Maidens suffer pair of extra-inning losses
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RONAN — The Ronan Maidens let the perfect chance to get back in the Northwestern A conference race slip through their fingers Tuesday.
After fighting back to tie the Libby Lady Loggers in the eighth inning, the Maidens committed three errors in the ninth inning, leading to two Libby runs to gift wrap a 3-1 conference victory for the Lady Loggers.
It was the second time in the week the Maidens had fought back to tie the game, only to lose it in extra innings with errors playing a major role in the final inning. Tuesday in a 6-5 loss to Stevensville, the Maidens scored two runs in the seventh inning to force the game into extra innings only to watch the decisive run come home on an error in the bottom on the eighth.
After watching his team commit four errors and fall to 0-4 in the conference, Ronan coach Tom Peterson couldn’t hide his disappointment.
“It’s so frustrating. That’s the number two team in the conference and we should have beaten them twice, now. It’s all because of the little things. It’s so frustrating,” Peterson said. “I don’t know if we should have beat them, but we could have beat them. I think we have something like nine errors in the two games.”
What adds to Peterson’s frustration is that he watched his defense make the spectacular play only to struggle with the routine. Maiden catcher Katie Andrews caught a bunt and threw out the go-ahead run at third to end the fifth inning and keep the game scoreless. The Maidens had a double play in the ninth inning and looked like they were going to get out of another jam, but Lady Logger shortstop Alyssa Martin, who scored the games first run in the eighth inning after reaching on an error, doubled for the second time in the game to knock in the go-ahead run. The Loggers would add an insurance run after another Maiden error.
“We are so close. It’s so frustrating. But these girls don’t rollover. They compete. If we could just make the routine plays,” Peterson said. “We’re a dang good team. We just can’t make the routine play consistently.”
After falling behind 0-1, Maiden right fielder Claire Frank started a two-out rally with a single. It was the Maidens’ first hit since the second inning. Andrews moved her to third with a single and Maiden ace Bethany Colman drove her in with a single to tie the game. With the winning run on third base Payge Delaurenti drove the ball to right field, but the wind held it up long enough for the outfielder to get under it.
The Maidens flirted with disaster the entire game. In the top of the second with runners on second and third and one out, Colman worked herself out of a jam by striking out the side. In the top of the fifth, they used a double play to get out of a jam and in the sixth inning they got out of a base-loaded, no-out, jam.
The Maidens had a 3-0 lead on the Lady Yellowjacekts in the fourth, when Stevi pitcher Maddie Jones cut into the lead with a two-run homer. They tied it up in the fifth and took a two-run lead in the sixth.
After falling behind, Maiden leadoff hitter Lindsay Clairmont started the seventh with a walk. Andrews was hit by a pitch. Brittani Clairmont drove Lindsay in with a sacrifice and Andrews tied it up after a Yellowjacket error, when Delaurenti put the ball in play.
In the bottom of the eight, the Maidens decided to intentionally walk Jones to start the inning and then had to watch her come around to score after two errors.
The Maidens only had two hits in the game. Chelsey Bourdon had a RBI single in the third and Colman had a RBI in the first.
Colman struck out 16 Yellowjackets and only issued two walks – both walks were intentional walks to Jones.
“She (Colman) did more than enough for us to win. We just had five errors and that killed us. Every game that kills us. It’s the same old story, different day. We just make the little mistakes,” Peterson said.
The Maidens will travel to Butte for a tournament this weekend. Their first game will be Friday at 10 a.m. against Fergus.
Summary
Stevensville 6, Ronan 5
Ronan 100 200 20–5 2 5
Stevi 000 212 01–6 7 4
Bethany Colman and Katie Andrews. Maddie Jones and Courtney Cockroft. W - Jones (2-9). L - Colman
RONAN - Lindsay Clairmont 0-3, Abby Luke 0-3, Andrews 0-1, Colman 1-4, Payge Delaurenti 0-4, Brittani Clairmont 0-1, Courtney Clairmont 0-4, Chelsey Bourdon 1-4, Mackenzie Middleton 0-4.
STEVENSVILLE - Bailey Vercruyssen 1-4, Jessica Deipstraten 1-4, Jones 1-4, Ashley Reid 1-3, Ashley Reid 1-3, Ashlie Larum 2-4, Cockroft 1-4, Jade Stordahl 0-3, Makaela Hallenbeck 1-3, Kilee Bartschi 0-3.
Libby 3, Ronan 1
Libby 000 000 012–3 10 2
Ronan 000 000 010–1 7 4
Taylor Armstrong and Lexi Hageness. Bethany Colman and Katie Andrews. W - Armstrong. L - Colman (3-7).
LIBBY - Jaime Gilden 0-5, Alyssa Walker 3-5, Hageness 1-5, Alysha Martin 2-5, Kim Tangen 1-5, Candace Hendrickson 1-5, LaRona Luscher 1-4, Taylor Barton 0-4, Emily Monroe 1-4.
RONAN - Lindsay Clairmont 0-4, Claire Frank 1-4, Andrews 1-4, Payge Delaurenti 0-4, Brittani Clairmont 0-4, Abby Luke 1-4, Chelsey Bourdon 2-4, Mackenzie Middleton 0-4.
