Jeffers Levi Kinnunen was the winning pitcher for the Jets in Saturday's opener against the Hancock Bulldogs at the Driving Park in Hancock. (Eddie O’Neill/Daily Mining Gazette)

HANCOCK — The Hancock Bulldogs baseball team went 1-4 this weekend. On Friday, they won their opener against the Iron Mountain Mountaineers, 3-2, and lost their second game, 14-0. On Saturday, they were swept by the Jeffers Jets 2-0 and 5-1 in a doubleheader at the Hancock Driving Park.

Saturday

After opening the season at 0-5, the Jeffers Jets have won four in a row this past week. In the words of their coach Luke Paul, they have found their groove.

“Today was our defense,” he said. “That won the game for us. We made the play that we needed, and that is not always easy at this time in the season. I preach good defense – that is going to win games for us. The bats will follow.”

In the opener on Saturday, the Jets (4-5) shut out the Bulldogs. They jumped on the scoreboard in the third with a run and scored again in the fifth.

Paul noted that strong pitching followed the good defense. Cody Turner was the winner in the first game, and Levi Kinnunen earned a win in the second.

“They threw well,” said their coach. “Game balls go to them.”

In the second game, strong bats led to two runs in the first and three runs in the fifth for the win.

Hancock’s only run came in the top of the second.

Friday

Hancock’s best game of the weekend was their opener on Friday at home against Iron Mountain.They jumped out to a 3-2 lead after two innings, and that is the way the game stayed through six. Benny Keranen scored two of those runs for Hancock as he was 2-3 at the plate. Chase Keranen scored the third run and was 2-1.

Ned Larson relived Benny Keranen after the first inning and went 4 1/3 innings. He earned the win allowing just two hits, no walks and striking out four.

The second game was all Mountaineers (3-7). They scored in multiples three of the four innings which led to high-scoring shutout. It started in the first with four runs. Big bats included Evan Medini, Ian Martilla and Joey Wahoviak. All had RBIs that inning.

After a slow, one-run frame of the second, they posted three in the third and an impressive six in the fourth. Leadoff hitter Connor Pickett scored three times and Aiden Ellis followed with three.

Charlie Anderson was the winning pitcher for the Mountaineers, allowing just two hits.

“It feels good to get a win,” noted Iron Mountain coach Jeff McLean. “We hit the ball well, and that is what we need to do.”

On the other bench, coach Travis Pietla, of the Bulldogs, noted the difference in the two games.

“We played a clean game in the first one and had too many errors in the second,” he said. “Hats off to Ned Larson as he threw well in the first one for us.”

UP NEXT

The Bulldogs will welcome the Houghton Gremlins to the Driving Park on Monday for a 4 p.m. doubleheader.