REL walks off into semifinals with 6-5 win
REL Inc. shortstop D’Andra Kero watches a hit jump off her bat during a Copper Country Women’s Fastpitch Softball quarterfinal game against Gold Standard Wednesday at the Boneyard in Lake Linden. (Eddie O’Neill/Daily Mining Gazette)
REL Inc.’s Delaney Anderson swings at a pitch during a Copper Country Women’s Fastpitch Softball quarterfinal game against Gold Standard Wednesday at the Boneyard in Lake Linden. (Eddie O’Neill/Daily Mining Gazette)
REL Inc. shortstop D’Andra Kero watches a hit jump off her bat during a Copper Country Women’s Fastpitch Softball quarterfinal game against Gold Standard Wednesday at the Boneyard in Lake Linden. (Eddie O’Neill/Daily Mining Gazette)
REL Inc.’s Delaney Anderson swings at a pitch during a Copper Country Women’s Fastpitch Softball quarterfinal game against Gold Standard Wednesday at the Boneyard in Lake Linden. (Eddie O’Neill/Daily Mining Gazette)
Trending
LAKE LINDEN -- REL Inc. was just one out away from a 5-3 playoff win on Wednesday when Gold Standard's Emily Jokela put the trip on hold for another half inning at the Boneyard.
With Megan Corrigan on first, Jokela belted a riser over the right field fence to tie the game at 5-5. While they could not get the go-ahead run, Gold Standard had new life breathed into themselves and a chance to win in the eighth.
However, REL ended that plan with their own dramatic play in the bottom of the seventh.
First baseman Hannah Asiala smacked a ball to right field and ended up on third with one out. Shortstop D'Andra Kero then wasted no time+ bringing her home with a base hit of her own. REL was victorious at 6-5 and headed to the semifinals on Saturday.
"A few clutch hits and very few errors in the field was the key for us tonight," said REL's player-coach Vera Peterson, who was also the game's winning pitcher, going the distance striking out 10.
Besides a brief opening inning lead by Gold Standard, REL had the upper hand through most of the matchup. After Gold Standard scored one in the first, REL countered with two in the first and three in the second.
In the first, Delaney Anderson and Ashley Lehto had hits and scored after Gold Standard's Jokela.
In the second, Lehto improved her first frame single to a triple and scored again, as did Anderson.
After three innings, REL led 5-2, and that is how the game stood until the top of the sixth when Gold Standard added another run. Jokela, who was Gold Standard's starting pitcher, stroked a triple and crossed home on a Kara Kinnunen single just a batter later.
Down by two, Jokela blanked REL in the sixth and set the stage for some top-of-the-seventh dramatics of her own making.
However, it was a little too late. Gold Standard's coach Curtis Kinnunen said this one should have been won early on.
"It was good to come back, but we had too many strikeouts and a couple of crucial errors in the field," he said. "Errors and poor play in the field was our nemesis all year."
With the win, REL advances to the semifinals on Saturday. They will face JB's Sales and Service at 10 a.m. at the Boneyard.
According to Peterson, winning on Saturday will come down to a simple three-prong formula for REL.
"We will need to hit the ball, play strong defense and commit no errors," said Peterson.