East Valley Middle School student Holly Russell never imagined playing varsity softball before entering high school. But that’s exactly where she found herself last weekend as the East Helena High Vigilantes kicked off their season.
“As an eighth grader, no one would expect to be put on a level where you are competing with juniors and seniors,” said Russell, adding that her mentality and approach were crucial. “I have to tell myself that I am now at that level and I just have to work really hard to stay at this level.”
Russell started in the outfield in the team’s first two games – a win over Park High followed by a loss to Havre – and went a solid 2 for 6 with 3 RBIs. Co-head coach Krystal Smith found herself impressed, but not surprised, by Russell’s confident play over the weekend.
“From day one, Holly brought enthusiasm, tremendous effort, and athleticism to the team,” the coach told The Monitor. “She is coachable and works hard during practices. She is quick and her throwing ability is impressive.”
After reaching the State Tournament last season, East Helena softball entered 2026 in a different place, but with many of the same goals. Led by strong hitting and solid pitching, the Vigilantes opened with two wins and a loss over the March 28 weekend, offering an early glimpse of their potential – and potential areas of improvement.
The Vigilantes wasted no time making a statement in their opener last Friday, rolling to a 15-0 win over Park behind a balanced offensive effort and strong pitching that led to an early ending as East Helena reached the 15-run mercy rule.
The conference contest was a rematch of the game that sent East Helena to State last spring, and one that Smith said could act as a barometer of this year’s squad. If accurate, the Vigilantes will be very happy with the results of that early test.
East Helena collected 14 hits in the game, with multiple players contributing throughout the lineup. Junior Sloane Ostby led the way with a 3-for-3 performance at the plate, while freshman Jordan Lamping tossed three scoreless innings.
The next day brought a different kind of test.
On Saturday, East Helena dropped a 12-10 decision to Havre despite another strong hitting performance. The Vigilantes jumped out early, building a 6-1 lead in the first, and later regained control with a 10-6 advantage. But they were unable to close it out.
Havre chipped away late, capitalizing on defensive miscues and timely hitting to erase the deficit and take the lead in the final innings. East Helena finished with 14 hits for the second straight game, with multiple players recording multi-hit performances, and Lamping struck out 11 over seven innings from the mound.
But the Vigilantes bounced back later that same day with a 9-6 win over Beaverhead County, showing resilience after the loss. East Helena fell behind early but answered throughout, taking control with a five-run fourth inning.
Lamping drove in three runs in the win, while co-captain Josie Jerome earned the victory with a complete-game effort on the mound. That three-game stretch reflected what Smith and fellow co-head coach Jayden Quinn have seen in this group early on.
“I think it’s continual progression,” Smith told The Monitor. “Every week, we’re getting better.”
East Helena is navigating more than just a new season. The program is also adjusting to a new coaching structure, with Smith and Quinn sharing head coaching duties after previously working with the program at the junior varsity level.
The transition, Smith said, has been relatively smooth. “I feel like the JV coaches have always played a role in supporting varsity,” Quinn said. “As far as what happens on the field, not much has changed.”
What has changed is the roster. After graduating five seniors last year, the Vigilantes are leaning on younger players like Russell and hoping some step into bigger roles. The 8th grader, varsity outfielder and junior varsity pitcher should probably not expect to start every game, as the squad was missing a returning outfielder opening weekend.
“We’ll continue to move her around, as needed, to provide the best opportunity for the team to be successful,” said Smith.
Still, Russell – one of three EVMS 8th graders playing for the Vigilantes – feels the endless support from the squad, coaches, family and friends helps her to play to her potential. She made a point to credit her more senior teammates.
“If it weren’t for them I don’t know what I would do. If I make a mistake, at least one or two girls try to help me make the adjustment,” she said, adding that her teammates had made her middle school to varsity transition 100 times easier. “I want to thank each and every one of them for their support.”
With just one senior, multiple freshmen and three 8th graders, the lack of varsity-level experience has prompted a new approach. “You reset,” said Quinn. “We don’t worry about who isn’t on the field. You pour into the girls that are here and willing to show up every day. That’s where your focus has to be.”
As a result, some underclasswomen are emerging as team leaders. Catcher Stu Rogers, an EHHS sophomore, was the only player to collect multiple hits in all three games over the team’s opening weekend, going an impressive 6 for 10 with 4 RBIs.
Against Park and Havre, fellow sophomore Jerome went 4 for 7 with 4 runs scored. One of her personal goals for the season is “being a good leader,” she said. “The younger girls need someone to look up to.”
Fortunately, the blending of athletes from two schools seems to be a runaway success, with the team already starting to meld. East Helena High softball is a cooperative team – a relatively common solution in population-poor Montana – that includes six players from Jefferson High, some 25 miles south in Boulder.
They all skip their last JHS class of the day and ride a bus to practice in East Helena. “It’s a lot, but it’s worth it,” said Jefferson High junior and team co-captain Glory Tietje, highlighting the team’s strong bond.
“We get to travel together, and that helps build connections,” she added. “And playing with the East Helena girls, it honestly feels like I go to the school.”
Pitcher and shortstop Jerome, an East Helena High sophomore, felt much the same. “It’s definitely fun getting to play with girls we don’t get to spend our entire day with,” she said.
Quinn underscored just how much the East Helena High Vigilantes need their Jefferson High teammates. “If we didn’t have them, we wouldn’t have a varsity squad right now,” she said. “They’re carrying a big weight on their shoulders this year.”
Tietje doesn’t view it as a burden at all. “All of us are really close,” she said. “There’s no drama. We all support each other.”
That chemistry will be crucial as the Vigilantes develop. East Helena’s mainly underclass lineup puts added emphasis on leadership from players like Jerome.
“I don’t think one person can do it,” she said. “It’s going to take all of us to get to where we want to go.”
While the team may look different than last year’s State qualifier, the expectations remain.
“Our goal is to get back there,” Smith said. “It might take some time, but we want to be playing our best softball by the end of the season.”
The Vigilantes know they can score runs and compete with strong opponents. The next step is finding consistency as a younger group gains experience.
“Our model this year is commit, connect, compete,” Quinn said. “We want to commit to what we’re doing, connect as a team and then go out and compete every pitch and every play.”
If the season’s first few games taught Russell anything, it’s humility.
“I have a lot, and I mean a lot, to work on,” she admitted, adding that she hoped to “learn to brush off the things I make mistakes on and just ask for help and ask questions.”
Through the first weekend, the Vigilantes have already started to show what success, and growth, might look like. “We’re all really hyped up,” said Tietje.
