Maidens shut out Frenchtown

FRENCHTOWN — If the girls of the Ronan Maiden softball squad made a point against Polson last week, they sounded off a screaming exclamation point when they left two of last year’s top state contenders with two losses. There’s no question - after a 9-7 win over Corvallis, last year’s No. 3 team at the big show, on Thursday and a 3-0 win over Frenchtown on Saturday – the Maidens made one thing clear: These girls from Ronan are for real.

Weighing the two epic wins is hard, but we’ll start with Corvallis. It was a game that didn’t start well for the Maidens. But what mattered was the end.

After falling behind 5-2 through the first three, anything could have happened. The Maidens could have choked, but they didn’t. They went on to get seven runs to go up by four, a lead they maintained against a team that had no desire to lose at home.

Ronan senior pitcher Kaylee Larson gave up nine hits, but threw 76 strikes to only 38 balls. With the Ronan defense putting up a stand it was no doubt a battle of fielding against the big-time hitters. And in the end, when push came to shove, Ronan emerged the victor. The Maidens did it in clutch fashion. When there were girls on base they scored, four of those runs in the sixth inning. RBI’s from seniors Jordan Strozzi, Dani Crocket, Kelsey Clairmont, who had two, and freshman Lindsey Clairmont complimented doubles by seniors Amanda Bartel and April Soukup, Lindsey and sophomore Katie Andrews over the course of the game.

Against Frenchtown, Ronan gave the Broncs their first loss of the season, knocking them down to a 6-1 record overall. Ronan didn’t commit an error and only let 23 Bronc batters get to the plate. Again, the Maidens rallied behind a defense that started with Kaylee, who struck out four and gave up only four hits. With the exception of the fourth inning when Frenchtown batted five, the Maidens knocked them out quick – three up, and three down – at each at-bat.

“All of the positives go to those girls and how they played,” Ronan head coach Lucky Larson said of his Maidens. “The coaching staff – we were nothing – all of the credit goes to those girls.”

Ronan saved the big bats for late. They weren’t alone at the plate when Strozzi scored the tie-breaking RBI in the fifth – Ronan supporters were there to lend a hand, or at least some yelling.

“Our crowd was down there too,” Larson said. “It was good to see a good fan base. They were hooting and hollering pretty good.”      

Making the victory that much sweeter was the fact Ronan beat the team which had bested Polson’s Lady Pirates the night before. Polson beat Ronan to give them their first loss. Ronan is now 2-0 in conference, 2-1 overall.

Ronan 3, Frenchtown 0

Ronan 000 002 1 - 3 6 0

Frenchtown 000 000 0 - 0 5 0

Kaylee Larson and Jordan Strozzi. Shelby Russ and Kristy Kees. W - Larson (2-1). L - Russ (4-1)

RONAN - Larson 1-3, Kelsey Clairmont 0-3, Strozzi 2-3, April Soukup 1-3, Dani Crockett 0-3, Lindsey Clairmont 0-2, Chelsea Bourdon 0-1, Brit Clairmont 0-1, Mac Middleton 0-0, Amanda Bartel 0-3, Kate Andrews 1-3.

FRENCHTOWN - Erin Maxted 0-2, Russ 2-3, Kees 1-3, Stephanie Klucewich 1-3, Megan Framer 0-3, Aimee Duncan 0-3, Kayla Bordner 0-2, Mariel Maxted 1-2, Jamie Willis 0-1, Kelsey Indreland 0-1.

2B - Russ, Andrews. RBIs - Strozzi.

Ronan 9, Corvallis 7

Ronan 101 214 0 - 9 7 3

Corvallis 302 000 2 - 7 9 5

Kaylee Larson and Jordan Strozzi. Alex Ewing and Korie Conder. W - Larson (1-1). L - Ewing (0-2).

RONAN - Larson 1-1, Kelsey Clairmont 2-5, Strozzi 0-5, April Soukup 1-2, Dani Crockett 0-2, Lindsey Clairmont 1-4, Brit Clairmont 0-3, Amanda Bartell 1-2, Abby Luke 0-1, Katie Andrews 1-3.

CORVALLIS - BriAnna Brawley 0-3, Danielle Morris 0-4, Angie Henderson 1-3, Markie Gurley 3-4, Megan Auch 1-4, Amber Bradshaw 2-4, Korie Conder 1-4, Brittney Montgomery 1-3, Teagan Elliot.

2B - Soukup, Lindsey Clairmont, Bartell, Andrews, Auch. RBIs - Strozzi 1, Crockett 1, Lindsey Clairmont 1, Auch 2, Bradshaw 2; Kelsey Clairmont 2.