East Helena slips past Maroons in softball regular season finale
University of Providence signee and present-day East Helena pitcher Belle Surginer blasted a three-run homer in the third inning and the Butte Central Maroons were unable to overcome the deficit, falling 9-5 to the East Helena Vigilantes Tuesday evening at Stodden Park. This was the regular season finale for the Maroons who honored their 4 seniors in a pregame ceremony.
SURGINER LEADS VIGILANTE ATTACK
Surginer also had a fine game on the mound for the Vigilantes getting out of a bases-loaded jam in the first without allowing a run and striking out 5 through the first 4 innings while only giving up 3 hits before a Brooke Badovinac double would score 2 of the Maroons 5 runs in the stanza. The 5 runs scored would be all that the Maroons would get on the afternoon and would cut the Vigilante lead to 7-5 but East Helena would tack on insurance runs in the 6th and 7th leading to the 9-5 final score. Badovinac blasted two doubles in the contest and was walked twice.
SENIORS HONORED
In a pregame ceremony the team honored their 4 seniors including Jaeden Berger, Hattie Mehring, Mia Keeley and Badovinac. The four played together all through their Little League and Magic Softball years and became members of Coach Chunky Thatcher's team the first year he was head coach. The players were joined by their parents and close family members where they reminisced about the highs and the lows that were shared between them as they were presented with flowers and greeted by applause from the many in the stands. Especially touching was Mehring's dedication of the game to her recently deceased Papa, Marty Heaney.
The Maroons will compete in the Western A Divisional Softball Tournament this Friday and Saturday in Frenchtown.
Butte's Ghost Signs Part 1
"Ghost Signs" of Uptown Butte Part 2
Five Things You Must See When Visiting Butte, Montana