Hancock shortstop Kaisa Salani, center, turns a double play against Negaunee as teammate Ellie Heinonen looks on Tuesday, May 24, 2022, in Hancock, Mich. (Eddie O’Neill/The Daily Mining Gazette)

HANCOCK — The third time is a charm.

The Hancock softball team did one better.

For the Hancock softball team, it was the second and third times that were charms on Tuesday at the Driving Park.

The Bulldogs (16-8) avenged a 10-0 WestPAC tournament championship loss on Saturday to Negaunee with a 13-2 and a 6-3 win over the Miners. It felt good according to Hancock head coach Randy Heinonen.

“We knew that they were missing some of their senior players, but a win is a win,” he said. “What we did defensively today was right on spot. We did everything fundamentally right. Our pitchers threw strikes, and our defense played well behind them.”

In the opening game, the Bulldogs’ Kaydence Kilpela pitched a complete game (five innings) win. She allowed two runs on just six hits and had four strikeouts. The Bulldogs magic number in this one seemed to be four as they scored four runs in the second, third and fourth innings before the game ended early due to the mercy rule.

Big bats included Kaisa Salani who went 2 for 4 and accounted for four Hancock runs. Right behind her was Ellie Heinonen who was 3 for 4 which included a third inning home run.

In the second game, pitching again was key for the Bulldogs. Not only did Hancock hurler Sadie Biekkola go the distance with a seven-inning win from the circle, but she hit a game-winning home run over the right-center field fence in the sixth inning.

“Sadie did well again,” said her coach. “She pitched well and hit the game-winning bomb to put it away. What more could you ask for.”

It was a 3-3 tie between these two rivals after two innings as both teams tallied three in the second. Negaunee’s three runs came off the bats of Kallen Schultz and Allie Askainen. For the Bulldogs, it was a base hit by Salani that knocked in a couple of runs and an error by the Miners second baseman brought in a third.

The game then became a pitching duel and defense was the name of the game. Then the Bulldogs saw daylight in the bottom of the sixth as catcher Brooke Koskela and first baseman Krista Kela got on base. They both soon touched all four as Biekkola delivered the home run.

“Hats off to Hancock. They played well,” said Negaunee head coach Randy Carlson. “I was proud of my girls as we had six freshmen out there, and after the 10-run loss, they could have packed it up, but they didn’t. They came back and played hard and made a game of it in the second.”

Game one

HCHS 144 40 – 13

NHS 000 11 – 2

Game 2

NHS 030 000 0 – 3

HCHS 030 003 x – 6