The bats were cold. The spirits were discouraged. The season dwindled down to the final two outs.

But Meg Hornby and the Glacier Wolfpack weren’t done yet.

With the tying run on third base in the top of the seventh, Hornby lined a pitch past the third-baseman and set up the eventual game-winner. Alivia Atlee belted a two-run double that proved to be the deciding runs in Glacier’s thrilling 4-3 victory over Billings West on Friday evening in the loser-out bracket of the Class AA state softball tournament at Kidsports Complex.

“I could see frustration building with (Hornby) today,” Glacier head coach Andy Fors said. “She struggled a little bit earlier but there wasn’t a hopeless look in her eyes. She wanted another at bat. She was eager for another opportunity and she stepped up and got one.”

The defending state champs advanced to Saturday’s third-place game against Great Falls with the title still within reach. The teams square off at 10 a.m. at Kidsports Complex. The winner advances to the state championship game against Great Falls C.M. Russell at noon and must beat the Rustlers twice.

This Glacier team is truly battle-tested after a grueling day at the softball fields.

After losing narrowly to Great Falls C.M. Russell earlier in the day, the Wolfpack rallied back to defeat Helena Capital 1-0 before taking on Billings West for the second time in as many days.

But unlike the opening round, when Glacier tallied six runs on eight hits, the Pack bats were cold. In 20 innings spanning three games, Glacier managed only 10 hits. The offense stalled against West as the Lady Bears chipped away at Glacier ace Ali Williams, who pitched 28 innings in less than 24 hours from Thursday night through Friday.

Billings West jumped ahead 2-1 late in the loser-out game and stifled Glacier’s rally attempt in the sixth, when the Pack failed to score after putting two runners on with no outs.

Entering the seventh inning with the season on the line, Glacier was desperate for something, anything.

That’s when leadoff batter Emma Shew knocked a double, providing a sudden spark. Freshman Kali Gulick advanced Shew to third with a sacrifice before Hornby showed up to the plate and notched her first hit of the state tournament, the “most exciting” of her life, she said.

“I had a lot of pressure but knew that if I hit it, more runs would come in,” she said. “Once one person starts hitting, then all of us are more pumped up and then all of us start hitting.”

Atlee proved her teammate right, stepping up with two outs and the game tied at 2-all. She blasted a pitch to left-center field, knocking in two runs.

“Honestly, I couldn’t have done it without my teammates. You don’t get that support anywhere else, somebody believing in you that much and somebody having so much faith in you,” she said.

“Seeing Emma start that off with the line drive. Then Meg. That fire that makes you want to produce for your team.”

Billings West scored a run with two outs in the bottom of the seventh before Glacier closed it out, extending the season for one final day.

“When you get in games like that, especially with the lack of hitting we saw in the first two games of the day, some of the hope starts to dissipate,” Fors said. “But they proved me wrong and they showed how much grit and toughness they have. Being able to stick it out over the course of the day, third game of the day, to be able to come up with that in late innings against a dang good team, that’s just toughness.”

Fors said Friday’s exciting comeback ranked up there among his all-time favorites in softball.

“As much as I enjoyed winning that title last year, watching them come back in this game after the day we’ve had, that’s an all-time high for me in softball,” he said.

“They’ve had to fight for it this year.”

On the other side of the field, a true Montana legend coached his final high school softball game.

Billings West head coach Ed Kriskovich said he was done coaching after Friday’s elimination game. This was his 31^st season coaching softball at Billings West, dating back to when the program was formed in 1986. Every year since then the Lady Bears advanced to the state tournament and in April Kriskovich picked up his 500^th win. Billings West won three state titles under Kriskovich, in 1989, 2010 and 2014.

“I’ve given most of my time to kids. I think I owe (my wife) something for the years she supported me,” he said, referencing his wife of 53 years, Colleen.

“There’s something special about all kids. They had heart. They didn’t give up. They came back. There’s never a dull moment with kids … They have worked very hard at what they did and it’s been a blessing to have them, it’s my blessing.”

Fors described Kriskovich as an icon of Montana softball.

“For me, it’s an honor to even be on the field with him. The guy is Montana softball,” Fors said. “I hope he and Billings West and all of the softball community know how much he is appreciated and what he has done for the sport.”

State Softball

Glacier 4, Billings West 3

Glacier 001 000 3 — 4 7 2
West 101 000 1 — 3 7 1

Ali Williams and Christine Connolly (G). Kendyl Boltz and Kylee Koch (BW). W — Williams. L — Boltz.

GLACIER — Anna Schrade 1-4, Erin McHugh 1-4, Williams 1-2, Alivia Atlee 1-3, Connolly 0-4, Christina DuFour 1-3, Emma Shew 1-3, Kali Gulick 0-2, Meg Hornby 1-2.

BILLINGS WEST — MacKenzie Mayhood 2-4, Cody Rogers 1-2, Sophie Richardson 2-4, Boltz 0-4, Jenna Craigwick 0-3, Koch 2-3, Madison Harris 2-3, Kira Drake 0-3, Alexis Ford 0-3.

2B — McHugh, Williams, Atlee, Shew, Hornby (G); Koch 2, Mayhood (BW). HR — Rogers (BW). RBIs — Atlee 2, McHugh, Hornby (G); Richardson 2, Rogers (BW).

First round
Great Falls 14, Capital 13

Capital 110 470 0 — 13 14 1
Great Falls 034 700 x — 14 10 1

Toree Rensmon, Nicole Ames (4), Rensmon (5) and Rena Belcourt. Erin Hocker, Molly Schmitz (4) and McKenzie Staats.

CAPITAL — Kamrin Rosling 0-4, Madi Quick 1-4, Taylor Mathews 2-4, Shelby Martin 1-4, Jaley Priddy 2-4, Emily Hill 2-4, Caroline Rosling 2-4, Rensmon 2-4, Belcourt 2-4.

GREAT FALLS — Marihelen Held 0-4, Madylynn Ray 0-2, Tanaya Krenik 1-4, Cayley Bushong 2-3, Staats 2-4, Schmitz 3-4, Sarah Conway 1-3, Hocker 0-1, Veda Root 1-3.

2B—Rensmon, Belcourt. Staats. HR—Hill, Priddy, C. Rosling, Rensmon. Conway, Bushong, Schmitz. RBIs—Quick 1, Mathews 3, Priddy 3, Hill 1, Rosling 1, Rensmon 3, Belcourt 1. Krenik 1, Bushong 3, Staats 1, Schmitz 3, Conway 3, Hocker 1, Root 2.

Big Sky 7, Senior 1

Senior 000 000 1 — 1 4 0
Big Sky 005 200 x — 7 5 1

Ellie Ostermiller and Kylee Hergenrider. Macey Newbary and Morgan Johnson.

SENIOR — Payton Meyer 0-3, Sydney Norwood 0-3, Brittanee Fisher 0-2, Grace Ostermiller 1-3, Hergenrider 2-3, E. Ostermiller 0-2, Allyssa Treglown 0-3, Lauren Gordon 1-2, Jeanann Lemelin 0-1.

BIG SKY — Newbary 2-3, Kendall Mooney 0-4, Johnson 2-2, Jamie Schafer 0-0, Kendall Rauk 0-3, Chelsea Todd 2-3, Kiley Snow 0-3, Quincy Preston 0-1, Natalie Schwab 0-3.

2B—Newbary, Johnson 2. HR—Hergenrider. Todd. RBIs—Hergenrider. Rauk, Todd 4.

Second round
C.M. Russell 1, Glacier 0

CMR 000 000 1 — 1 2 0
Glacier 000 000 0 — 0 3 1

Courtney Schroeder and Katie Huisman. Ali Williams and Christine Connolly.

CMR — Savanna Voyles 0-2, Brenna Bushard 0-3, Myla Robbins 1-3, Huisman 0-3, Schroeder 0-3, Kayci Edwards 0-3, Julianna Gonzales 0-2, Kierstin Evenson 1-2.

GLACIER — Williams 0-1, Erin McHugh 0-3, Alivia Atlee 1-3, Anna Schrade 0-2, Connolly 1-2, Serra Monroe 0-2, Sarah Stern 0-1, Emma Shew 0-3, Meg Hornby 0-3, Christina DuFour 1-2.

2B—Connolly. HR—Robbins. RBIs—Robbins.

Great Falls 5, Big Sky 4

Big Sky 002 110 0 ­— 4 9 3
Great Falls 000 122 x — 5 6 2

Newbary and Johnson. Hocker and Staats.

BIG SKY — Newbary 1-4, Mooney 1-4, Johnson 3-3, Schafer 2-4, Rauk 1-3, Todd 0-4, Snow 0-3, Preston 1-3, Schwab 0-3.

GREAT FALLS — Held 2-4, Ray 0-3, Krenik 1-3, Bushong 1-3, Staats 0-3, Schmitz 1-3, Hocker 0-3, Conway 0-2, Root 1-2.

2B—Held 2, Krenik, Bushong. 3B—Preston. HR—Johnson 2. RBIs—Johnson 3. Held, Bushong, Root.

Loser-out
West 10, Helena 1

Helena 000 001 0 — 1 4 0
West 034 201 x — 10 7 0

Terra Gilchrist, Julie Shepherd (3) and Jordan Hinman. Kendyl Boltz and Kinzee Koch.

HELENA — Hinman 0-3, Jamie Pickens 0-4, Emma Meredith 1-3, Taryn Holland 2-2, Shepherd 1-3, Hailey Crawford 0-1, Anna Fischer 1-2, Sam Holman 0-2, Addie Slanger 0-2, Vanessa Wash 0-1.

WEST — Mackenzie Mayood 0-4, Cody Rogers 2-3, Lexi Mayhood 2-3, Boltz 0-1, Jenna Cragwick 1-3, Koch 1-3, Madison Harris 1-3, Kira Drake 0-3, Alexis Ford 0-2.

2B—Holland. HR—Holland. L. Mayhood. RBIs—Holland. L. Mayhood 2, Boltz, Harris 2.

Capital 7, Senior 0

Senior 000 000 0 — 0 5 4
Capital 100 132 x — 7 8 0

E. Ostermiller and Hergenrider. Martin and Priddy.

SENIOR — Meyer 1-4, Norwood 0-3, Fisher 0-2, G. Ostermiller 1-3, Hergenrider 0-3, E. Ostermiller 1-3, Treglown 0-3, Gordon 1-2, Lemelin 1-3.

CAPITAL — K. Rosling 1-2, Quick 0-4, Mathews 0-3, Martin 1-3, Priddy 1-3, Hill 1-4, C. Rosling 1-3, Rensmon 3-3, Belcourt 0-3.

2B—Treglown. Priddy, Rensmon. HR—Hill. RBIs—Martin 2, Priddy, Hill, Rensmon.

West 12, Big Sky 9

West 300 303 3 — 12 12 2
Big Sky 300 131 1 — 9 3 4

L. Mayhood and Koch. Newbary, Kaylee Rosenbaum (5) and Johnson.

WEST — M. Mayhood 3-3, Rogers 1-4, L. Mayhood 1-4, Boltz 3-4, Cragwick 0-3, Koch 2-4, Harris 1-3, Drake 1-3, Ford 0-3.

BIG SKY — Newbary 1-2, Brylee Meisinger 0-3, Johnson 0-4, Schafer 0-2, Mooney 1-2, Rauk 0-3, Todd 0-2, Preston 0-2, Schwab 1-2.

2B—M. Mayhood, Boltz, Koch. Schwab. HR—M. Mayhood, Boltz 2. RBIs—M. Mayhood 3, Rogers, Boltz 5, Cragwick, Harris. Mooney, Schwab 2.

Glacier 1, Capital 0

Glacier 010 000 0 — 1 3 0
Capital 000 000 0 — 0 4 0

Williams and Connolly. Martin and Priddy.

GLACIER — Williams 0-3, McHugh 1-3, Atlee 0-3, Schrade 0-3, Connolly 1-3, Monroe 0-2, Sarah Frandsen 0-1, Shew 1-2, Hornby 0-2, DuFour 0-2.

CAPITAL — K. Rosling 1-3, Quick 0-3, Mathews 0-3, Martin 1-3, Priddy 0-3, Hill 1-2, C. Rosling 1-3, Rensmon 0-3, Belcourt 0-2.

2B—McHugh. HR—Connolly. RBI—Connolly.

Semifinals
C.M. Russell 7, Great Falls 6

CMR 010 130 2 ­— 7 11 0
Great Falls 030 003 0 — 6 13 0

Schroeder and Huisman. Hocker and Staats.

CMR — Voyles 1-2, Julia Schearer 0-3, Robbins 1-4, Huisman 4-4, Schroeder 3-4, Edwards 0-3, Bushard 1-1, Gonzales 0-0, Laura Poitra 0-3, Evenson 1-3.

GREAT FALLS — Held 1-4, Ray 2-4, Krenik 1-3, Bushong 3-3, Staats 0-3, Schmitz 2-4, Hocker 1-3, Larocque 0-1, Conway 2-3, Root 1-4.

2B—Huisman 2, Voyles. Schmitz. HR—Huisman, Schroeder. Krenik. RBIs—Huisman 3, Schroeder, Edwards. Ray, Krenik 3, Hocker.