Plains-Hot Springs hang with Ronan in 15-8 loss

It has been said, possibly ad nauseum, that even a long journey begins with a single step. 

For the Plains-Hot Springs Savage Horsemen varsity baseball team, the hope is that well-work axiom applies to their first official season of Montana high school baseball following a 15-8 loss to Ronan in Plains. The Savage Horsemen opened their week with a 22-0 home loss Friday to Whitefish. 

The eight runs are the most in a game this season by the Savage Horsemen, in fact they are the first runs of any kind for the team Saturday afternoon at Amundson Sports Complex. 

The visiting Chiefs took an early 2-0 lead after the top of the first inning.  Plains pushed across a solo run in the bottom of the first, their first run of the young season. Beau Crabb had the honor of the first run in Plains varsity baseball when he singled, then eventually scored on a single by Wyatt Butcher, who was credited with the first RBI of the year. 

Plains held Ronan scoreless in the top of the second, while scoring one of their own in the bottom of the second. 

But Ronan broke the brief 2-2 in the top of the third with a solo run, giving them a 3-2 lead after three innings of play when Plains could not score in the bottom half of the third. 

Then, in the top of the fourth, Ronan erupted for eight runs, staking them to an 11-2 lead.  Plains was held without a run in the bottom of the fourth, but Ronan added three more runs to their lead in the top of inning number five. 

With the Chiefs leading 14-2 at going into the bottom of the fifth, the Horsemen bats came alive, putting up six runs on two hits, including Crabb’s two-run double and several walks by Ronan pitching. 

When the Chiefs stopped the Plains rally, the score stood at 14-8 heading into the top of the sixth. 

Ronan added an insurance run in the top of the sixth, then kept Plains off the scoreboard in the second half of the inning, making it 15-8 in favor of the visitors. 

Plains stopped Ronan in the top of the seventh but could not score in their half of the inning, with the Chiefs holding on for the seven-run win. 

Crabb finished the game with a 2-4 performance at the plate, along with one RBI for the Savage Horsemen. Matthew Thurston was 2-3 for the home team, which struck out 14 times versus Ronan pitching. 

The day before, also in Plains, Whitefish jumped all over the Horsemen with a 12-run first inning. The Bulldogs from Whitefish tacked on six more runs in their half of the second inning and added another five in the top of the fourth.  They held Plains scoreless in the second and third as Whitefish won 23-0. 

The game was called after three innings via the Mercy rule. 

Crabb had Plains’ only hit of the day and finished 1-1 at the plate with one walk. 

Whitefish outhit Plains-Hot Springs 17-1 in running their season mark to 4-0.  The loss dropped Plains to 0-4. 

Next up for Plains-Hot Springs is a home game versus defending state champion Polson this Friday at 1 pm. 

    Savage Horsemen catcher Matthew Thurston (left, in catcher's gear) tries to stop Ronan's Nate Bisson from scoring in their game this past Saturday in Plains.  (Tracy Scott, Valley Press)
  

    Plains eighth grader Pierce Danielson fires a pitch toward the plate during the Savage Horsemen's game versus Whitefish this past Friday in Plains.  (Tracy Scott, Valley Press)