Westwood pitcher Karlie Patron throws against Norway in the fourth inning of their Mid-Peninsula conference championship on Saturday, May 20, 2017 in Negaunee. (Journal photo by Ray Bressette)

By RAY BRESSETTE

Journal Sports Writer

NEGAUNEE — For the first time, the Westwood Patriots captured the Mid-Peninsula Conference softball tournament championship Saturday afternoon, mercying Norway 15-0 in just four innings in Negaunee.

Westwood, which entered the tournament as the No. 1 seed and earned the only first-round bye, defeated Ishpeming 8-3 in the semifinals. Earlier, Ishpeming defeated Iron Mountain 12-2 to earn the right to play the Patriots.

In other first-round games, Norway defeated Gwinn, though no score was available, and Negaunee shut out Manistique 8-0. In the other semifinal, Norway downed Negaunee 8-5 to reach the championship.

Westwood head coach Heather Salmi said her team had the determination to earn the conference title early Saturday morning.

“It was really incredible,” Salmi said. “Our kids played absolutely great. We could tell with the looks on their faces against Ishpeming early on that our girls were ready to win it all and show that they deserved the conference this year, and they backed it up with their play in both games.”

Freshman Karlie Patron pitched a shutout in the championship win for Westwood, giving up just three hits in four innings while striking out six.

Salmi said Patron’s pitching has improved each game in her freshman year.

“She struggled at times earlier in the season a bit, but today her pitches were going right where they needed to,” Salmi said. “She had the backup from her team, and she was very confident all day.”

Not only did Patron earn the win, but she also helped invoke the mercy rule, lining a shot down the leftfield line to drive in two runs to make it 15-0 and end the game early.

Patron said she had one goal in mind when she stepped to the plate.

“It felt good, I just wanted to get the game over with,” Patron said. “Earning the win felt really nice for the team.

“Everyone is ecstatic and proud we could accomplish this, and it’s exciting to do it as a freshman.”

Westwood’s offense jumped out early when Liz Farley scored in the bottom of the first inning to put the Patriots ahead 1-0, than Marissa Carello homered in the second to continue feeding her team’s momentum.

The Patriots tacked on three more runs in the second before the offense really got hot in the third.

That big rally started with Farley hitting a double to drive in a pair, making it 7-0.

Shaye Blewett followed with a hard shot that bounced off the leg of Norway pitcher Alley Sheski, dropping her to the ground and forcing her out of the game.

With Kelsey Carlson replacing Sheski in the pitching circle for the Knights, the Patriots offense didn’t let up, with Madysen Mattias driving in a run with a single, followed by a double from Raija Stille.

A few batters later, Stille and Patron stole home on back-to-back pitches making it 12-0.

In the bottom of the fourth and needing three more runs to invoke the early 15-run mercy rule, Mattias stepped to the plate with two runners on and nearly ended the game with a walkoff home run. Instead, her shot to center field bounced off the fence for a double, driving in a run and setting up Patron’s game-winning hit.

“They came in with positive attitudes,” Salmi said. “It was a good feeling from the beginning until the end. They all fed off each other and it was a team effort.”

The Patriots host Manistique in a doubleheader at 4 p.m. Monday.

Ray Bressette can be reached at 906-228-2500, ext. 251. His email address is rbressette@miningjournal.net.