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FAIRFIELD — It started with a simple deal.

Longtime friends and teammates Maddie Provost and Ashley Shores would each play a new sport during their senior year at Lawrence High School. Shores would join Provost on the soccer team in the fall if Provost played softball in the spring.

A simple deal, yes? Well … it’s complicated. For starters, Shores had never played soccer before, while Provost hadn’t played softball since middle school.

Furthermore, both will play basketball in college. Shores plans to play at Thomas College in Waterville. Provost, who was named Miss Maine Basketball this winter, earned a scholarship to play at Division I Holy Cross in Worcester, Massachusetts.

Shores and Provost were true to their word, a testament to a friendship that goes back to when both played against each other in youth basketball. Shores joined the soccer team in the fall and was immediately plugged in as a defender. Provost has played third base and center field for the softball team.

“She was always there to remind me of it,” Provost said of the deal. “It was a deal, and you’ve got to keep up with the deal.”

Still, Provost has a full scholarship to a Division I school, and playing this spring brings the possibility of injury. At Holy Cross, she’ll play for Candice Green, who has led the Crusaders to a 42-22 record in two seasons, including the Patriot League championship in 2025-26.

“We almost threatened to take her scholarship away,” Green said with a laugh. “No, we totally support it. Actually, when we were recruiting her, we went to one of her soccer games. We love that she takes a break from basketball. We think it keeps kids hungry. There’s a risk in everything we do, but we don’t want to go about fearing, ‘What’s the worst that can happen?’ If a freak accident happens, we’ll take it on as it comes.”

The duo have enjoyed mixed results during their senior season.

The soccer team went 3-11 and missed the Class B North playoffs, but Provost was named a Northern Maine Class B All-Star by the Maine Soccer Coaches Association.

This winter, they lead the girls basketball team to a 13-5 regular season,before winning the Class B title with a 52-41 victory over Oceanside on Feb. 27. Shores and Provost each scored 19 points in the final. Both were named to the Kennebec Valley Athletic Conference first-team, and Provost (27.1 points, 9.4 rebounds) was named the Varsity Maine Girls Basketball Player of the Year and Gatorade Maine Player of the Year. Shores averaged 19.5 points and 8.1 rebounds.

The softball team entered the week with a 7-5 record. Shores, a catcher, is the reigning KVAC B Player of the Year. Provost’s speed and athleticism prompted coach Joey Marcoux to play her in center field and have her bat third in the lineup, one spot ahead of Shores.

“I hadn’t played softball in a while, but it wasn’t very hard to pick up,” said Provost, who is borrowing a glove from a teammate for the season. “The only real difference is playing at the high school level. It’s a bit more serious. It’s super fun. I think we’ve got a great group and it’s nice to be outside.”

Shores is impressed that Provost hasn’t shown any rust.

“You can’t really tell (the layoff), honestly,” said Shores. “(Provost) played baseball when she was younger, and she’s always had that baseball swing that’s so nonchalant. If she needs to catch a pop fly, ‘Oh, yup, I’m right there.'”

Marcoux, a teacher at Lawrence Middle School, knew Provost’s potential on the diamond, but wasn’t sure Provost would play.

“When Ashley told me, ‘We’ve got a deal going,’ I didn’t really believe it,” Marcoux said. “I played golf with (Lawrence athletic director) Dave Packard in the summer, and he said, ‘You know, Ashley’s playing soccer. You’re going to get Maddie. Ashley is going to hold her to it.'”

Provost said Shores fit right in on the soccer pitch.

“She was good, she was a good defender,” said Provost. “Pretty much the same (skill level) as basketball.”