Daily Mining Gazette/Garrett Neese Members of Range Bank and Sweet Treats work together to help with cleanup of a house on B Ave. in Hubbell Wednesday

HUBBELL — The Range Bank and Sweet Treats Little League softball teams were supposed to be on opposite sides Wednesday night.

Instead, the two teams traded their baseball mitts for work gloves and joined forces to help clean mud from yards in Hubbell, one of the areas hardest hit by Sunday’s flooding.

Seventeen players, coaches and family members turned out Wednesday night, said Range Bank coach Rob Fay.

“The field is playable, but the coaches decided, ‘Let’s do something more,” he said.

Helping out others gives the girls a sense of community, said Sweet Treats coach Vicky Myhren.

“We’re teaching the girls that just because we don’t live in the same place doesn’t mean we can’t help everybody,” she said. “I think this is an important life lesson for the girls to learn: Sports are fun, but when your community needs you, that’s where you go.”

The home owners couldn’t do it all themselves, players said.

“Some of us got lucky and our house didn’t get hit,” said Range Bank player Lexi Burns. “Most of the people, their houses got hit bad, and we just want to help them all that we can.”

“It’s also good to help your economy and your community,” said Sweet Treats player Lena Myhren. “It’s just what good citizens do.”

About half of the Sweet Treats players, who live in Calumet, were able to show up, Myhren said. Of the Range Bank players, who live in areas closer to the flood damage, only Banks and Emi Fay were able to make it out, Fay said.

“Most of our team couldn’t make it here tonight and get all the way out this far, so we’re lucky,” she said.