The win avenges an earlier loss by Tervo Agency against Superior Service.

For Tervo Agency, the top five hitters in their lineup combined for nine hits over four innings at the plate.

“We came off a really fantastic week last week, and we’re still just running on that high,” said player-coach Danielle Thoune. “Our girls know how to contact the ball, and we’re just going with it. We’re just having fun. That’s really what we’re doing.”

Thune mentioned that she and her teammates are having a lot of fun right now, and given that the playoffs start next week and her team is looking to defend their playoff title, this is the time they want to be feeling confident in themselves and their ability to get the job done.

Superior Service center fielder Josie Heinonen awaits a pitch during a game against Tervo Agency Monday at Chassell Field. (Daver Karnosky/Daily Mining Gazette)

“We’ve got girls ranging from 11-40,” she said. “We’ve got two girls that have never played before in their life.

“We’re here for all of it, and you know what? It’s great weather. It’s a great game. Hopefully we’ll have a makeup game on Wednesday. Otherwise, we’ll head into the championship on a couple great wins.”

A big chunk of the hitting success that Tervo Agency had came off the bats of Amber Schoenicke and Cassidy Albrecht, who got on base five of the six times the pair came up to bat.

“Amber and Cassidy are fantastic, but they are Tech students and they’re leaving us,” Thoune said. “So, this was our last game with them.”

However, with a deep roster this season, Thoune is confident in the rest of the team to find a way to make up for the losses of Schoenicke and Albrecht.

“We’ve got the girls that can fill in those holes where we need to,” she said. “Our pitcher, Olivia, will be back for championship games. So, that’ll be great for Mel (Baker) to kind of play where she wants to play, and get off the mound a little bit. She’s excited for that.

“All of our girls can really play anywhere and we’re fluid with it. We don’t have anybody that’s stuck in saying, ‘This is where I play.’ Some will say, ‘Leave me in the outfield,’ or some will say, ‘Get me out of the outfield,’ but we’re really so flexible that anybody will pretty much play anywhere, and they just say, ‘Let’s go have a good game.'”

For Superior Service, having a game like Monday was not what they were looking for as they tune up for the playoffs. They only had six hits in the game, and only one came from the top half of the lineup, a single by Josie Heinonen in the second inning.

For player-coach Raili Therrian, the lack of hitting was the major issue with her team.

“We really just have to get our bats going,” she said. “I think that was the biggest problem, no one was really hitting tonight.”

At the same time, Tervo Agency took advantage of some mistakes Superior Service made in the field.

“They (Tervo Agency) were just hitting so well,” said Therrian. “We could not field the ball for the life of us, obviously. Almost every hit was to the outfield, and it’s a big outfield here, so it doesn’t help anything.”

Tervo Agency got things going when Alana Nolan reached on a fielder’s choice. She later scored when Sarah Dowd singled two batters later.

The game remained 1-0 for Tervo Agency until the third inning.

Baker led off with a walk to start. Alana Nolan then doubled to deep center field, scoring Baker. A passed ball moved Nolan to third. Albrecht then singled to center field, bringing Nolan home. Albrecht herself scored on a double to the left field fence by Dowd. Schoenicke then tripled, scoring Dowd. Before the play came to an end, Schoenicke scored on a defensive error.

Annamae Nolan drew a walk. Gael Filpus followed with a walk of her own. Baker also walked to load the bases. Alana Nolan doubled to center field, scoring Annamae Nolan from third. Filpus was tagged also trying to score to end the inning, but Tervo Agency led 7-0 at that point.

Tervo Agency put the game out of reach for good in the bottom of the fourth.

Albrecht led off with a single to center field off of relief pitcher Josie Heinonen, who stepped in for Superior Service starter Isabelle Cleary. Albrecht stole second before Dowd was hit by a pitch. Schoenicke singled to left field, scoring Albrecht. Aubrey Zackal then singled to center field, which scored both Dowd and Schoenicke.

In the top of the fifth, Paige Danison led off with a walk, hoping to spark Superior Service, but Millie Loukus hit into a fielder’s choice, and reached first base on a defensive error. However, Harlee Froberg hit into a double play to end the game.