BILLINGS — Contrasting finishes helped Shepherd and Florence advance to Friday's undefeated semifinal during the Class B/C state softball tournament at Stewart Park.
Due to the threat of stormy weather on Saturday, tournament officials have condensed the event into a two-day tourney instead of three. Shepherd and Florence were scheduled to play winners-bracket games Friday morning but worked them in Thursday night, along with a pair of loser-out games.
Friday's undefeated semifinal is set for noon. The championship is scheduled for 4 p.m. with an if-necessary to follow.
WATCH highlights of Thursday's second-round winner games:
Florence jumped on top of Manhattan 4-0 after an early three-run homer from pitcher Jaden Fischer. The teams traded edge-of-your-seat leads throughout, before Florence delivered the game-winner in the bottom of the seventh for a 9-8 victory.
Shepherd, aiming for its second straight unbeaten season and state title, had no trouble with Three Forks, scoring four in the first inning and completing a 10-0 run-rule win in the fifth.
Photos: Day 1 of the 2026 Class B/C state softball tournament in Billings
Shepherd's girls were locked into a tight game with St. Ignatius-Arlee-Charlo in their tournament opener before exploding late for an 11-1 win in six innings. Florence won it's opening game 7-4 over Glasgow.
Latest tournament scores and pairings can be found here.
