The Plains-Hot Springs Trotters now know they belong among the best, and will make another run at advancing on to, and doing well in the 2019 State B-C tournament next season.

With only two seniors – Stacy Gray and Jessica Thompson – being lost to graduation, the young Trotters played well at last week's State B-C tourney in Belgrade but lost 10-7 to Huntley Project Thursday and 8-7 to Cut Bank Friday in loser-out action.

Coach Michele Bangen and her much-better-than-average Trotters complete play with a 17-6 record.

Florence won that school's tenth State B-C title in the 20 years that B-C softball has been played in Montana, defeating Huntley 10-0 in the championship. The fourth place team from the Western B-C tourney, Loyola ended up taking third place at State and Cut Bank finished fourth.

The game with Huntley was going Plains-Hot Springs' way early as Trotters Jessica Thompson and Dakota Butcher each smashed 3-run home runs in the top of the first inning to stake the Trotters out to an early 6-0 lead. Unfortunately for the Trotters, the Red Devils scored four runs in their half of the first inning and four more in the third to take an 8-7 lead and eventually moved to the win.

Kenzie Angle had two hits, including a double, Sydney Jackson also had two hits and Stacy Gray, McKenzie Elliott, Kassidy Kinzie and Sage Jackson added one hit apiece for the Trotters.

Mollee Krum, Amanda Cranford and Tasia Hunter drove in two runs apiece to lead Huntley Project.

The Trotters went through another knock-down, drag-out softball fight in the game with Cut Bank Friday. After falling behind 6-2 early, the P-HS girls rallied to tie the game at 6-6 after six innings and 7-7 after seven to send it into the extra-inning eighth, where the Lady Wolves eventually triumphed.

Statistics from that game were not available.

The Trotters finish season play with the regular season Northern Western B-C championship and a fine 17-6 season record.