Daver Karnosky/Daily Mining Gazette Calumet's Emily Erkkila looks to touch home plate during the sixth inning of the first game of a doubleheader against Houghton Monday at Houghton Field.

HOUGHTON — While the Houghton Gremlins softball team has improved by leaps and bounds over the past week, it was still not enough Monday to battle back from a 5-2 deficit and hold off the effects of rain in the opening game of a doubleheader Monday against the Calumet Copper Kings.

The Copper Kings hung on in the opener, 8-3, and were leading 2-1 in the nightcap until the rain became too heavy to continue play in the bottom of the fifth inning in Houghton.

During a spring that has already seen its share of disappointing weather, Monday’s rain stopping the nightcap after three pitches in the bottom of the fifth was as confusing as it was disappointing.

“I don’t know what is going to happen here,” said Copper Kings manager Joel Rastello. “Technically, it’s not a complete game. We will just have to see what the powers that be want to do here.”

On the other side of the field, the fact that the Gremlins pushed the Copper Kings to limit in the opener was something that first-year manager Rosalie Anderson could be proud of.

“These girls have really turned around a lot,” said Anderson. “Our pitchers have been phenomenal, cracking down, throwing first-pitch strikes. Our defense, we talk about, has to make the effort plays, the plays you are not expected to make. We saw that [Monday]. All around the girls are playing a lot harder.”

The Gremlins struggled mightily prior to last Wednesday, when their hard work in practice finally translated over to gameplay in a doubleheader against the L’Anse Purple Hornets. The Gremlins followed that split with a sweep of Gogebic and a loss to Westwood that was much closer than the 13-2 final score would suggest.

Monday, they gave Calumet all it could handle.

“I told these kids you have to fight every game,” said Rastello. “Everybody, on any given day, can beat anybody. They played well.”

While the Gremlins’ improvement went noticed by those in attendance, their inability to string hits together led to them leaving seven on base in the opener. Anderson would like to see her team make better use of their chances.

“We hit the ball,” said Anderson. “We just had baserunners that we didn’t convert.”

Trailing 5-2 after the Copper Kings had scored twice in the bottom of the fourth, the Gremlins turned to Cassidy Becia, who had already scored once back in the first inning. Becia lined a ball into deep left field. Calumet’s Jaden Rilei had trouble relaying the throw as Becia rounded second looking for third. With the throw missing its mark, Becia turned the corner at third and headed for home, reaching the plate before Allison Spence could get there with the ball.

The Gremlins threatened again in the sixth when Megan Bugni and Andra Campbell drove balls into the Calumet outfield. Ally Ronis followed with a walk, loading the bases with nobody out.

Copper Kings starter Emily Erkkila refocused and did what she does best on the mound, mixed her pitches to keep the Gremlins’ offense at bay. Shea Donnelly struck out for the first out. Anita Magyar flew out to center for the second. Josie Connors connected with a hard hit ball right back at Erkkila, who whipped out her glove and snagged the ball, halting Houghton’s threat in its tracks.

Known for her pitching, Erkkila’s glove flash changed the course of the game.

“It’s great that happens for us,” said Rastello. “It takes the fire out of the other team. It was a momentum change.”

In the bottom of the seventh, the Copper Kings went to work, looking to build off their leader’s great defense. Erkkila helped herself out first with a single. Kendra Keranen followed with a single on a line drive towards short. Celia Peterson then reached on a defensive error, which allowed Erkkila to score. Keranen followed on a passed ball and suddenly Calumet was up 7-3 with Peterson still on base. Ally Spence laid down a sacrifice bunt to score Peterson.

Erkkila got three straight Gremlins to fly out to end the game.

In the nightcap, with the rain already falling, the Gremlins struck first in the bottom of the second.

Ronis doubled to the center field fence off a pitch from Kayley King. Two batters later, Campbell brought her home with a single.

In the top of the third, the Copper Kings evened things up when Keranen drive a line drive to center, bringing Brittany Heikkila home.

Keranen later figured in the scoring again when she took a Connors pitch over the left field fence for her first career home run in the top of the fifth inning.

The game was suspended three batters later with Connors at the plate.

Next, Calumet hosts L’Anse on Thursday; Houghton welcomes Jeffers on the same day.