Calumet coach David Yeo (right) and shortstop Nate Londo compare notes in between innings during a doubleheader Tuesday against Negaunee at the Paul Lehto Field in Calumet. (Eddie O’Neill/Daily Mining Gazette)

CALUMET — Tuesday was the Calumet Copper Kings baseball team’s home opener at the Paul Lehto Field in Calumet. They welcomed the Negaunee Miners to town and lost two close ones to them.

In both of the games, the Copper Kings took leads into the sixth inning and squandered them. They lost the opener, 4-3, in seven innings and fell in the second game, 5-4.

“It’s frustrating,” said Copper Kings coach David Yeo. “It comes down to making the routine plays, and we did not do that today.”

On the bright side, he added that Darin Berg pitched a gem in the opener.

“He always throw well. He stays up on the batters with 0-1 and 0-2 counts,” noted Yeo.

The Copper Kings got on the scoreboard in the first frame of the opener. A lead-off walk of Liam Pomroy led to him scoring courtesy of a Nate Londo single to left two batters later.

The game remained 1-0 in favor of the Copper Kings until the fifth.

In that frame, the Copper Kings added two more runs. Singles by Pomroy and Luke Hamlin eventually led them to being at second and third. Both came home on an errant throw by the pitcher Carsen Belanger to third. Now up 3-0, the Copper Kings were just three outs away from a much-needed win.

However, the Miners were not giving up. A lead-off walk of Devin Jurmu led to the first run. A misplayed fly ball by the Copper Kings’ outfield hit by Weston Yesney was the second run, and the tying run started with a walk to Jack Siik, who later scored.

While the Copper Kings put two men on in their last frame of the sixth, they stayed stranded, and the game headed to extra innings.

In the top of the seventh, the Miners earned the win as Jurmu and Yesney both singled. A defensive error at first allowed Jurmu to score and seal the deal.

“It was a great game. Hats off to Calumet. They played well,” said Miners coach Jason Siik. “I liked how our guys kept digging away and didn’t give up.”

Belanger earned the win for the Miners. He threw six innings, struck out six, and allowed just one earned run.

“He gets the game ball,” stated his coach. “He threw well and kept us in the game.”

In the second game, Negaunee took a 3-0 lead into the bottom of the third after scoring one in the second and two in the third. However, the Copper Kings countered with four of their own to take the lead. Back-to-back errors by the Miners allowed Trent Halonen and John Golus to get on base and eventually score. Pomroy then singled and came home on a sacrifice fly by Berg. The final run of the frame was Londo who doubled and came home on an error at third.

Now up 4-3, it was smooth sailing for the Copper Kings in the fourth and the fifth with Lyle Lasenen on the mound. However, he was rattled in the top of the sixth by the Miners.

Ian Engstrom started Negaunee off with a single and eventually ended up at third. He came home on a balk by Lasenen, and that was the decisive run for the Miners.

With Jack Siik pitching the final frame, the Copper Kings went down swinging – three up, three down.

Up Next

The Copper Kings will welcome the Hancock Bulldogs to their diamond on Thursday. Opening pitch of the doubleheader is set for 4 p.m.