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Negaunee softball team wins 3 games in 2 days

Negaunee’s Hannah Voskuhl slides in to home plate under the tag of the Calumet catcher during the second game of their high school softball doubleheader played at LaCombe Field in Negaunee on Tuesday. (Photo courtesy Daryl T. Jarvinen)

NEGAUNEE — The Negaunee softball team improved to 13-3 with a doubleheader sweep of Calumet at home on Tuesday following a split at Westwood a day earlier.

The Miners took the first game Tuesday 6-2 before exploding in Game 2 for an 11-1 mercy-rule victory decided in five innings.

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Negaunee 6-11, Calumet 2-1

On Tuesday, Negaunee head coach Randy Carlson said it took his team some time to get the offense going again after a big day Monday.

“We started off slow in the first game,” he said. “We hit the ball well (Monday) with 28 hits in two games, but started off really slow (Tuesday). As the second game started to pick up, the bats gradually woke up.”

The Miners had six hits in Game 1, before doubling that total to 12 in the nightcap.

With good offense must come good defense, and good defense starts on the mound. The Miners’ 1-2 pitching punch of Skylar Hall and Abby Nelson did what they do best once again, combining for 17 strikeouts.

Hall fanned nine Copper Kings in Game 1 while Nelson turned away eight in Game 2. The duo allowed a combined nine hits, with Nelson tossing a two-hitter in the second game.

“We had great pitching again,” Carlson said. “Abby struggled on Monday, but like we expected, she came back and pitched a great game. She’s been a great pitcher her whole career. Sometimes there will be days where it’s just not your day, and she came back and threw very well.”

Ellie Djerf went the distance in the pitcher’s circle in Game 1 for Calumet, striking out two Miners hitters while allowing all six runs on six hits. Djerf went 4 for 4 at the plate to lead the Copper Kings offensively.

Payton Drew went 2 for 3 for the Miners in Game 1, while Mykenna Kontio recorded a single and two RBIs.

Kontio was 2 for 4 in Game 2 with two runs scored. Katelyn Lammi was 2 for 2 with two runs while Hannah Voskuhl was 2 for 3 with three runs.

Negaunee visits Marquette today for a doubleheader at Lions Field beginning at 4 p.m.

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Negaunee 9-10, Westwood 2-12

At National Mine on Monday, the Patriots pulled off a split of their Mid-Peninsula Conference doubleheader by Nelson in the nightcap.

Westwood was outhit 15-8 in the game, but took advantage of eight walks issued by Nelson and three Negaunee errors to build a 10-5 lead after four innings.

The Miners rallied for two runs in the top of the seventh, but couldn’t get two more that could’ve forced extra innings.

Nelson did strike out eight, while winning hurler Allie Radcliffe scattered 15 hits in going the distance, walking two and fanning two.

Sisters Madi and Jillian Koski each had two hits for the winners, with Madi hitting a double, scoring a run and collecting an RBI, while Jillian scored twice.

Kenzie Karki paced NHS with three hits, and RBI and two runs, while teammates Kontio and Chloe Williams each added two hits.

The Miners broke things open with a five-run sixth keyed by Karki’s bases-loaded triple. She finished 3 of 3 at the plate.

Hall was sharp on the pitching rubber for Negaunee, going the distance as she allowed three hits, a walk and a hit batsman while striking out 12.

“Skylar pitched a great game, and Kenzie’s triple was really key in the sixth,” Carlson said.

Lammi also had three hits, two of them doubles, while Voskuhl had two hits, one a homer, and three RBIs.

Ellie Miller paced the Patriots with a single, walk and scored both her team’s runs.

Information compiled by Journal Sports Writer Ryan Spitza and Journal Sports Editor Steve Brownlee. Email them at sports@miningjournal.net.

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