Gremlins softball battles back to sweep Sentinels

Daver Karnosky/Daily Mining Gazette
Houghton first baseman Romi Mattson waits for a throw at first base during the first game of a doubleheader against Marquette Saturday at the Houghton High School softball field.

HOUGHTON — After four straight losses against tough opponents on the road, the Houghton Gremlins returned home Saturday looking for a bit of a bounce back. They fell behind in both games of a doubleheader against the Marquette Sentinels in the first inning, but both times, they stormed back to earn wins, 5-1 and 9-4, at the Houghton High School softball field.

Gremlins coach Mel Baker, whose team lost games to Pulaski and Menasha last weekend and then both games of a doubleheader Friday at Gladstone, wanted her team to see each of the losses as a chance to learn.

“We’ve had some good competition the last six games, or however many it is, but it wears on you when you’re playing against a good team, and a good team, and a good team, and you get a loss after a loss,” she said. “But, like I told my girls, it’s stepping stones. We have to learn from the losses. We can’t look at it as a loss. It’s learning to grow.

“I think they proved that in this game, that they learned a little bit from the last few games, and they grew a little bit. Our defense was airtight, and our bats finally woke up. So, it was good to see.”

While the Sentinels (9-10 overall) have not had the type of success Gladstone has had over the years, they came out Saturday looking to prove that the team that had won just six games over the previous five seasons has already taken big strides in the right direction. Coach Derek Swajanen was excited for the way his team started both games.

“We’ve been struggling a little bit getting out of the first inning with a lead, and this is a young team,” he said. “I mean, you have a freshman throwing. She did a great job, but, you know, they’ve won six games in five years or something like that, maybe a few more. So, we wanted to tighten up our defense.

“We’re just lacking a little bit in offense right now, and we’ll find the right pieces, and we’ll keep working on that all week…You hate the results, but you have to trust the process of where we’re trying to go.”

First baseman Halle Haynes got things started in the opener for Marquette by drawing a walk from Houghton pitcher Stella Soumis to lead off the top of the first. Two batters later, Haynes scored when Charlie Swajanen doubled to left field.

It did not take the Gremlins (9-6 overall) long to answer. Shortstop Clea Ollanketo singled to lead off the bottom of the first. First baseman Romi Mattson drew a walk. Center fielder Kenzie Collard grounded out to follow Mattson, but Ollanketo scored on the play to even the score at 1-1.

Mattson then scored when third baseman Fayah Zapolnik grounded out.

The game remained 2-1 in favor of Houghton until the bottom of the fourth when Zapolnik led off with a single. Soumis drilled a fly ball to deep center field, and Sentinels center fielder Grace Sandstrom could not come up with the catch, which allowed Zapolnik to score and Soumis to reach second. Two batters later catcher Lexi Burns tripled to deep left field to score Soumis.

In the fifth, Collard sparked the Gremlins again with a two-out single to center field. Zapolnik then singled to center as the next batter, which brought Collard home, and capped the scoring for the game.

Soumis earned the win for Houghton, going seven innings in the pitcher’s circle, striking out six, walking three and scattering four hits. Baker is proud of the leadership she is beginning to show through the way she is approaching her starts.

“Stella has improved,” Baker said. “She was hitting her spots today, and she’s starting to lead the team really well.”

In taking the loss, Charlie Swajanen, a freshman, was also strong, striking out 12, walking three and giving up six hits over six innings. Her father beamed talking about her performance.

“Charlie, I think she struck out 12 in six innings. Not bad for a freshman,” he said. “I think she’s leading the state in strikeouts as a freshman, and she’s doing a great job. She does a great job getting ahead 0-2 or 1-2, and then she gets really impatient and gets some hittable balls up in the zone. That’s frustrating, not only as a coach, but as a dad.”

In the second game, the Sentinels again jumped out to a lead, this time 2-0 in the top of the first, thanks to a Haynes triple to lead off, a Charlie Swajanen single to left field, and a sacrifice by Cece Fuller.

Houghton could not solve Fuller in the pitcher’s circle until the bottom of the third. Dani Williston walked to lead off. Ollanketo got to first on a defensive error, and then Mattson followed, also reaching first on an error, but Williston was ruled out trying to score at home plate. Collard then doubled to center field, which brought both Ollanketo and Mattson home, which evened the game at 2-2. Collard then scored when Soumis singled to left field before the inning came to a close.

The Gremlins then broke the game open the next inning by scoring five times as Burns, Williston, Ollanketo, Collard, and Zapolnik all crossed home plate.

Marquette bounced back with a pair of runs in the top of the sixth as Eva Dewitt and Ady Trapani both scored on a single by Sammi Trapani, cutting the Gremlins’ lead down to 8-4, but that was as close as they could get.

Houghton added one more run in a rain-soaked sixth inning when Ollanketo singled to center field and then scored two batters later when Collard grounded into a double play.

Fuller took the loss in the pitcher’s circle, striking out five and walking three. She gave up nine hits in the game. While she did not earn the win, her coach was happy with her performance.

“Cece did a great job,” said Derek Swajanen. “You know, she’s around the plate. She doesn’t throw super hard, but she moves the ball around. She’s got spin on it.”

He was also happy that both of his pitchers kept the free bases to a minimum.

“Just a handful of walks, I think, between them,” he said. “They did a great job.”

The issue for Marquette in the second game became leaving runners on base. In the third inning, Charlie Swajanen singled and then Fuller and Layla Roman walked back-to-back to load the bases. Mattson then forced Dewitt to fly out and then struck out Ady Trapani to end the threat.

An injury to Reagan Moyle early in the season created an opportunity for Mattson, a sophomore, to step in and take over the second starting role, and she continues to get better with every start, according to Baker.

“Our junior pitcher (Moyle), first game of the season, broke her hand (on a) line drive,” said Baker. “So, stepping into this two spot all of a sudden, it’s been a big step for her (Mattson), but she has just taken it in stride. She can buckle down when she needs to. She’s a competitor.”

Mattson finished the game with five strikeouts, four walks, and seven hits in seven innings to earn the win.

GREMLINS DROP PAIR TO BRAVES

On Friday, Houghton dropped both games of a doubleheader to the Gladstone Braves on Friday, 10-0 and 10-5.

In the opener, Mattson struck out one and walked four while giving up 13 hits in 4 2/3 innings.

Soumis and Zapolnik both had a hit each.

In the second game, Soumis went six innings, striking out seven and walking two while giving up eight hits in the loss.

Burns was the only Gremlins hitter to record multiple hits, going 2-for-3 and scoring a run.

Collard and Emmy Pietila both had one hit each. Pietila knocked in a run in the game as well.

UP NEXT

Houghton is back in action Monday evening against Iron Mountain.