RONAN — Like many good things do, the Ronan Maidens’ week of softball began with a ceremony.

Before they hosted Anaconda on Thursday, the Maidens dedicated their season to the remembrance of former Maiden Allison Crenshaw, who passed away in a tragic car accident shortly after she graduated last year.

Allison’s family was on hand to throw the first pitch and make it official: the Maidens played ball for Allison this season.

Allison played all four years of high school with the team.

It was an emotional and powerful scene.

“And that really got us motivated, let me tell you,” Ronan head coach Lucky Larson said.

The Maidens scored five runs in the second inning, led by seniors Kaylee Larson and Jordan Strozzi.

Kaylee singled for two runs and Strozzi added a 2-run dinger - all after the team fell to two outs.

With fans lining the fences and Allison on the mind, the Maidens met the call and finished things 9-7, cutting a late Anaconda push short.

“Who’s not going to come to play in a game like that?” Lucky asked.

Not the Maidens and not Strozzi, who added a late 2-run homer in the sixth. Combined with good all-around play and a 1-run homer by junior Chelsey Bourdon, the effort kept the score on the Maidens’ side until the end.

Ronan split Friday’s games, with a 10-5 win over Hamilton to complete a season sweep of the Broncs and a 4-2 loss to Corvallis. Hosting Hamilton, Ronan started things with four early runs. Senior April Soukup drove in the first two then sophomore Katelyn Andrews scored Soukup with a double. Andrews found home on an error to complete a strong first inning for the Maidens.

In the later game that day, the Blue Devils just snuck by.

 After striking first, the Maidens couldn’t answer Corvallis’ four runs in the fifth.

“It was a great ball game,” Lucky said. “We just couldn’t get the timely hit when we needed it.”

Ronan left eight runners on base over the course of the game.

A big win on the road at Butte Central on Saturday came down to the wire.

With a run a piece, Ronan didn’t want another loss like the 5-1 defeat Butte dealt them the first time around.

A showdown between Kaylee and Butte’s thrower kept things at a stalemate until the seventh.

Maiden senior Amanda Bartel singled and was replaced by pinch runner junior Makenzie Middleton. Bourdon sacrifice bunted, advancing Middleton.

Senior Dani Crocket scored Middleton with a single for the go-ahead run.

When it was Butte’s turn to bat, catcher Strozzi took advantage of a Butte mistake. Leading off too far, Butte’s runner had to go for second when Strozzi rushed first. Strozzi made the play and the Butte runner was tagged out at second.

A drive snagged up by Andrews in the infield wrapped things up at 2-1 in favor of the visiting Maidens.

Hosting Stevensville for Senior Night on Monday, Ronan honored its nine seniors and beat Stevensville 11-1 in five innings. Kaylee threw a no-hitter in the effort.

Bartel, Kelsey Clairmont, who smacked a double during her sendoff, Crocket, Jenna Fenton, Erin Irvine, Kaylee, Cassie Romero, Soukup and Strozzi are the team’s seniors to depart.

Ronan is now 8-2 in conference, 9-5 overall.

Ronan plays at 4 p.m. at Stevensville on Thursday, May 14, hosts Libby at 1 p.m. on Saturday, May 16 and hosts Frenchtown at 4 p.m. on Tuesday, May 19.