Page 72 - Flathead Beacon // 6_10_15

BESTOFPREPS BY DILLON TABISH // PHOTOS BY GREG LINDSTROM
ALI WILLIAMS
SCHOOL: GLACIER
CLASS: JUNIOR
HIGHLIGHTS: Ali struck out 272 batters in 154 innings and notched a 1.36 ERA and 20-3 record as Glacier’s all-state ace, leading the Wolfpack to the program’s first softball championship.
THIS WAS MORE THAN A BREAKOUT SEASON FOR
Ali. This was a tireless campaign of staggering brilliance. Glacier’s right-handed ace stormed through spring, striking out 272 batters in 154 innings, an average of 12 per seven innings. She achieved four no-hitters and 19 complete games. Her ERA was a mere 1.36 and her record had only three losses alongside 20 wins. Ali pitched every inning of every game at the Class AA state tournament, striking out 43 batters in 28 in- nings over three days as Glacier captured its first championship. She helped herself out from the batter’s box all season, batting .459 with
11 homeruns and 31 RBI. She and her catcher, Christine Connolly, had practiced all season how they would celebrate winning the championship if it ever happened. “We told each other, we’re going to win this. This is our year,” Ali says. With the victory sealed, Ali bear-hugged Christine and held her in the air as jubilation erupted at the end of an unforgettable season.
SPRING EDITION // JUNE 10, 2015