JB's Sales and Service's Mackenzie Ehkdahl connects for a hit in a game against Superior Service Monday at the Boneyard in Lake Linden. (Eddie O’Neill/For the Gazette)

LAKE LINDEN — Monday was opening day for the Copper Country Women’s Fastpitch Softball season. At the Boneyard in Lake Linden, Gold Standard outhit Old Bats en route to a 15-12 win, and JB’s Sales and Service defeated Superior Service, 11-7. In Chassell, Finnish Coat beat Northern Wishes 6-1.

Gold Standard 15, Old Bats 12

In the opening game at the Boneyard, Gold Standard jumped out to a 5-1 lead after one and never looked back. That morphed into a 12-3 lead after three.

Swinging a hot bat in the opening innings for Gold Standard were pitcher Ashlyn Steves, Payton Goldwsorthy and Kyara Mills. Steves and Mills both opened the first with a single and scored, while Payton hit a double and also scored.

Goldsworthy added a triple in the fourth and a home run in the sixth in the 3-for-5 night at the plate.

The Old Bats’ best inning was the sixth where they scored six. Crossing home that frame were Tessa Cipriano, Danielle Thoune, Kyllee Puuri and AnnMae Nolan who all had singles. While six runs got them within two at 12-10, that was as good as it got for them.

Gold Standard added two in the sixth and another in the seventh for the three-run win.

Steves was the winner in the circle for Gold Standard. Old Bats’ Romi Mattson took the loss.

“The girls hit the ball well and played well in the field,” noted Gold Standard coach Curtis Kinnunen. “Game ball goes to Ashlyn. She pitched really well.”

JB’s Sales and Service 11, Superior Service 7

While JB’s Sales and Service jumped out to a 4-1 lead after three frames, Superior Service tied it in the fifth at 5-5. However, that is the best they could do as JB’s went on to have a big six-run seventh and win this one 11-7.

JB’s runs in the first came courtesy of Lucy Biekkola, Paige Nettell and Kenzie Collard, who had an RBI double. Meanwhile, Superior Service got on the scoreboard with a hit by Millie Loukus in the first.

JB’s added one in the third and another in the fifth to make the score 5-3. Superior Service, however, tied it with another Loukus hit and run and Lola Cichosz crossed home as well.

The scored remained knotted at five after a scoreless sixth, But the JB’s bats came alive in the seventh to the tune of six runs. This hit parade included back-to-back-to-back doubles by Collard, Sophie Heinonen and Reagan Moyle.

While Superior scored two in their final at bat, it wasn’t enough and the game ended with a strikeout to Molly Bugni.

Biekkola earned the win from the circle and the game ball from her player-coach, Mackenzie Ehkdahl.

“She threw great as always,” said Ehkdahl, and her bat was right there with her.”

Finnish Coat 6, Northern Wishes 1

In Chassell, Finnish Coat defeated Northern Wishes, 6-1.

Ellie Hainault was the winning pitcher and Janet Mattila took the loss with Rosalie Kangas coming in as the reliever. Hainault struck out five; Mattila struck out one, and Kangas struck out four.

For Finnish Coat, Cali Hodges had a single and a double, Ann Hardin had a triple and a single, and Kia Markham and Vaeda Brooks each had a single.

For Northern Wishes, Meg Ruohonen had a double and Theresa Anderson, Rosalie Kangas and Rachel Kinnunen each had a single.