Ronan Baseball reels off four straight wins

After opening the week with back-to-back lopsided losses, the Ronan baseball team bounced back in dominant fashion, rattling off four straight victories to improve to 4-3 on the season.

The turnaround began Thursday with a statement win over Troy and continued through Monday with a doubleheader sweep of Browning.

Early stumbles
Ronan’s week began on a tough note at home Monday, April 7, when Columbia Falls blanked the Chiefs 12-0. Despite a 3-for-3 performance from Hunter Luedtke at the plate, Ronan’s offense couldn’t generate any runs and were held to four hits total and committed two errors in the field.

On the mound, Liam Wills got the start, allowing six runs — four earned — over two innings. Ben Mitchell followed with a steadier outing, giving up two earned runs in two innings while striking out two. Chad Higgins closed the game, but Columbia Falls tacked on four more in the fifth to end the game early.

The next day in Eureka, Ronan again ran into trouble, falling 16-1 in three innings. The Lions erupted for eight runs in the first inning and six more in the second. Luedtke doubled and Ben Mitchell added a single, but that was all the offense Ronan could muster.

Luedtke took the loss, allowing 12 runs (seven earned) on six hits and five walks in one inning of work. Kanyon Mock pitched the second inning, surrendering four runs on six hits.

Ronan regroups
The Chiefs returned home Thursday and flipped the script in a 13-3 win over Troy in six innings.

Ronan plated runs in each of the first three innings before exploding for five runs in the fifth and five more in the sixth to secure the run-rule win. Lucas Johnson paced the offense with a 3-for-4 effort, including two doubles and two RBIs. Damien Hess also had a big day, driving in four runs on two hits. Luedtke added two doubles and five RBIs.

On the mound, Wills was dominant. He struck out 14 over five and one-third innings, allowing just two hits and no earned runs. Mock closed the door, recording the final two outs without issue.

Slugfest in Plains

Saturday’s matchup at Plains turned into an offensive showcase, with Ronan coming away with a 15-8 win over Plains-Hot Springs.

After trading runs early, Ronan broke open a 3-2 game with an eight-run fourth inning. The Chiefs added three more in the fifth to put the game out of reach.

Baylan Hess went 2-for-2 with an RBI and a double, while Nathaniel Bisson drove in three runs on a hit and two walks. Luedtke and Wills each knocked in a pair of runs. Treysin Sinclair added two hits, and six different players recorded at least one RBI in the balanced offensive effort.

Mitchell earned the win on the mound, throwing two innings and giving up one earned run while striking out four.

Doubleheader domination

The Chiefs closed out the busy week with two resounding wins over Browning on Monday, April 14.

In the first game at Ronan, the Chiefs scored 12 runs in the bottom of the first inning and cruised to a 16-0, three-inning victory. Wills threw a no-hitter, striking out seven and walking four in three innings of work.

Despite managing just five hits, Ronan capitalized on five Browning errors and multiple walks to push across 16 runs. Luedtke was 2-for-2, Wills added a hit and an RBI, and Baylan Hess contributed a hit and another run batted in.

In the second game, played in Browning, Ronan didn’t let up. The Chiefs plated 10 runs in the first and added six in the second and five more in the third for a 21-2 rout.

Kenner Mock led the offense with a perfect 3-for-3 performance, including an RBI. Gabe Lozeau went 2-for-3 with a double and two RBIs, and Caiden Pierre also doubled and drove in two.

Luedtke and Kevin Pierce combined for the win on the mound, with Luedtke tossing two hitless innings with five strikeouts and Pierce allowing just one hit and two runs over the final inning.

COLUMBIA FALLS 12, RONAN 0

C-Falls - 02424 - 12 - 10 - 0

Ronan - 00000 - 0 - 4 - 2

RONAN HITTING: Hunter Luedtke 3-3, Ben Mitchell 0-3, Liam Wills 0-2, Everett Lozeau 0-2, Denzel Baltz 0-2, Damien Hess 0-2, Treysin Sinclair 1-2, Baylan Hess 0-2; RBI:

RONAN PITCHING: Liam Wills (2IP, 3H, 6R, 4ER, 4BB, 2SO), Ben Mitchell (2IP, 3H, 2R, 2ER, 1BB, 2SO), Chad Higgins (1IP, 4H, 4R, 3ER, 2BB)

EUREKA 16, RONAN 1

Ronan - 100 - 1 - 2 - 3

Eureka - 862 - 16 - 12 - 1

RONAN HITTING: Hunter Luedtke 1-1, Everett Lozeau 0-1, Ben Mitchell 1-2, Liam Wills 0-1, Damien Hess 0-1, Denzel Baltz 0-1, Lucas Johnson 0-1, Treysin Sinclair 0-1, Baylan Hess 0-1; RBI: Wills; 2B: Luedtke

RONAN PITCHING: Hunter Luedtke (1IP, 6H, 12R, 7ER, 5BB, 2SO), Kanyon Mock (1IP, 6H, 4R, 3ER)

RONAN 13, TROY 3

Troy - 100002 - 3 - 3 - 5

Ronan - 120055 - 13 - 10 - 1

RONAN HITTING: Hunter Luedtke 2-4, Liam Wills 0-2, Ben Mitchell 1-3, Damien Hess 2-5, Lucas Johnson 3-4, Denzel Baltz 0-3, Trey Samuel 0-1, Everett Lozeau 1-2, Treysin Sinclair 0-3, Baylan Hess 1-3; RBI: Luedtke 5, Damien Hess 4, Johnson 2; 2B: Luedtke 2, Johnson 2

RONAN PITCHING: Liam Wills (5 and1/3IP, 2H, 3R, 0ER, 1BB, 14SO), Kanyon Mock (2/3IP, 1H, 0R, 1SO)

RONAN 15, PLAINS-HOT SPRINGS 8

Ronan - 2018310 - 15 - 8 - 2

Plains - 1010600 - 8 - 6 - 7

RONAN HITTING: Hunter Luedtke 1-5, Liam Wills 1-4, Treysin Sinclair 2-3, Kingston Elk Shoulder 0-1, Damien Hess 0-4, Everett Lozeau 1-5, Denzel Baltz 0-1, Kenner Mock 0-2, Ben Mitchell 0-2, Nathaniel Bisson 1-2, Baylan Hess 2-2, Gabe Lozeau 0-1; RBI: Luedtke 2, Wills 2, Bisson 3, Baylan Hess; 2B: Baylan Hess

RONAN PITCHING: Ben Mitchell (2IP, 3H, 3R, 1ER, 3BB, 4SO)

RONAN 16, BROWNING 0

Browning - 000 - 0 - 0 - 5

Ronan - (12)4x - 16 - 5 - 0

RONAN HITTING: Hunter Luedtke 2-2, Treysin Sinclair 0-1, Liam Wills 1-1, Everett Lozeau 0-2, Lucas Johnson 0-2, Denzel Baltz 0-1, Kenner Mock 1-1, Ben Mitchell 0-1, Baylan Hess 1-2, Gabe Lozeau 0-1; RBI: Everett Lozeau, Johnson, Denzel Baltz, Mitchell, Damien Hess 2, Baylan Hess

RONAN PITCHING: Liam Wills (3IP, 0H, 0R, 4BB, 7SO)

RONAN 21, BROWNING 2

Ronan - (10)65 - 21 - 9 - 0

Brown - 002 - 2 - 1 - 3

RONAN HITTING: Hunter Luedtke 0-1, Ben Mitchell 1-1, Kingston Elk Shoulder 0-2, Trey Samuel 1-2, Kenner Mock 3-3, Kevin Pierce 0-1, Caiden Pierre 1-3, Gavin Sinclair 1-2, Gabe Lozeau 2-3; RBI: Elk Shoulder, Day, Samsel 2, Kenner Mock, Pierce, Pierre 2, Gabe Lozeau; 2B: Pierre, Gabe Lozeau

RONAN PITCHING: Hunter Luedtke (2IP, 0H, 0R, 3BB, 5SO), Kevin Pierce (1IP, 1H, 2R, 2ER, 2BB, 2SO) 

    Ronan senior Treysin Sinclair leaps for first base in a battle against Troy. (Kaleb Unger/Leader)