L’Anse’s C.J. DeMink connects for a hit against Gwinn during a high school softball doubleheader played on Tuesday, May 9, 2023, at the Purple Hornets’ field. (Houghton Daily Mining Gazette photo by Eddie O’Neill)

L’ANSE — With strong pitching and consistent hitting, the L’Anse High School softball team was able to post its second and third wins of the season against visiting Gwinn on Tuesday.

The Purple Hornets won the first game 13-1 and the second 14-7 to improve to 3-3 on the season.

The opener was a consistent hit parade for L’Anse as it scored in all five innings and closed the game early with the 10-run rule.

C.J. DeMink started on the pitching rubber for the Hornets, striking out five in a complete-game win.

The proverbial big inning for the home team came in the second, when it scored five runs to take a 6-0 lead. A leadoff walk to Haley Desmann got the rally going. Right fielder Kayleigh LaBerge and catcher Meadow Paulson both got RBI hits as they eventually also crossed home plate themselves.

Gwinn (0-9) struggled with making routine plays, and thus a number of these runs were unearned.

“We are a young team and have not had a lot of time on the field yet this season,” Gwinn coach Monica Sylvester said. “So we need to work on our confidence in the field.”

L’Anse coach Molly Berg praised the hard work of second baseman Kiera Dakota, who had two triples in the opener.

“She battled and hit the ball well,” Berg said. “Kiera was key in keeping our rallies going.”

In the nightcap, the Modeltowners’ bats came alive early to the tune of four runs in the opening inning. Centerfielder Shephard Dakota got things going with a single to the left side.

Then walks to Maddy Arnoldussen and Shawna Sundholm loaded the bases for leftfielder Destiny Brown. She slapped the ball to the left side of the diamond, and it got past the shortstop, allowing two runs to score.

Brown would later score on an Addi Roberts hit, and Gwinn had its first and only lead of the day.

The Purple Hornets would muster one run in the second, but Gwinn tallied two in the top of the third. Gwinn led at that point 6-1, but the lead was shortlived.

In the bottom of the third, L’Anse loaded the bases with DeMink at the plate. She punched line drive to center bringing home two. Before the frame was over, three more Purple Hornets scored, evening the score 6-6.

Pitcher Lola Cichosz was able to silence the Modeltowner bats in the fourth and fifth innings while her teammates added eight more runs in those innings to take an insurmountable lead and seal the victory.

“I am going to give the game ball in this game to Meadow (Paulson), who did a great job behind the plate,” Berg said. “These were two good games for us.”