Eddie O’Neill/Daily Mining Gazette Rajala’s Kitchens pitcher Blake Heltunen delivers a pitch during a Portage Lake Little League Minors playoffs semifinal against Pat’s Foods Wednesday.

SOUTH RANGE — The boys and girls of Rajala’s Kitchens are not afraid to swing the bat. When they step up to the plate, they want to hit. On Wednesday, they swung their way to a 9-4 win over Pat’s Foods in Portage Lake Little League Minors semifinal action.

“They are trained to swing at strikes,” said Rajala’s manager Bruce Heltunen. “That’s something we have been teaching them all year long.

The win was not an easy one as Pat’s Foods came out swinging big bats as well.

Pat’s put three runs on the board in the top of the first inning. Fynn Pennala, Nolan Hanner, Cole Seppala and Brodi Jenkins all had base hits that led to runs.

However, Rajala’s Kitchens did the same. Conner Helminen started things off with a double to the left side. Blake Heltunen then walked. One run came in on a Brycyn Nettell single. Two more came home on a Max Nordstrom line drive and after one inning the score was tied, 3-3.

Unfortunately, that would be the only runs Pat’s could muster until the top of the sixth. It became too late as Rajala’s Kitchen scored one in the second, two in the third and three in the fifth.

In the bottom of the third, Heltunen started the inning off with a hard-hit line drive to right center for a triple. He came in on a Nettell double. Rylan Guilbault brought him in on a double of his own.

After posting their first goose egg of the game in the fourth inning, Rajala’s came back and put together a three-run hit parade in the fifth. Helminen led off with a walk. Heltunen had his second hit of the night — a single up the middle. Nettell followed suit with his third hard-hit ball of the game to the right side of the field which put him on first and gave him a couple of RBIs. He would eventually make home on a wild pitch for their third run of the inning.

Rajala’s, who was the No. 2 seed coming into the playoffs, will face the No. 1 seeded Xpress Self Storage for the championship on Saturday.

Heltunen hopes his teams can stay hot and continue to play well in the field.

“We had some good timely hitting tonight,” he said. “We also played some great defense and hopefully that will continue into Saturday.

Meanwhile, Pat’s Foods manager Jim Hanner has no complaints despite a season-ending loss.

“It was a fun season. It was a good season as everyone improved. Everyone hit the ball better and fielded the ball better,” he said. “We ran into a very good Rajala’s team tonight, and that’s baseball. Hats off to them. I wish them well.”