Baseball co-op Red Devils fall to Ronan, Frenchtown
Noxon-Thompson Falls sophomore Finn Duffy waits for an incoming pitch during the Red Devils' game this past week versus Frenchtown in Noxon. (Chuck Bandel/VP-MI)
It was an overcast, chilly day in the Northwest corner of Montana...perfect weather for baseball?
Depends on your point of view.
But with rain wreaking havoc on spring sports schedules in the first half of the 2024 season, getting a game or event in is a victory in its own right.
Nonetheless, while the rain held off, the new kids on the block got in some innings and experience, two things the new varsity baseball players from the Noxon-Thompson Falls co-op team need more of.
Tuesday the Red Devils traveled to Ronan for a make-up game that was canceled earlier this month and fell to the Chiefs 20-6 after leading 3-2 for the first three innings.
Thursday Noxon-Thompson Falls hosted a home game against the Frenchtown Broncs, who came into Pilgrim Park in Noxon and went away with a 12-2 win.
The pair of losses dropped Noxon-Thompson Falls to 2-7 on the year despite signs this young team is getting better with each game.
The Devils got on the scoreboard first after a scoreless opening inning, plating three runs in the top of the second to take a 2-0 lead.
The Chiefs bounced back with a pair of runs of their own in the bottom of the second to cut the lead to 3-2, Noxon-T Falls.
Neither team scored in the third, but Noxon pushed three runs across in the top of the fourth to take a 6-2 lead.
Ronan then scored seven runs in the bottom of the fourth to assume a 9-6 advantage. The home team held Noxon scoreless in the top of the fifth, then added two runs to their lead in the bottom of the fifth, extending their advantage to 11-6.
Noxon could not score in the sixth, then watched as nine Ronan runners crossed home plate in the bottom of the inning and ended the game at 20-6.
The Chiefs, who improved their season mark to 4-8, banged out 11 hits against the Red Devils, who managed six hits of their own.
But the Devils committed five errors to assist the Ronan offensive outburst. Sophomore Ben Mitchell led the Chiefs with four hits in five trips to the plate, accounting for four RBIs while scoring four runs for the visitors.
Next on the schedule for the Red Devils were the Frenchtown Broncs, who came in with a 7-6 season record. The visitors scored a lone run in the top of the first to take a 1-0 lead, then erupted for six runs in the top of the second after holding Noxon-T Falls scoreless in the second.
They scored six of those runs on a two run double and a pair of two RBI singles as they built a 7-1 lead at the end of the second inning.
While Frenchtown pitching kept Noxon off balance and void of runs, the Broncs offense added three more runs in the top of the third, then solo runs in the top of innings four and five.
Noxon fought back in the bottom of the fifth, pushing two runs across home plate on a balk and an RBI single by freshman Shane Hatchell, making it 12-2 Frenchtown.
The game was called after that at bat due to time constraints for being able to play the JV game before daylight ran out.
The Noxon-Thompson Falls next game is this Thursday at home versus Mission, whom they defeated earlier this year. It will be the last home game of the season for the Red Devils.