Marquette first baseman Ada Mohrman, bottom, slides safely home to score a run during the opening game of the Little League Minors District 11 softball tournament played against Portage Lake on Saturday at the Houghton High School field. (Daily Mining Gazette photo by Daver Karnosky)

CUTLINES

#1

Marquette second baseman Emily Trdan makes a throw to first base after fielding a ground ball during the opening game of the Little League Minors District 11 softball tournament played against Portage Lake on Saturday, July 5, 2025, at Houghton High School’s field. (Daily Mining Gazette photo by Daver Karnosky)

#2

Marquette first baseman Ada Mohrman, bottom, slides safely home to score a run during the opening game of the Little League Minors District 11 softball tournament played against Portage Lake on Saturday, July 5, 2025, at Houghton High Schools’ field. (Daily Mining Gazette photo by Daver Karnosky)

#3

Marquette shortstop Kelsey Anderson, center, throws the ball back to pitcher Ella Dickinson after making a catch on a fly ball during the opening game of the Little League Minors District 11 softball tournament played against Portage Lake on Saturday, July 5, 2025, at Houghton High School’s field. (Daily Mining Gazette photo by Daver Karnosky)

Sub hed:

By DAVER KARNOSKY

Daily Mining Gazette, Houghton

HOUGHTON — With hits from seven batters, each also scoring at least one run, the Portage Lake Little League Minors All-Stars softball team earned an 11-1 win over Marquette on Saturday morning to open District 11 tournament play at the Houghton High School field.

In other Little League tournament action in District 11, the Negaunee vs. Baraga-Lake of the Clouds game on Saturday in the same Minors softball tourney was suspended because of weather and was rescheduled to finish on Sunday.

The Majors baseball tourney being held in Calumet also had its games postponed to Sunday.

In the Seniors baseball state finals, Negaunee lost to Taylor North 13-9 and lost to Southern 15-4.

Back in Minors softball in Houghton, Allie Mettlach, Anna Hanson and McKinley Soli scored two runs apiece as Portage Lake got contributions from all over its lineup.

“It felt really good to get a win,” PL manager Phil Pietila said. “The girls really showed up today. The hitting was spectacular.

“We hit the ball really well today, which was a difference in the game.”

Getting contributions in several different spots in the lineup made the success possible.

“Certainly Anna Hanson hit really well; Reagan Riley, Ivy Biekkola toward the bottom of the order,” Pietila said. “All the girls hit it well for the most part and our defense is really strong.”

For Marquette, whether the change in the game’s start time to four hours earlier than originally scheduled or it being the holiday weekend, the team struggled at the plate, getting no-hit by the combination of Avery Pietila and Mettlach.

“With the team we have, with the time change and it being the holiday, they’re not as awake as they normally are,” Marquette manager Jen Anderson said. “So I have a feeling we’ll come back (Sunday), they’ll be more awake, more with it, and it’ll be a different game.”

Her team did manage a pair of walks, one of which led to a run, but baserunners were at a premium throughout.

“The energy was there,” Anderson said. “They were making contact. They were swinging. We just have to make a little bit more contact and get some better throws in there.”

With the tournament held in a double-elimination format, Marquette had a chance Sunday to make up for the rough start, though that start might be delayed depending on the weekend weather situation.

“Marquette’s a good team,” PL manager Pietila said. “I wouldn’t be surprised to see them again in this tournament, but we’ll take the win for sure.”

Avery Pietila got the start on the pitching rubber for Portage Lake, going four innings, striking out seven and walking two.

The walks came back-to-back in the second inning to Ada Mohrman and Penelope Harris. Mohrman came around to score Marquette’s lone run on a passed ball that got away from Soli at home plate.

“She (Avery) was trying to find her changeup,” said the PL manager, who is also her father. “She didn’t have it the first inning there, and once she found it, she was a little more consistent, had a little more confidence pitching.”

Mettlach came in and threw one inning in relief, striking out one.

“It’s huge,” Phil Pietila said. “When you play in the All-Stars, having two pitchers is a big advantage. It gives the batters a different look with a new pitcher.

“I think as we go down the stretch, it’s going to be important that both of them are on.”

Portage Lake got to work with two out in the bottom of the opening inning.

After Hanson drew a walk. Riley doubled to center field, bringing Hanson home. Miina Heinonen then singled to center field, which scored Riley. Soli then singled to right field to knock in Heinonen and the hosts already led 3-0.

With one out in the second, Biekkola singled to right field. She stole second and then scored on a passed ball, which made it 4-1 in favor of Portage Lake after two.

In the bottom of the third, they continued their assault, keyed by an RBI triple to deep right field by Hanson.

The bottom of the fourth inning was interrupted by rain, but it seemed to hold off for the fifth. It also did nothing to slow the PL bats.

The fifth featured three stolen bases that eventually invoked the mercy rule to end the game early.