But how about having your elite-pitching teammate serve as your catcher while throwing them?

That’s what Aiden Steele and Morgan Robar did in Negaunee’s twinbill sweep of visiting Iron Mountain at the Irontown Field in Negaunee on Tuesday.

“We knew we had the no-hitters going, but no one realized until after both games were over that each of them had caught for the other,” Miners manager Jason Siik said. “That was pretty neat, I don’t think I’ve heard of that before.”

In two days, Negaunee added four wins to its total, also sweeping a doubleheader at Houghton on Wednesday to improve to 29-6.

Negaunee’s Aiden Steele gathers himself while preparing to face the next batter in the second inning in an MHSAA Division 3 district tournament baseball game played against Calumet at the Irontown Field in Negaunee on Tuesday, May 28, 2024. (Journal photo by Caden Sierra)

“We’re on a hot streak right now, but we still need to be able to sharpen up our play as the postseason is coming soon,” Siik said. “This is definitely a group that is motivated.”

The Miners have one more playing date before the MHSAA Division 3 district tournament begins next Saturday — Negaunee plays another double-dip at Menominee at 4:30 p.m. EDT Tuesday.

The Miners’ district schedule, all games played at Hancock’s Driving Park, opens with a game against the host Bulldogs at 1 p.m. that day, preceded by Westwood facing Calumet at 11 a.m. Winners advance to the district finale at 3 p.m.

The regional for the district champion opens in Gladstone on Wednesday, June 4.

Here are details from this week’s doubleheaders:

Negaunee 15, Iron Mountain 0

In Tuesday’s opener at home, Steele went to the mound first and only had to pitch three innings for his no-no with the 15-run rule invoked.

You could blame his catcher, game No. 2 hurler Robar, for keeping this game short as he went 2 for 3 at the plate with two RBIs, two runs scored and three stolen bases.

Steele walked one — his only baserunner was in the second inning — and struck out three as the Miners scored seven runs in both the first and third innings.

Charlie Anderson started for the Mountaineers, going 2 1/3 innings and allowing 13 runs on seven hits as he walked five and had no strikeouts.

Joining Robar in leading the Miners’ nine-hit attack was teammate Tristan Slater, who went 2 for 3 with a double, four RBIs and two runs, and Ian Engstrom, who was 2 for 2 with a walk, RBI, stolen base and three runs scored.

Negaunee 10, Iron Mountain 0

In Tuesday’s nightcap, Robar had to work a bit harder for his no-hitter, going five innings before the 10-run rule was invoked in the fifth inning.

Working on his second straight no-no after tossing one against Gladstone the previous week, he walked three and fanned one, while IM starter Ian Marttila went two innings, allowing three runs on one hit and three walks as he K’d three.

The Miners scored three runs in the first, four in the third, two in the fourth with the final run in the fifth making it a 10-run margin.

Steele helped his pitcher both behind the plate and at it, stroking a double for two RBIs and scoring a run as Negaunee totaled eight hits. Slater also hit a double and stole a base, while teammate Jack Siik was hitless but drew a walk, was hit by a pitch, stole three bases and scored two runs.

Negaunee 12, Houghton 6

In Wednesday’s first game, Slater started and went two innings on the mound, allowing five runs — four earned — on four hits and four walks as he fanned two.

Killean Ryan did a nice job in relief, going the final four innings and allowing one run on one hit and one walk as he struck out six.

Negaunee tried to put this one out of reach in its first at-bat, scoring eight runs in the top of the first. But Houghton kept chipping away, getting three in the bottom of the inning as each team alternated for a total of six consecutive one-run innings.

By the end of the fourth, the Miners still had a tenuous 11-6 lead, but kept the Gremlins off the scoreboard for the final two innings.

Rylan Isaacson started for Houghton, going 3 2/3 innings and allowing 11 runs on 11 hits and two walks as he K’d four.

Owen Cardinal led Negaunee’s 13-hit offense, going 4 for 4 with a double, walk, RBI, three runs and three steals. Robar added a 3-for-5 game with a double, two RBIs and a run.

Negaunee 7, Houghton 5

In the nightcap, the teams mostly matched each other blow for blow, even as the Miners took the lead for good in the second.

That’s when Negaunee went up 2-1, adding three in the top of third for a 5-1 advantage only to see the Gremlins get three of their own in the bottom of the inning to pull within 5-4.

The Miners added single runs in the fourth and fifth to take a three-run lead before Houghton eked out a final run in the bottom of the fifth to pull within two.

Cardinal threw a complete-game two hitter, allowing five runs — but only one earned as Negaunee committed five errors — with four walks as he struck out five.

Houghton starter Brycyn Nettell went 4 2/3 innings, giving up seven runs on five hits — his defense committed six errors — and two walks as he fanned one.

Devin Jurmu went 2 for 3 in the Miners’ six-hit offense, which included a triple as he had an RBI. Engstrom was 2 for 2 with a double, walk, an RBI and two runs.

Story contents based on a telephone call received from Negaunee High School manager Jason Siik. Journal Sports Editor Steve Brownlee’s email address is sbrownlee@miningjournal.net.