Maidens fall to Florence in state championship
GREAT FALLS — For the second straight weekend, the rivalry between the Ronan Maidens and the Florence Falcons provided great theater for softball fans, as the teams battled for the Montana B-C state title Saturday in Great Falls. Despite having beaten the defending-champion Falcons in a divisional showdown just a week prior, the Maidens were unable to recapture the magic, falling 6-2 in the title game.
“It’s tough,” head coach Brad Benson said of losing to a team that the Maidens had beaten three times this year.
However, Benson said that the positives from the season far outweigh the sting of defeat.
“I’m really proud of what we did and what we accomplished this year,” Benson said.
“We’re happy but we’re not satisfied,” he added, indicating his team’s willingness to improve in the offseason.
The Maidens’ first loss of the double-elimination tournament had also come to the Falcons, who drew first blood in a 10-6 semifinal win. Ronan rebounded from the setback by trouncing Columbus, 9-1, to earn a rematch against Florence for all the marbles.
Though it wasn’t the outcome the Maidens had hoped for, the second-place finish does not negate what was an overwhelmingly positive weekend of softball for the Maidens. In Ronan’s three games played against teams other than Florence, they outscored their opponents by a staggering margin of 49-10.
“[The blowouts were] surprising with this caliber of play,” said Benson. “It’s the state tournament – you don’t give up.”
Box scores
Class B-C softball championship: Florence-Carlton 6, Ronan 2
Ronan 200 000 0 — 2 9 2
Florence 200 112 X — 6 9 5
Samantha Colman and Kaitlyn Sassaman. Courtney Byrne, Megan Byrne (4) and Paige Bodner. W—M. Byrne. L—Colman.
Ronan—Ashleigh Lynch 2-4, Samantha Colman 1-4, Jordyn Clairmont 2-3, McKenzie Dulmes 1-4, Kaitlyyn Sassaman 1-4, Kendra Starkel 1-3, Danielle Richwine 0-3, Madison Barber 0-3, Amanda Morency 1-3, Courtney Taylor 0-0.
Florence-Carlton—Megan Byrne 2-4, Paige Bodner 1-4, Courtnet Byrne 1-3, Hayley Cole 2-3, Micayla Cole 0-2, Cassandra Skeers 0-2, Stephanie Drozdz 1-3, Hailey Huot 1-2, Holly Hale 1-3.
2B—Starkel, M. Byrne, Cole, Drozdz, Huot. 3B—Bodner.
Semifinal: Ronan 9, Columbus-Abasarokee 1
Col-Abs 000 100 0 – 1 7 4
Ronan 131 202 X – 9 13 0
Hailee Gregerson, Kayla Braden (2) and Hannah Hedtke. Alaina Madsen and Kaitlyyn Sassaman. W—Madsen. L—Gregerson.
Columbus-Absarokee – Liz Evans 0-4, Shayna Howell 1-4, Hailee Gregerson 0-1, Kayla Braden 1-1, Rachelle Blenker 1-3, Taylor Schultz 1-3, Hannah Hedtke 1-3, Madison Sheppard 1-3, Mykaila Berry 1-3, Maci Sheppard 0-2, Jerrica Seabrook 0-0.
Ronan – Ashleigh Lynch 2-4, Alaina Madsen 2-3, Jordyn Clairmont 1-3, McKenzie Dulmes 2-4, Kaitlyyn Sassaman 0-2, Kendra Starkel 1-4, Danielle Richwine 2-4, Madison Barber 2-4, Courtney Taylor 1-2.
2B—Hedtke, Lynch. RBI—Blenker, Lynch, Madsen, Dulmes 2, Sassaman, Starkel, Richwine 2, Barber.