L’Anse catcher Meadow Paulson attempts to catch a pop fly hit by a Houghton batter during the second game of a high school softball doubleheader played Friday in Houghton. (Houghton Daily Mining Gazette photo by David Archambeau)

HOUGHTON — With strong and smart at-bats, the Houghton High School softball team swept L’Anse on Friday in Houghton.

The Gremlins won the opener 15-0 in three innings and the nightcap 17-0 in five.

HHS first baseman Gwen Markham had a strong first game for the Gremlins, going 2 for 2 with three runs scored. Catcher Lexi Burns and right fielder Cece Markham each had two RBIs. Cece Markham also drew three walks.

Gremlins coach Melissa Baker was happy to see her team’s bats doing the type of work the team needs to be successful.

“We came out swinging,” she said. “Our minds were where they needed to be.

“It was a long week. That was game No. 8 for us, so I was pretty happy overall with how we showed up with how long of a week it’s been.”

The Gremlins only had eight hits in the opener but also drew nine walks. In the nightcap, they racked up 15 hits and took another eight walks.

“I liked the amount of hitting that we had,” Baker said.

Baker was also happy with starting pitchers Grace Brunet, who threw 43 pitches in the opener, striking out three and walking one; and Estella Soumis, who threw 58 pitches in the nightcap, striking out five.

“The pitchers did really well, too,” Baker said. “They were solid.”

On the other side of the field, Purple Hornets coach Molly Bugni is working with her team to make adjustments.

“Houghton is obviously a way better team,” she said. “I have seen a lot of improvements this year from last year, so I was happy.”

One player that Bugni was particularly happy with was Lola Cichosz. As a freshman, she is trying to figure things out on the pitching rubber, which is not her normal position, as well as at the plate. Bugni feels that she continues to make progress.

“She’s a freshman, so I like that she’s been stepping up, because she’s the only freshman on the team,” Bugni said. “She’s playing a big part. She’s usually our first baseman (and) does a great job. She’s a great hitter, so I was happy with all of that.”

The Gremlins got to Cichosz in the first inning after Cece Markham drew a walk and Burns singled. Markham then stole home to get Houghton on the board. Brunet reached on an error to score Burns, while Danielle Williston singled to left, driving in Brunet.

Gwen Markham then scored on a Delaney Salmi single to left field. With the bases loaded, Williston scored on a walk by Clea Ollanketo. Jacey Sleeman scored on a single from Cece Markham, and Salmi capped the first inning when she scored on a throwing error.

In the second inning, Emmy Pietila push Houghton’s lead to 9-0 when she stole home.

Houghton added six more in the third.

In the nightcap, Baker changed the Gremlins’ lineup and showed off their depth. Kia Markham went 3 for 4 with two RBIs. Aydra Williamson, Brynn Arko, Soumis and Jada Guilbault each had two hits.

The Gremlins scored nine in the first, two in the second, three in the third, and three more in the fifth to finish it off.

Baker loves that her team has as much depth as it does now, especially since her freshmen spend less time learning and more time honing their skills, a large departure from when she first started coaching the Gremlins and she was doing more teaching than training.

“I have nine or 10 freshmen that have played for the last five or six or seven years, and it’s a lot different than when I first started coaching,” she said. “I’d be teaching the freshman this is what a bunt is, this is what a forced out is.

“It’s night and day having that knowledge coming out of freshman.”

Kaylee Lahti pitched for the Purple Hornets in the nightcap loss as L’Anse was without C.J. Demink for the afternoon.

L’Anse is back in action at 4 p.m. Tuesday when the Hornets host Lake Linden-Hubbell.