Baraga’s Mia Coronado bats against Calumet on Friday, April 29, 2022, in Baraga, Mich. (Eddie O’Neill/The Daily Mining Gazette)

BARAGA — The Baraga softball team opened their season with a pair of losses on Friday to the Calumet Copper Kings.

The Copper Kings dominated the Viking in both games. The first contest ended 17-3 after five innings and the second game score was 20-7 also after five innings.

“I thought we played pretty good for our first game,” said Baraga’s head coach Joe Coronado. ” We are a young team and we’ve only been outside twice before today (for practice) and only once was that on our real softball field.”

Calumet (4-2) opened the first game with a big six-run rally. While the Viking’s starter Kylie Michaelson was throwing strikes, her teammates struggled to get outs.

“She did what she was supposed to do,” said Coronado. ” Except for two bad innings, she did well for pitching for the first time this season.”

The Vikings (0-2) got their first run of the season in the second inning thanks to back-to-back hits by Emmy Bobula and Rylee Holm. Bobola got on first and came in on a hard-hit double to the right side of the diamond by Holm.

The Vikings would add two more in the third thanks to the bat of Cori Jahfetson. With one out and a runner on first, she drilled a Grace Newman fastball to left center and touched all four bases. It was a 7-3 Calumet tilt after three innings. However the Vikings would stay at three, but the Copper Kings tacked on one more in the fourth and nine more in the fifth.

Among those who were swinging a hot bat in the fifth frame for Calumet were Emma Perala and Laura Giachino. Perela cleared the bases with a triple and Giachino hit a deep line drive to center with bases loaded and brought in two more runs for the Copper Kings just a few spots later.

CHS 601 19 – 17

BHS 012 00 – 3

In the second game, Coronado put Cori Jahfetson on the mound and the Copper Kings’ head coach Matt Vertin went with Kaylee Halonen. Baraga took their first lead of the day in the first inning when Jahfetson helped her own cause with a three-run homer to left center. However, Baraga’s 3-1 lead did not last long as they struggled to get out of a long third inning.

The Calumet girls played small ball in the third frame as they scattered base hit after base hit around the outfield. Shortstop Jana Loukus started it off with a single. Eight batters later she was back up at the plate and scorched a triple between first and second that earned her two RBIs.

“I always tell the girls to put the ball in play, and that’s how things happen,” said Vertin. “We know we have some batting power and a lot of experience in that area. There were plenty of good at-bats for us in both games, and that is good for us early in the season.”

Error and walks certainly did not help Baraga’s cause in the fourth frame as the Copper Kings would go on to tally six more runs and an eventual 20-7 win after five.

“We’ve played six games in three days, and I’m pleased with where we are at,” said Vertin. “Our mistakes here and there will certainly work themselves out. This was a good opening week.”

CHS 101 063 – 20

BHS 300 31x – 7

Jeffers splits against Mountaineers

IRON MOUNTAIN — Jeffers split with Iron Mountain in its season opener last week.

The Jets lost the first game 6-3 and turned around and earned an 18-13 win in the nightcap. 

“We played really well for a team that had only practiced two times outside before these games,” said Jeffers’ head coach Luke Paul. 

In the first game the Jets took a 1-0 lead after the first frame. The Mountaineers came back though with a series of walks followed by base hits. 

The Jets big opportunity to take a lead was in the fourth inning. They had bases loaded however hit into a double play to end the inning.  Dean Jurmu took the opening loss. 

JHS 101 010 – 3 

IMHS 020 31x – 6

In the second game, Iron Mountain opened with an eight-run first inning. It was 10-2 before coach Paul put in his third Jets’ freshman pitcher Cody Turner to put out the fire. 

“He threw strikes and that was the difference,” said Paul. 

The Jets’ bats came alive in the fourth inning. A bases-clearing triple by Levi Frahm help start the rally. That was followed by hits from Jurmu and Trevor Halonen.  Then Reid Halonen stepped in and poked a two-RBI single to left center to bring the Jets within one run with an 11-12 score after four. 

Halon would be a key in the fifth as well as another big hit helped the Jets seal an 18-13 win.

“Trevor swung a big bat for us as he had four RBIs on the night,” said Paul. “This was a good start.”

JHS 200 97 – 18

IMHS 804 01 – 13