The Marquette Senior High School softball team poses with its championship trophy after winning the Laker Invitational held in Maple City and hosted by Glen Lake High School on Saturday. The Sentinels won both their games in five innings, defeating Norway 11-0 and host Glen Lake 20-11. (Photo courtesy Dana Swajanen)

MAPLE CITY — The Marquette Senior High School softball team won the Laker Invitational tournament held at Glen Lake High School a few miles northwest of Traverse City on Saturday afternoon.

The Sentinels won both their games in five innings, taking an 11-0 victory over Norway and 20-11 triumph over the host Lakers.

In the event’s other game played Saturday morning, Glen Lake edged Norway 5-4.

Next up for Marquette is a home doubleheader against Westwood at 4:30 p.m. today, then another home twinbill against Gwinn at 4:30 p.m. Wednesday. The Sentinels also hit the road for a double-dip at Sault Ste. Marie at 2 p.m. Friday.

Here are details from the Laker Invite:

Marquette 11, Norway 0

In the early afternoon opener against a fellow Upper Peninsula squad, MSHS pitcher Charlye Swajanen just missed tossing a no-hitter, allowing a lone single and walking four while striking out five as she went all five innings.

She helped her own cause with a triple and RBI, but the Sentinels’ top hitter had to be Maddy Havel, who collected a triple and double while going 2 for 2, knocking in three runs while also drawing two walks from the leadoff spot in the order.

Lauren Johnson also had two hits while scoring twice, while Ava Hanford had a stolen base to go with a hit, two runs scored and an RBI.

Teammate Eva Dewitt was 1 for 3 with an RBI and run, while Sammy Trapani walked twice and scored a run and Taylor Wyatt had a hit and RBI. And Teagan Fossitt scored three runs.

Norway’s lone hit was by leadoff batter Kendall Burklund as Myah Gilroy drew two walks. Burklund also took the pitching loss, going 4 1/3 innings and giving up eight runs — five earned — on six hits as she walked five and fanned four.

Dewitt got MSHS on the board with an RBI single in the first inning, and with the addition of a run scored on a passed ball and on a groundout, Marquette led 3-0. Swajanen’s RBI triple made it 4-0 in the second.

But Marquette really broke it open and ended it with the mercy rule during a six-run fifth. In addition to Havel’s bases-loaded triple that scored three runs, single runs came in on Wyatt and Hanford singles and an error.

Marquette 20, Glen Lake 11

In the later afternoon title tilt, the teams made the best of a total of 15 hits as 19 walks were issued with a total of nine errors committed.

And the Sentinels had to play catchup despite scoring six times in the top of the first inning. That’s because Glen Lake roared back to take a 10-6 lead through two innings, before Marquette mounted its own comeback to overtake their hosts in the fourth, then added seven runs of insurance in the fifth.

The Sentinels’ Makayla Gustafson started but only went one full inning on the pitching rubber, allowing seven runs — five earned — on two hits and five walks as she K’d two. Swajanen came on in relief and pitched the final four innings, allowing four runs — all of them unearned — on five hits and a walk as she fanned two.

Lakers starter Delanie Dembowske went four innings, allowing 13 runs — eight of them earned — on eight hits and seven walks as she struck out five. Reliever Josephine Houghton went the final inning, giving up seven runs, five earned, without allowing a hit as she walked six and fanned one.

Marquette’s Johnson and Hanford each had two hits, one of Johnson’s a double, as she had three RBIs, two runs and a walk. Hanford had an RBI, run and walk.

Despite going 0 of 1, Havel had three RBIs as she scored once and drew a walk. Clare Dewitt was 1 for 1, but with two RBIs, two runs and a walk, while Trapani was 1 for 2 with two RBIs, three runs and three walks.

Marquette also got a single from Lily Smigiel, who also had an RBI, two runs and a walk.

Interestingly, neither Swajanen, Eva Dewitt, Eva Nystrom nor Fossitt had a hit, but Swajanen and Dewitt each scored twice with a walk as Dewitt also had two RBIs. And Nystrom scored three times with two walks, while Fossitt scored twice and stole three bases without an official at-bat.

Olivia Reed paced the Lakers, going 2 for 2 with three RBIs.

In the opening inning, Gustafson cracked a three-run single, while Johnson and Smigiel each hit RBI singles and Trapani drew a bases-loaded walk for an RBI.

After getting three back in the third to pull within 10-9, the Sentinels took the lead for good in the fourth. Johnson and Trapani each had RBI doubles with two bases-loaded walks thrown in.

Marquette put it away with a seven-run fifth despite not collecting a hit. With two errors scoring a total of three runs, walks were issued with the bases loaded to Hanford, Havel and Swajanen, while one of the Dewitts was hit by a pitch to bring in another run.

Story contents based on emails received from MSHS softball representatives Dana Swajanen and Bill Finkbeiner with assistance from GameChanger Media. Journal Sports Editor Steve Brownlee’s email address is sbrownlee@miningjournal.net.