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Purple Hornets sweep doubleheader with Bulldogs

Paul Peterson/For the Gazette Kailyn Voskuhl of L'Anse trots in with a run in the seventh inning of Monday's opening game against Hancock

HANCOCK — L’Anse had to sweat out a last-inning rally by Hancock to hold on for a one-run victory Monday afternoon in the opening game of a doubleheader.

The Purple Hornets registered a less stressful 7-4 Copper Country Conference win in the second game of the twinbill.

LHS hurler Josie Rice took a 7-3 lead into the final frame of the opener but walked four batters — the last three in order to make for a 7-6 reading.

“It was getting a little hairy in the last inning,” Hornets manager Doug Mills said afterward. “We just told her (Rice) to throw strikes …. and thankfully …. she did.”

A three-run double by Erica Tollefson of the Hornets busted open a 4-3 game in the sixth inning and that looked good until the wildness of Rice in the last frame.

Rice and Briana Kienz each had two hits for the winners.

Losing pitcher Delaney Heinonen rapped out two hits for the Bulldogs.

Rice allowed five hits and struck out four batters.

In the nightcap, the Hornets struck for four runs in the opening inning and held on behind the pitching of Kailyn Voskuhl.

Voskuhl gave up four hits and fanned four batters in recording the win.

Mills said it was the first back-to-back complete hurling games for his team this season.

“We’ve been using Josie (Rice) and Kailyn (Voskuhl) most the season,” he noted. “Today, they were both really sharp.”

L’Anse counted seven hits by seven different batters, Voskuhl getting the key two-single in fourth inning rally that sewed up the second game.

“This was an important sweep for the girls,” Mills said. “We lost four tough games last week and this gives us some confidence for the rest of the season.”

Losing pitcher Payton Dube and Sarah Heinonen each had two hits for Hancock.

L’Anse will host Jeffers Wednesday at their new field.

LHS is 9-8 overall and 6-4 in league play.

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