Superior Land Improvement pitcher Zane Pennala rocks and fires from the mound Monday in a game against UP. Ward Orthodontics in South Range.  (Eddie O’Neill/Daily Mining Gazette)

SOUTH RANGE — In Portage Lake Little League Minors action on Monday, Superior Land Improvements and 1902 Tap and Grill outscored their respective opponents with ease.

Superior Land Improvements 16, U.P. Ward Orthodontics 1

Good pitching included four strong innings from Zane Pennala who allowed just one run in four innings. He struck out eight and walked six. Denver Loukus struck out the side in the fifth as Superior Land Improvements earned a 16-1 win over U.P. Ward Orthodontics.

“We swung the bats and had good pitching,” said Superior Land coach Matt Pennala. “The boys put the ball in play. We are working as a team.”

The Superior Land squad scored two in the first and two in the second to take a 4-0 lead. Swinging a big bat in those innings was Conley Aho, who had two triples and a double on the night. Loukus was right behind him with two triples of his own.

U.P. Ward’s only run came in the third courtesy of Ryan Johnson who walked and come home on a Marshall Hohnholt double.

Superior Land kept going with a five-run third and a three-run fourth. Maev Kero contributed two doubles and two RBI’s during this hit parade that ended in a 15-run win.

1902 Tap and Grill 12, Keweenaw Up North Diesel 7

In the second game of the night, 1902 Tap and Grill jumped out to a 5-2 lead in the first and never looked back. They were were led by Lane Johnson and Everett Linna who both got base hits and scored as they earned a 12-7 win.

They did it again in the second frame and were aided by Evie Kuntze, who had a bases-clearing triple to left.

Keweenaw Diesel had two of their own in the second. Orrin Andress and Oden Rajala both walked and scored. It was a 10-4 1902 Tap and Grill lead after two.

That is how it stayed until the fourth, but the 1902 bats got hot again and added another two. Johnson and Kuntze had back-to back home runs with two outs against them. While Keweenaw Diesel scored two runs as well in that frame and one more in the fifth, it wasn’t enough.

1902 Tap and Grill’s Landon Seppala eyes up a pitch Monday in a game against Keweenaw UP North Diesel in South Range. (Eddie O’Neill/Daily Mining Gazette)