Bulldogs softball comes back twice to sweep Knights

Daver Karnosky/Daily Mining Gazette
Hancock’s Sydnie Scholie connects with a pitch during a game against Norway Thursday at the Hancock Driving Park.

HANCOCK — A very young Norway Knights softball team traveled to the Copper Country looking to continue finding ways to win games Thursday afternoon. However, they were stymied at the Hancock Driving Park as the host Hancock Bulldogs turned Knights’ leads into Knights’ losses in both games of a doubleheader.

The Knights jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning in the opening game, but that was as far ahead as they got, as the Bulldogs (9-1 overall) scored 12 of the next 13 runs to earn the win, 12-2. In the second game, the Knights (8-7 overall) led 2-0, but the Bulldogs scored the next five runs to win, 5-2.

Hancock coach Craig Biekkola liked seeing how his team found a way to battle back in both games to earn the wins.

“You’ve got to learn to play with the lead and close it out, or from behind (and) not give up,” he said. “You have to realize that you have to play until the final out. The game’s not over until that last out. You have to, I guess, embrace it, and power through when you need to.

“Any time you can get the sweep, that’s great. I guess we weren’t hitting the ball in Game Two as well as we did in Game One, and that’s going to happen.”

While the Bulldogs are a veteran-heavy group, the Knights have just two seniors and one junior, so they are also learning with every game, but they are focused on different lessons, according to coach Bob Hulce.

“Hancock’s a quality club, and they are senior heavy this year,” he said. “The senior-heavy team is good for one year, right? That’s what were last year. We had a lot of success at that. We’re young. I only have two seniors and one junior. The rest are sophomores and freshmen. I started five freshmen.

“That’s the learning curve, and the speed of the game, all that stuff. I’m happy at some things, disappointed in others, but good teams exploit your weaknesses, and then it shows us what we need to work on.”

In the opener, designated hitter Megan Pelto was the story, as she drilled a two-run home run to right field in the bottom of the fourth inning to help drive the Bulldogs’ offense.

Kara Stanchina got things going for Norway when she scored in the first inning on a defensive error.

The Bulldogs answered back in the second when Pelto and center fielder Ella Storm scored on a single to center field by third baseman Sydnie Scholie. Shortstop Kaelyn Rouleau doubled to left field to send Scholie to third, and then both scored on a single to right field by first baseman Alice Larson.

The game remained 4-1 in favor of the Bulldogs into the bottom of the third when Pelto led off with a walk and then scored on a bunt by Storm. Storm reached first on the play due to a defensive error and she scored when Scholie singled to center field.

Jordyn Moln cut Hancock’s lead to 6-2 when she scored on a single by Peyton Paquette in the top of the fourth, but that was as close as Norway got.

Catcher Brooke Koskela brought left fielder Sofie Freeman home with a sacrifice. Pitcher Sadie Biekkola then doubled to center and was brought home by Pelto’s home run to put the Bulldogs up 9-2.

In the bottom of the fifth, right fielder Mallory Sporalski stole home to put Hancock within two runs of closing out the game by mercy. In the same at bat, Sadie Biekkola singled to left field, scoring Larson.

Needing one more run, Hancock got in in the bottom of the sixth when Rouleau scored on a single by Sporalski to center field.

Sadie Biekkola struck out 11, walked three and gave up just two hits to earn the win for the Bulldogs.

Stanchina had five strikeouts and gave up 11 hits in the loss for the Knights.

The Knights jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the nightcap when Moln knocked in a run and a fielder’s choice by Liz Rametti extended the lead.

Hancock got one run back in the third when Koskela sacrificed to bring Storm home. The Bulldogs then evened the game in the fourth when Larson scored on a single by first baseman Diem Kilpela.

In the fifth, Hancock took their first lead when Koskela led off with a triple. Sadie Biekkola followed with a well-hit ball into left field. She reached first base on a defensive error and Koskela scored on the play.

Pelto then hit a fly ball out to center field, and reached first on an error which allowed Sadie Biekkola to score, putting Hancock up 4-2.

In the bottom of the sixth, Storm singled to center field with one out to get things started. Koskela reached on a bunt, putting runners on the corners. Sadie Biekkola sacrificed, which scored Storm for the game’s final run.

Scholie pitched well for Hancock in the game, striking out three and giving up five hits in seven innings.

Moln had one strikeout and gave up eight hits for the Knights in the loss.

UP NEXT

The Bulldogs were back in action Friday at Iron Mountain. They return home Tuesday for a battle against Calumet, starting at 4 p.m.