By JAMIE GLENN

jglenn@mininggazette.com

LAKE LINDEN – The Lake Linden-Hubbell Lakes softball team topped the visiting Gogebic Miners, 25-0 in five innings and 17-6. The Lakes took advantage of several mistakes by the Miners over the course of the doubleheader.

Though the Lakes felt rather nervous, given that Monday marked the first games of the season, Lake Linden wasted no time putting runs on the scoreboard racking up eight touches in their first two innings.

“It was the first game of the year and the girls were very anxious to get out there and play,” said Lake Linden-Hubbell coach Curtis Kinnunen. “They played good. They made the plays when they had to and (were) hitting the ball good. (In) the second game, they came out ready to play. They were anxious and were hitting the ball. I was very happy.”

Though it was a team effort for the Lakes, of mention for Kinnunen were seniors Mackenzie Lepage and Caitlyn Zerbst. Lepage earned praise for her focus on the mound in all of Game One and most of Game Two. Zerbst was recognized for her contact, stringing together five runs on the night.

“Mackenzie’s pitching (caught my attention),” said Kinnunen. “She’s been pitching good for us. She continued pitching (in) the first game and then she came in the second game and helped out.

“Caitlyn (Zerbst) she had some pretty good hits (in) both games.”

The Lakes put up 15 runs in the fourth inning of the opener, with each player touching home base at least once.

Despite coming away with two wins, Kinnunen wants to see his team clean up their baserunning before they host the Jeffers Jets on next Tuesday. Gogebic will face Hurley, Wisconsin, Tuesday.

“We play Jeffers and we need to work on some of (our) baserunning because there was a lot of base running that we could’ve done better out there.” said Kinnunen.

Gogebic Miners coach Alexis Headley saw a tough loss for her team but looks to move forward before traveling to Wisconsin, Tuesday.

“I think in the first game we struggled really hard, just in general,” she said. “I think this (Lake Linden-Hubbell) is a good team. We were pretty much at the same level (but) we just couldn’t keep our momentum going (and) that was the biggest thing.”

The Gogebic Miners came out stronger in the second game up after making some key adjustments during the intermission. Martina Anderson scored the visitors’ first run of the night, but the one-run lead was short-lived thanks to an RBI from Lepage, who slide home for a 2-1 lead.

Lakes junior Magan Corrigan slide home after the ball was dropped by the umpire in the bottom of the second inning. Corrigan hit a ground ball for a 7-5 lead.

The Lakes added to their lead for the rest of the contest as they racked up nine more runs before Lakes senior Mackenzie Keranen’s base hit ended the game in the fifth inning.