RAPID RIVER — Despite cool and moist conditions, the Superior Central High School softball team heated up its bats in the opening game of a doubleheader at perennial Division 4 power Rapid River on Wednesday.

The Cougars held on for a 12-11 victory in the opener, stranding the tying run at third base by getting three straight outs in the bottom of the seventh.

The Rockets turned the tables in the nightcap, however, taking a 6-2 triumph.

SC, which lost a pair of games at a downstate tournament last weekend, returns home for its next games, a doubleheader against Negaunee at 4 p.m. Wednesday.

In the opener at Rapid River, the Rockets trailed 12-9 entering its half of the seventh when Bay College-bound pitcher Natalie Belanger produced some heroics at the plate, knocking in two runs with a double.

That put her on second base with the tying run and no one out, according to SC head coach Richard Swajanen.

Then winning hurler Emma Rutter went to work. After Belanger moved up to third base on a passed ball, Rutter induced a bouncer to herself for the first out, struck out the next batter and finished it off when the last batter grounded out to third baseman Maddie Begovac, who made the throw to first to end it.

Rutter went the distance on the rubber, striking out four and walking six while giving up 11 hits.

“We hit the ball real well,” Swajanen said. “Emma throws the ball hard, though she can get a little wild at times. But she’s pretty good at reining it back in.”

Rachel Johnson pitched the second game for the Cougars.

“She’s a freshman and did well, especially for someone pitching at this level for the first time after only three or four practices this spring.”

The coach added he had just nine players available as four others were unable to play.

The opener went back and forth until SC took control in the latter innings. While the Rockets plated a half-dozen runs in the second, the Cougars scored in each of the first four innings to take a 10-6 lead.

That included five in the fourth when Shae Lampinen hit a two-run double. SC made it 12-6 in the sixth when Riley Johnson and Stella Charlebois hit back-to-back RBI singles.

Lampinen and Charlebois each finished 4 of 5 as Lampinen had two doubles, three RBIs and four runs scored. Charlebois knocked in four runs while scoring once herself.

Begovac and Riley Johnson each had two hits and an RBI as Begovac hit a double.

Belanger’s late heroics weren’t surprising as she went 5 for 5 at the plate with two doubles, a run and five RBIs.

In the nightcap, Rachel Johnson allowed six runs on nine hits and four walks while fanning three in 5 1/3 innings. Rutter came in with the bases loaded in the sixth and got a bounce out and strikeout to end the threat.

While SC opened the scoring with a single run in the second, RR answered with two in the third and four more in the fifth before the Cougars got one more back in the sixth.

Rachel Johnson had two hits, a double and RBI single, while Lampinen hit a double and Riley Johnson a single while scoring a run.

Belanger had two hits with a double and two RBIs.

Information compiled by Journal Sports Editor Steve Brownlee. His email address is sbrownlee@ miningjournal.net.