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 on Saturday at the Houghton High School softball field.
HOUGHTON — After losing four straight against tough opponents on the road, the Houghton Gremlins returned home Saturday looking for some bounce back. In a doubleheader against the Market Sentinels held at Houghton High School softball field, the team fell behind in the first inning of both games, but came back to win both games, 5-1 and 9-4.
Gremlins coach Mel Baker said his team lost games to Pulaski and Menasha last weekend and lost both games of a doubleheader at Gladstone on Friday, but he sees each loss as an opportunity for his team to learn. I wanted to be captured.
“We’ve had good competition over the last six games or whatever it is. But when you’re playing against good teams, good teams, good teams, it’s exhausting to lose after the game.”Loss. ” she said. “But as I also told her daughters, it’s just a stepping stone. We have to learn from the loss. We can’t see it as a loss. It’s about learning to grow.”
“I think they proved in this game that they learned a little bit from the last few games and grew a little bit. The defense got tighter and the bats finally woke up. So it was good to see.”
The Sentinels (9-10 overall) haven’t had the same success as Gladstone in recent years, but will look to prove Saturday that a team that has won just six games over the past five seasons has already come a long way. The match was held on . In the right direction. Coach Derek Swayanen was excited about how his team started in both games.
“We’re having a little bit of trouble getting out of the first inning with a lead, but this is a young team.” He said. “I mean, we have a freshman that throws, right? She’s done a great job, but they’re saying, you know, she’s won six games or something like that in five years, so maybe a little bit more. We might have won, so I wanted to play solid defense.
“We’re just lacking a little bit offensively right now. We’ll find the right pieces and continue to work on them throughout the week…I hate the result, but I have to trust the process that got us here. “I’m about to go.” ”
In Marquette’s opener, first baseman Harry Haynes drew a walk from Houghton pitcher Stella Soumis to start the game in the top of the first inning. Two batters later, Haynes scored when Charlie Swajanen hit a double into the left field seats.
It didn’t take long for the Gremlins (9-6 overall) to answer. Shortstop Claire Oranket hit a single in the bottom of the first inning to take the lead. First baseman Romi Mattsson walked. Center fielder Kenzie Corrado grounded out to Mattson, but Oranketo scored on the play, tying the score at 1-1.
Mattson then scored when third baseman Faya Zapolnik grounded out.
The game remained 2-1 in Horton’s favor until the bottom of the fourth inning when Zapolnik singled to lead off the game. Soumis hit a fly ball to deep center field, but Sentinels center fielder Grace Sandstrom was unable to catch it, allowing Zapolnik to score and Soumis to reach second base. Two batters later, catcher Lexi Burns hit a triple deep into left field to score Soumis.
In the fifth inning, Collard provided a spark for the Gremlins again with a two-out single to center field. Zapolnik then hit a single to center field as the next batter, bringing Corrado home and scoring the game.
Somis pitched seven innings with six strikeouts, three walks, and four hits, giving Houghton the win. Baker is proud of the leadership he’s starting to show through the way he approaches his starts.
“Stella is getting better.” Baker said. “Today she was showing what she’s capable of and starting to really lead the team well.”
Despite the loss, freshman Charlie Swajanen was also strong, allowing 12 strikeouts, three walks and six hits in six innings. Her father spoke of her acting with a smile.
“Charlie, I think she had 12 strikeouts in six innings. Not bad for a freshman.” He said. “I think she leads the state in strikeouts as a freshman, and she does a great job. She does a great job of leading 0-2 or 1-2, but then gets very impatient. , I hit some balls that could have been in the zone. That’s not only frustrating as a coach, but also as a father.”
In the second game, the Sentinels jumped into the lead again. This time, Haynes took the lead in the top of the first inning with a triple, followed by Charlie Swajanen’s single into the left field seats and CeCe Fuller’s sacrifice hit to make it 2-0.
Horton was unable to solve Fuller with his pitchers until the bottom of the third inning. Dani Williston led off with a walk. Oranketo took the lead on a defensive error, followed by Mattson, who also reached first base on an error, but Williston, who was trying to score at home plate, was undone. Corrado then hit a double to center field, and Oranketo and Mattson homered, tying the game at 2-2. Soumis then singled into the left field seats and Collard scored before the inning ended.
The Gremlins then broke the game in the next inning with Barnes, Williston, Oranket, Corrado, and Zapolnik crossing home plate and scoring five times.
Marquette rallied with two runs in the top of the sixth inning, as Ava DeWitt and Adi Trapani scored on Sami Trapani’s single, cutting the Gremlins’ lead to 8-4, but it was a close call.
Horton added another run in the rain-soaked sixth inning when Oranketo singled to center field, then scored two batters on a grounder double play by Collard.
Fuller suffered a loss in the pitcher’s circle with five strikeouts and three walks. She allowed nine hits in that game. Although she did not win, her coach was satisfied with her performance.
“Cece did a great job.” Derek Swajanen said. “You know, she’s around the plate. She doesn’t throw as hard, but she moves the ball. She’s putting spin into it.”
He was also pleased that both pitchers minimized the number of free bases.
“I think we only walked a few times between them.” He said. “They did a great job.”
Marquette’s challenge in Game 2 was to keep runners on base. In the third inning, Charlie Swajanen singled, and Fuller and Leila Roman loaded the bases with back-to-back walks. Mattson then forced DeWitt into a flyout and struck out Adi Trapani to end the threat.
Baker said the injury to Regan Moyle earlier in the season created an opportunity for sophomore Mattson to step in and take over the second starting role, and she continues to improve with each start.
“Our junior pitcher (Moyle) broke his hand on a line drive in the first game of the season.” said Baker. “So it was a big step for her (Mattsson) to suddenly step into those two slots, but she’s just been rolling with it. She can sit when she needs to.” “She’s a competitor.”
Mattson earned the win with five strikeouts, four walks, and seven hits in seven innings.
Gremlin drops a pair on Brave
On Friday, Horton dropped both games of a doubleheader against the Gladstone Braves, 10-0, 10-5.
Mattson had one strikeout, four walks, and allowed 13 hits in 4 2/3 innings in the opening game.
Soumis and Zapolnik each had a hit.
In the second game, Soumis pitched six innings, struck out seven, walked two, and allowed eight hits in the loss.
Burns was the only Gremlin batter with multiple hits, going 2-for-3 with one RBI.
Corrado and Emmy Pietila each had one hit. Pietila also scored an RBI in this game.
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Horton returned to action Monday night against Iron Mountain.
