions during the game, bad throws and dropped balls cause us to take another loss. Things that we have practiced and will continue to practice until we get it done right. The State Tournament is where the games really matter. We will have to be playing out best by then. We are now 4-3 in conf. and 5-7 overall. We have Bozeman and Billings West next Thursday. It looks like we will be forced to practice inside this week because of the weather. Yuck!

Thursday 5/9/02- We had a great, intense week of practice. The girls worked very hard and we, as coaches, pushed them just as hard. We agreed that mistakes, very simple mistakes will no longer be tolerated. Something has to be done. Playing time lost? Playing a different position? Whatever it takes to get their attention and to get their focus, we will do it! That being said, we took the field against Bozeman in our first game on Thursday. We played flawless. Our pitching was awesome. Kate Sinnott was hitting her spots and mixing them up. She really kept them off balance. Final score, Bison 5 Bozeman 2. Michela Schmitz had 2 hits, Kate had 2 hits and Megan Schimtz, Ashley Thatcher, Sheena Christiaens, Sandy Niemeyer and Molly Sinnott all had one hit apiece. A very good game overall for us. In the second game we came out flat and didn't get the job done. We seem to lose our focus and times and it "costs" us everytime. Billings West is a good team and you can't come out making mistakes. We committed 5 very costly errors. Errors that don't make sense at this stage of the season. Ashley Thatcher threw good enough to win but didn't get the support from the defense. Our offense struggled too, we managed just 2 hits, with Sheena Christiaens and Carrie Conners collecting those. We need to put a couple of games together and get it done. This Saturday we go to Missoula for a triple header against Big Sky, Hellgate and Sentinel.

Saturday 5/11/02- Missoula. We open the day playing Missoula Big Sky. We get to their field only to see that they don't have fences. The Varsity and JV games are played at the same time and are back to back with each other. With no fences, I didn't know what to expect. Amelia Nardinger, one of our pitchers who has been throwing for the JV team, got the start. She did very well pitching and keeping Big Sky off balance. It was a very close game and we won 5-4. Our defense was very good. Sheena Christiaens made numerous plays for us at third and the bottom of the line-up got it done at the plate. We had 8 hits and 6 of them came from our 6-9 hitters. Megan Schmitz is really having fun bunting the ball and using her speed to create problems on the bases. Sandy Niemeyer and Jessica Laabs also collected 2 hits. We had to load up the bus and get over to play Hellgate at McCormick field. Kate Sinnott pitched this game and for the second time out, pitched superb. She notched 7 strike outs and lots of ground balls for outs. She also got it done at the plate by crushing a 3 run homer in the first inning. She and Michela Schmitz were both 2 for 3 at the plate. Also collecting hits were Carrie Conners, Sheena Christiaens,  and  Meghan Schwantes. Sandy Niemeyer was very aggressive on the bases and had numerous collisions throughout the day. I'm hoping she will be okay for next week because I know she will be sore on Sunday. 2 wins and off to Sentinel High School to face the Spartans. This game didn't start out too well. We gave up 2 runs in the first inning. Ashley Thatcher did the pitching and again errors are hurting us. Being down by two didn't faze our girls though. We came back and played very solid. Ashley was in command and the defense stepped it up. We tied the game in the top of the 7th. Sandy Niemeyer led off with a single and Kate Sinnott got  a pinch hit single to follow. Melissa Matteson (a JV player we moved up to play 3rd this game) game through with a bunt single. Sheena Christiaens pinch hit for Molly Sinnott and got on base with an error and we plated the 2 runs necessary to tie the game. In extra innings we played very well. A couple of times they were in a runner at third situation and we held our ground and got out of the inning. In the bottom of the 9th, Sentinel's nine hitter stroked a single and they bunted her to second. Then they bunted her to third(?) Two outs, runner at third and Ashley gets their #3 hitter to pop up to leftfield. Sandy Niemeyer comes running in to catch it and for some freak reason it hits the heel of her glove and she drops it. I can hit 500 balls just like that to her and she won't drop a single one. It was very unfortunate and she felt very bad. It's just one of those unexplainable things. Overall, I was very pleased and proud of our girls. They played very well and at this time of the season, that is very important. CMR next Thursday.

Thursday 5/16/02- CMR 11, GFHS 4. We started this game playing very well and we were really up for the game. Ashley Thatcher started on the mound for us and she was throwing "smoke". CMR scored 1 in the first and we answered with 2 in the bottom of the first. Ashley ripped a 2 run single. Things are looking good for us. We get the score up to 4-1 and then we give up a run for an out. 4-2 and we are still in control. Then the unthinkable happens. The wheels fall off our wagon and we let them back into the game. They put up 7 runs in the 6th inning and we cannot recover. Our girls played their guts out. Megan Schmitz was diving all over the outfield trying to put an end to the inning. Sandy Niemeyer gunned 2 runners out at home only to have the ball knocked loose when the runners collide with Michela Schmitz, our catcher. It was a very tough loss and the girls feel horrible. They are competitors though and will be back. We have Kalispell and Butte this Saturday and then it's time to prepare for STATE. We will be ready to "knock someone off". -Coach O.

Saturday 5/18/02- The Butte trip was bitter-sweet. We opened with Kalispell and they have a sophomore pitcher that is really tough. We played them close for 6 innings, trailing 1-0. Jessica Laabs came up and crushed a double but we failed to bunt her over into scoring position and we ended up leaving her on base. Carrie Conners hit the ball hard all day and came up with nothing. As frustrating as that is, she has to be pleased that she is making solid contact. Kate Sinnott turned in another solid performance pitching but took the loss. In the second game, Ashley Thatcher beat Butte 3-2. This was a good game for us because we were in a very tense situation and came out of it victorious. After trailing the first 6 innings 1-0, we finally got some runners on the bases and Meghan Schwantes stepped up to the plate and delivered a 2 run single. It was a clutch hit and one that we needed very badly. She also laid down a terrific sacrifice bunt. In the 7th inning Butte mounted a comeback and loaded the bases with NO outs! Ashley then struck out the next batter, got the next hitter to hit a ground ball to our third baseman, Sheena Christiaens who made a great play and throw to force the runner out at home and then Ashley got the last hitter to ground out to second base where Jessica Laabs fielded the ball and threw the runner out at first. Whew! Like I said, this was a game that we needed to succeed in because we have been on the other end too many times this year.  Our over all record is now 9-11, not quite what I expected when we started the season but what's done is done. We now move on to the STATE TOURNAMENT in Billings where everyone is 0-0 and everyone starts the tournament hitting .000. I've told the girls that the games that count are coming and that we need to prepare to play our very best. - Coach O.

Thursday 5/23/02- We open the tournament with Helena High. I don't know much about them except that they have a real good pitcher in Amy Brooks. To make a long story short I'll jump right to the 7th inning. We are down 1-0 and Kate Sinnott is pitching a great game but we can't generate any runs. Sheena Christiaens (our third baseman) leads off and grounds out to the third base. One out. Jessica Laabs strikes out but the catcher drops the ball and has to throw Jessica out at firstbase. Two outs.  Sandy Niemeyer comes to the plate and draws a walk. Brooks throws her 4 straight balls! My coaches want to pinch hit Sara Aspinwall. Sara has been very successful on the J.V. team so I listen to them and Sara makes her first ever Varsity appearance. She proceeds to "rip" a single up the middle and Sandy hits second and takes off for third. The centerfielder throws the ball in and it gets away, Sandy scores the tying run. Aspinwall moves to second. Carrie Conners now comes to the plate and gets on with an error by the second baseman. Aspinwall at third, Conners at first, two outs. I give Conners the steal sign and she takes second base without Helena making a play on her. With two outs and runners on second and third Megan Schmitz, our senior shortstop, comes to the plate and hits a hard ground ball up the middle. Brooks catches it but falls to her knees. Megan, who is very fast, beats the throw to first and the first baseman lets the ball get away. Aspinwall scores the winning run. Bison 2 - Helena High 1! What a come back!

Game 2- We now have to face Kalispell. Kalispell is the #1 seed in the Western Conference. We lost to them in Butte a week before the State Tournament. Kalispell has a sophomore pitcher names Lorenz who is very good. Lorenz is throwing a perfect game against us for 4 innings. We cannot get anyone on base. Kalispell scores early in the first and lead 1-0. In the 5th inning we start to put the ball in play, Ashley Thatcher rips a pitch that bounces over the fence for a ground rule double. Kate Sinnott gets on with a fielders choice when she bunts the ball and Kalispell tries to make a play on Ashley at third but fail.  Our next hitter, Sheena Christiaens strikes out. Jessica Laabs rips a double, Molly Sinnott hits a single, Carrie Conners gets on with an error and when all is done, we are leading now 4-1. Kate Sinnott is pitching and she doesn't allow anyone on base as we win our second game of the day. Yahoo!

Game 3- It is Friday and we are playing Butte at 1:00. Butte is the #3 seed in the western conference. Butte puts up 2 runs in the first and we are down early in the game. In the 4th, Megan Schmitz gets on with an error and we bunt her down to second. Ashley Thatcher get on with a fielders choice and then Kate rips a single. Sheena Christiaens comes up and rips a single to score two and the game is tied. We shut down Butte and in the 6th we score 1. Ashley Thatcher gets on with a fielders choice and Sheena Christiaens hits her in again. We win 3-2. Another "come from behind" victory. The girls are not giving up!

Game 4- It's Friday night and we face the other undefeated team in Billings Senior. Senior has only been beat twice this year and they have a very seasoned team with 9 seniors on the team. Ashley Thatcher starts the game for us at Pitcher and she is on fire. She is mowing them down and we are making all the plays behind her. By the 5th inning it is still 0-0 and we just got out of a bases loaded, no out jam in the 4th inning. Whew! Anyway, in the top of the 5th, Jessica Laabs leads off with a single and we bunt her to second. Molly Sinnott steps up and with 2 strikes, rips a double down the leftfield line. Carrie Conners pops up to second and we have two outs. Megan Schmitz doubles, Michela Schmitz doubles, Ashley Thatcher singles, Kate Sinnott doubles and now it is 5-0 for the Bison. Senior comes right back though and puts up 4 runs in the bottom of the 5th. Nothing comes easy. I bring in Kate to relieve Ashley and Kate shuts them down. We win 5-4 and the Bison are in the Championship game for the first time in history! It was the best feeling ever!

Championship Game- Senior came back through the losers bracket to face us again. We are feeling really good about our chances because whoever we face they have to beat us twice to be the champions. To be honest with you, I was hoping Kalispell would knock off Senior because they would be out of pitching and we would have an advantage. But Senior showed why they've only lost 3 games all year. Senior beat Kalispell 1-0. In the championship game Senior hits the ball hard all over and we hit the ball hard right at people. Senior started a sophomore pitcher and she kept us off balance. We didn't get a hit off her and we lost 4-0. The next game (the final) Senior comes out again and hits very well. We cannot keep up with them and we lose 6-1. It was a very tough day for us but I give Billings Senior credit. They earned it. We didn't win but it wasn't because we gave the games away. Our girls played very hard and very good. We just came up short. There were lots of tears and broken hearts but we never lost our spirit. The Bison Softball girls are all warriors. The came to play and that's just what they did. I am very proud of all the girls. They showed what happens when you work hard and stay focused. We lose two great Senior player in Kate Sinnott and Megan Schmitz. Thank you girls for all that you've done for this program. We know what it taste like and next year we want another opportunity to play for the title. - Coach "O"