Hancock pitcher Connor Helminen rocks and fires home during the second game of a doubleheader Thursday against Westwood at the Hancock Driving Park. (Eddie O’Neill/Daily Mining Gazette)

HANCOCK — After a slow start to the season, the Hancock Bulldogs baseball team is on a four-game winning streak. They downed the L’Anse Purple Hornets twice on Wednesday and kept going on Thursday with a sweep of the Westwood Patriots at the Hancock Driving Park. They won 4-2 and 13-5.

“We are playing complete games now,” said Bulldogs coach Travis Pietila. We are hitting the ball better and in a timely fashion. That was key today – getting hits with men on base.”

Ned Larson was on the hill for the Bulldogs in the opening game, and he earned the complete-game win. Along the way he struck out two and walked two.

He and the team got on the scoreboard first in the opening frame courtesy of Caleb Isaacson, who singled and later scored on a fielder’s choice. The Bulldogs (7-7) added another run in the third to take a 2-0 lead into the third.

The Patriots bats came alive to tie this one in the top of the fifth. In that frame C. Thomas reached on missed played ball by Hancock second baseman Chase Keranan. He came home with ease a batter later as Louis Salmi slugged a triple to right field. Salmi came home as well on a sacrifice fly.

The tie however was short-lived as the Bulldogs countered with two or their own in the bottom of the fifth.

An error at shortstop put Ned Larson on. After stealing second, he crossed home on another base rap by Chase Keranen. Several batters later, Keranen came home on a passed ball to seal the deal.

“Game ball goes to Chase,” noted his coach. “He had six RBIs on the day.”

The second game was the Patriots one to win. They posted five runs in the second but could not defend it.

“We had nine errors,” said a frustrated Jason Salmi, coach of Westwood. “They (Hancock) had no earned runs that game. We have got to clean that up. Our pitching was good, but we cannot give them four and five outs.”

Of the Bulldogs’ 13 runs, two came in the second and four in the six. In the fourth, Chase Keranen scored on an error for the tying run and so did Benny Keranen for the go-ahead run at 6-5. The Bulldogs never looked back adding seven more to close out innings four and five.

“This was the better game as were down by five but battled back and won,” stated Pietila.

Earning the win for the Bulldogs from the mound was Connor Helminen. He went three innings and allowed no hits while striking out three.

Up Next

The Bulldogs head to Ironwood on Monday for a doubleheader.