BELGRADE – In the top of the fourth inning with the bases loaded, Belgrade senior Heather Gier stepped up to the plate. She let the first pitch from the Maroon’s Kloie Thatcher go, high and outside. The next pitch bounced just inches away from her front foot, ball again. With a 2-0 count and Belgrade up 6-2, Gier settled into the right-handed batters box, waiting Thatchers next move.
The Maroon senior threw one right in the wheel house and Gier pounced, launching the ball deep into right field and over the fence for her first career grand slam.
“I went up to the plate thinking, ‘Just breath, just drive it, just get a base hit. That’s what you need, that’s what you need,'” Gier smiled.
And as she saw that ball take off and begin to round the bases, she couldn’t help but think of all the people who got her to this point.
“I was so excited, I was just like, ‘Yes!’ I was thinking about my mom and my dad and just like everyone in my family and this is a big day for me. It was a great day,” laughed Gier.
Home runs were flying on Saturday morning, Belgrade junior Haylee Curry hit a solo shot and Katie Hoppe had a three-run bomb. Thatcher also had a 2-run homer for Butte Central. And in their earlier 16-1 victory against Dillon, Panther freshman Kenna Thomas went yard.
After being shut out by Butte earlier this week, the Panthers found their swing scoring 31 runs in eight innings during their games in the First Pitch Softball Tournament.
The Panthers are back in action Monday as they take on Helena High on the road. Butte Central has five days off before they travel right back to Belgrade to meet the Panthers once again on Thursday Apr 19.
