PETOSKEY — It wouldn’t be worth it for Ishpeming and Negaunee to go all the way to Petoskey to play each other in high school softball, but while they were both there to play Lower Peninsula schools, they got a West End game in on Saturday.

Both teams traveled to the Petoskey Invitational and played each other in their final game of three played that day.

Negaunee prevailed 14-5 in five innings, but the undefeated Miners have played just about everyone that way this spring.

“I’m very happy after we had some games early (in the season) that didn’t really challenge us with the pitching,” NHS coach Randy Carlson said.

In a day that also included a 12-6 win over Cheboygan, Carlson was particularly pleased with a 13-6 victory over the host Northmen.

“In the Petoskey game, we fell down 6-2,” he said. “So I was proud of the way our girls responded with a 10-run inning right after that.

“It gave us a chance to see what kind of character they have. The 10-run inning pretty much started with Katelyn Lammi hitting a two-run homer and after that the hitting was contagious.

“It seemed like after that, everyone was hitting a live drive.”

Carlson saw that Ishpeming lost its three games Saturday, also falling to Petoskey and Cheboygan.

Negaunee has a busy week upcoming, playing doubleheaders at Westwood today, home against Calumet on Tuesday, home against Gladstone on Thursday and at Rhinelander, Wisconsin, on Saturday.

Ishpeming’s schedule lists the Hematites with a road doubleheader at Hancock on Thursday.

Here is a synopsis of Negaunee’s games:

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Negaunee 13, Petoskey 6

The Northmen scored in each of the first three innings to take their four-run advantage entering the bottom of the third.

That’s when Lammi hit not just one, but two two-run homers in the inning as the Miners batted around and emerged with a 12-6 lead in a game that would only last four innings due to tournament time limits.

Josie Thomson was the recipient of her teammates’ big bats, as she earned the pitching win, going all four innings while giving up six runs on six hits and a walk and striking out four.

Negaunee’s Grace Nardi was 2 for 2 with three RBIs.

Petoskey’s Hope Hopkins went the distance on the rubber, allowing 13 runs on nine hits and three walks as she fanned two. Her teammate Kenzie Bromley hit a homer and scored twice.

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Negaunee 12, Cheboygan 6

In a game that lasted five innings, the Miners had to rally after the Chiefs tied it 3-3 in the bottom of the third. Negaunee scored seven runs in the top of the fourth, though Cheboygan answered with three in their half of the fourth to get within 10-6.

Larissa Anderson started and worked four innings on the rubber for the Miners, allowing six runs on seven hits and a walk while K’ing four. Thomson came in to pitch the fifth for the save.

Thomson also went 3 for 3 at the plate, while Anderson was 2 for 2 and Lilly Nelson 2 for 4, the latter pair each collecting an RBI.

Losing hurler Morgan Brandau went three-plus innings, giving up the majority of runs and hits as she also was 2 for 2 at the plate with a two-run homer in the third.

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Negaunee 14, Ishpeming 5

The Miners scored multiple runs in every inning to jump out to a 6-0 lead before the Hematites started scratching out their own offense.

Krista Carello pitched Negaunee to the victory, going the first three innings and allowing two runs on five hits with no walks and seven strikeouts. Nardi finished up the final two innings.

Payton Manninen went all five for Ishpeming, allowing 14 runs on 11 hits and five walks with six K’s.

Lammi was 2 of 3 with an RBI triple, while Daylyn Drew hit a two-run single.

Manninen had two hits.

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