Calumet’s Colin Loukus makes the catch for an out as Houghton’s Elliot Majlessi attempts to beat the throw Thursday in Wolverine. (Eden Laase/Daily Mining Gazette)

WOLVERINE — Nick Voelker steps off the mound to field a roller coming his way. He grabs it barehanded, takes a step, and makes a perfect throw to first base for an out. 

Then, moments later, Voelker does it again. 

It looks like an instant replay: Same step, same throw, same out. But there are no big screens or jumbotrons to broadcast highlights at Wolverine Field. No, this was an instant replay of Voelker’s own making. The pitcher is just that fundamentally sound, possessing the ability to make two picture-perfect plays in a row.

“That is big thing for Nick,” Calumet coach Dave Yeo said. “He fields the position well and doesn’t have many walks. He usually keeps us in every game.”

Voelker didn’t walk a batter in the game. 

And Voelker isn’t the only one with stellar fundamentals. The Copper Kings put their skills on display during a 10-0 rout of Houghton on Thursday.

It was the second game of a doubleheader, with Calumet winning the first game 21-9. 

But for Calumet, Game 2 was the kind of contest coaches dream about. The Copper Kings didn’t force anything on offense. Instead, they let the game come to them, throwing out singles, taking walks and snagging extra bases at the right times. 

Defensively, things were even better. Calumet didn’t record an error in the game. 

“We took what they gave us and that was very important, but we also didn’t have an error, so that always helps. When we make the routine plays, we will stay in every game,” Calumet coach Dave Yeo said.

The Copper Kings also have a roster chalked full of names you’ve seen before in hockey and football programs. They spend all year playing together in various atmospheres, so when it comes time to hit the field for baseball, the Copper Kings know what to expect.

“They know where people are going to be and they know the capabilities of other players, or what they have to cover, where they have to be backing,” Yeo said.

Calumet started things off in the second inning with a walk and a single, setting up Sam Erkkila and Brandon Antilla for a pair of singles that scored three runs. From there is was more of the same: a blooper here, a walk there, the occasional Houghton error, and eventually Calumet built a 10-run lead.

Dean Loukus, Erkkila and Antilla led Calumet with two singles each.

Everything went according to plan for the Copper Kings, but for the Gremlins, it was a different story.

Houghton could never get its bats going, recording just two hits on the game: singles from Will Romano and Ty Halonen. 

“Every little thing that could go wrong went wrong,” coach Rob Scholie said. “You know how baseball can be. You know, you make a couple of mistakes and they get a little blooper. It wasn’t a good day for Houghton baseball, that is for sure.”

Despite playing games that were on opposite sides of the spectrum, going forward, both Houghton and Calumet are on similar pages. The two teams are doing the best they can with a limited season.

Each team has battled the elements this season, with snow and rain limiting games and outdoor practices as well. Because of this, games are being piled on at the tail end of the season adding a new challenge. 

“This was only our fifth and sixth games, which is the same thing you will hear from every coach, playing good or bad,” Scholie said. “We just haven’t been outside enough … It is tough, and the biggest thing for us going into tomorrow is that we have played a 12-game season and we have six games this week.

“It has been tough to juggle the schedule around, but they gotta do what they gotta do to get the games in.”