Home cookin'
<p>Danielle Richwine ropes a double against Florence.</p>
<p>Senior Ashleigh Lynch and the rest of the Ronan Maidens are all smiles after winning the Western B-C divisional tournament. Lynch starred in every facet of the game in the upset of Florence, going 3-for-4 at the plate, collecting three steals on the basepaths and playing defense in center field that her coach called "unbelievable."</p>
RONAN – In an early hole against the defending state champion Florence Falcons, nobody would’ve held it against the young Ronan Maidens softball team if they faltered in the heat of the moment.
But thoughts of defeat never appeared to cross their minds, as head coach Brad Benson’s team (19-5) played inspired ball to emerge with a 7-5 win and a divisional title.
“They played great - defensively, offensively, pitching, baserunning….” said Benson.
“I’m still on the high. It felt pretty good.”
Though Benson emphasized that the victory was the product of a complete team effort, special recognition was given to Samantha Colman, who pitched valiantly in relief and earned the win.
Colman entered in the third inning, with the Maidens trailing 4-3 and the Falcons settling into a groove after chasing Ronan starter Alaina Madsen. That momentum would be almost instantly reversed, however, with the Falcons totaling just two hits the rest of the way.
Colman had plenty of help from her defense, which made outs when they mattered most.
“The defense stood behind Sammy and made all of the plays,” Benson said.
Center fielder Ashleigh Lynch, the team’s lone senior, certainly provided her share of defensive heroics, making some catches that Benson simply described as “unbelievable.”
Earlier in the tournament, Lynch turned in another highlight reel grab when she robbed a home run against Mission-Arlee-Charlo.
While the Falcons’ offense was sputtering, the Maidens delivered clutch hits that put the team in position to win. Freshman Jordyn Clairmont would deliver the decisive blow when her three-run double in the fourth gave Ronan a lead they would not relinquish.
Lynch and Danielle Richwine each went 3-for-4 in the championship game for the Maidens.
Benson says his team’s offense has been clicking ever since the lineup was shuffled to put more speed at the top of the batting order. Benson plans to stick with that approach in the state tournament, where he is prepared to use the Maidens’ speed to manufacture runs if necessary.
Though pleased with the weekend’s upset of Florence, Benson is not satisfied, and is challenging his team to “go for it all.”
“We know we can do it. It’s just a matter of if we stay focused.”