Maidens come up short in two crucial conference clashes

The Ronan softball team suffered a pair of tough losses last week, 11-1 at home against Libby on Tuesday and 12-3 at Columbia Falls on Thursday.

At Columbia Falls, the Maidens (4-10) jumped out to a three-run lead, thanks in part to a Macao Jackson homer in the third. The WildKats (10-9) chipped away at the lead with runs in each of their next two frames, then blew the game wide open with 10 runs in the bottom of the fifth.

Earlier in the week against Libby, the visiting Lady Loggers plated runs every inning, compounded by Maiden fielding miscues and quiet bats. Libby had barely edged the Maidens by a single run the last time they faced one another, emerging with a two out walk-off win.

The twin losses leave Ronan's postseason berth prospects in other hands. The Maidens must win all their remaining conference contests, while relying on Browning to take one of the remaining games from the WildKats of Columbia Falls. Ronan will compete at the LaVerne Combo Invitational in Butte this weekend, then travel to Polson on Tuesday, May 18.

Columbia Falls 12, Ronan 3

Ronan 003 00( 0 ) 0 – 3 4 2

C-Falls 001 10(10) x – 12 14 1

Sydney Mann (8K,2H,4W), (6) Maddie Moultray (3K,2H,2W) and Abbie Darsow. Macao Jackson (3K,3W) and Maddy Miller W – Moultray (2-2). L – Jackson (3-7).

RONAN – Brogan Youngren 1-3, Lexi Wirz 1-4, Jackson 2-3, Kiara Sherman 0-2, Tyariah Morigeau 0-2 Ashlie Welker 0-4, Aly Mock 0-2, Haylie Webster 0-2, Mira Corum 0-2, Julia Daley 0-2, (flex) Miller, (cr): Harlee Stokes.

COLUMBIA FALLS – Mann 1-3, Underdahl 1-3, Alyssa Blankenship 1-3, McKenna Rensel 1-4, Aspen Dawson 1-4, Darsow 1-2, Aletheia Fisher 2-4, Haylee Lawrence 3-4, Izzy Johnson 2-4, (flex) Hayden Peters, (cr): Demye Rensel, Kylee Stacy.

HR – Jackson. 3B – Mann, Johnson. 2B – Underdahl. RBIs – Jackson 3; Blankenship, Fisher 2, Johnson 3, Lawrence 3, M.Rensel 2. SH – Mann. BB – Youngren, Jackson, Mock, Webster, Corum, Daley; Underdahl, Blankenship, Darsow. HB – Darsow.

Libby 11, Ronan 1

Ronan (1-3, 4-9), Libby (5-2, 9-6)

Libby 112 322 – 11 15 2

Ronan 000 001 – 1 4 5

Macao Jackson (5K,3W,1HB,1A) and Maddy Miller. Taylor Munro and Destiny Crawford. W – Munro. L – Jackson (3-6).

LIBBY – Courtney Benson 1-3, Bethany Thomas 2-4, Lyndee McElmurry 3-5, Taylor Munro 2-4, Kinzie Boehmler 0-3, Destiny Crawford 3-4, Jossayn White 3-3, Aren James 1-3, Sidney Rusdal 0-4, (flex) Kayley Svendsbye, (cr) Paislee McDonald.

RONAN – Julia Daley 0-1, Lexi Wirz 0-1, Brogan Youngren 1-2, Jackson 0-3, Kiara Sherman 2-3, Ashlie Welker 0-3, Mira Corum 0-2, Aly Mock 1-1, Tyariah Morigeau 0-1, Miller 0-2, Haylie Webster 0-1,

HR – Thomas, White. 3B – Sherman. 2B – Crawford, White. RBIs –Benson, Thomas, McElmurry 2, Munro, Crawford, White 4; Sherman. SH – Benson, White. BB – Daley, Webster. HB – Boehmler.