Calumet’s Laura Giachino, left, is greeted by teammates as she crosses home plate after hitting a home run against Gwinn on Tuesday, May 3, 2022 in Hancock, Mich. (Eddie O’Neill/The Daily Mining Gazette)

HANCOCK — Hancock’s Driving Park was the place to be for all things Calumet softball on Tuesday.

On one court, the Copper Kings JV team faced the JV Hancock girls, and on the other, the Copper Kings varsity girls faced the Gwinn Modeltowners in a doubleheader.

Calumet’s varsity team swept Gwinn 22-12, 25-2. Both games ended early due to the mercy rule.

In the second game of the doubleheader, Calumet’s first four batters (6-4) hit three times each in the first inning. Even more impressive, cleanup hitter Laura Giachino hit two home runs in that first inning alone en route to a 19-run frame.

The big inning was a combination of poor pitching from Maddie Langford, Gwinn’s starter, and enthusiastic batting from the Copper Kings.

“The girls finally wake up and hit the ball” said Calumet head coach Joel Rastello. “They are not looking for rides.”

The Modeltowners were able to regroup and play a stronger second and third innings in this second game, much to the delight of their coach Monica Sylvester. His team even scored two points in the second.

“That first round was a disaster” she says. “I was very happy to see them put that aside and come back and fight. It showed character.

Sylvester added that she was also very pleased with her daughters’ hard work in the first game. The Modeltowners entered Tuesday’s game with their first victory in three years. It was a victory against Manistique on Monday.

“We are a young team. We only have a junior and a senior. she says. “They work hard and they are ready to play.”

The Modeltowners took a 5-3 lead after the first two innings and the game was tied at 10 after three. Gwinn’s Shawna Sundholm and Somere Sylvester both had RBI singles for a five-run third.

However, Gwinn’s defense couldn’t stop the Copper Kings from reaching base paths in the fifth inning. Calumet’s Giachino, Helen Beiring and Kate Newman opened that frame with hard-hit singles down the left side of the field and their teammates brought them through the plate for a nine-run rally. Jana Loukus and Natasha Bemis both had RBIs in the sixth inning, and the game ended with the 10-run mercy rule (22-12).

Monday: Houghton softball sweeps Calumet

HOUGHTON – A cold breeze blowing across the Peter Bugni Sports Complex at Houghton High School on Monday afternoon couldn’t keep the Houghton Gremlins’ hot bats cool enough for the Calumet Copper Kings to catch up as they lost a double 12-3 and 14-12.

The sweep kept the Gremlins perfect at 8-0 in young softball season and moved the Copper Kings to 4-2.

Gremlins head coach Mel Baker called the wins his team’s all-around performance.

“The bats and the game went well, and the throwing was outstanding,” she says.

Grace Brunet was the starter for the first game. She went the distance giving up just three runs on six hits over seven innings and had a good group of Gremlins defensemen to back her up. The infield didn’t shy away from getting dirty in the Gremlins’ home opener, and in the outfield, little fell.

“I was impressed by the hustle and bustle” Baker added.

In the opener, the Gremlins posted a 4-2 lead after four innings, but put the game away in the fifth with a four-run frame. With the bases loaded, left fielder Chloe Morley slapped a double to left center for two RBIs. She herself would end up scoring on a base Stella Soumis rap before the third outing was recorded. While the Copper Kings scored one more run in the bottom of the fifth thanks to doubles from Helen Beiring and Emily Peterson, that wouldn’t be enough. The Gremlins added four more runs in the top of the seventh to claim the victory. Among those who got hits in that final period were second baseman Aydra Williamsom and Mackenzie Ekdahl. Ekdahl went 2-2 in the opener and 3-5 in the second with a total of four RBIs in the double header. Williamson was 3-6 for the afternoon.

HHS 031 040 4 – 12

CHS 000 210 0 – 3

In Game 2, the pitch gave the Gremlins the win and was the downfall for the Copper Kings.

Submissive was in the circle for Houghton, and she threw strikes. In four innings, the freshman had eight strikeouts and no walks. On the other hand, the Gremlins pitchers walked 12 in the six-inning game, and too many of those free passes turned into runs.

“Pitching has been our fight all year,” noted Copper Kings head coach Joel Rastello. “In the second game, however, we hit the ball better.”

It was Houghton again who had a big run in this one. In the second, they scored eight points and put the game away. Williamson had an RBI double in that round, as did Brynn Arko. While Calumet valiantly rode a final set of five runs, it wasn’t enough as they lost by four.

“We are a work in progress,” adds Rastello. “I’m not worried about where we are at this stage of the season. It will come.”

CHS 003 215 – 11

HHS 083 21x – 15