Northern Wishes pitcher Morgan Erkkila connects with a pitch during a game against Superior Service Monday at Chassell Field. (Daver Karnosky/Daily Mining Gazette)

CHASSELL — For three innings, Superior Service did not look like a team still searching for their first win of the season in Copper Country Women’s Fastpitch softball play Monday evening at the Chassell Field. They led Northern Wishes 8-0 and appeared to be in control.

Little by little, that lead evaporated until Northern Wishes tied things at 8-8, forcing extra innings.

With two out in the bottom of the eighth, Superior Service’s Lilah Hill reached on a dropped third strike. A missed throw allowed her to get to second before the play came to an end. Then Millie Loukus singled to center field, which was just enough for Hill to score and give her team a 9-8 win.

The win was a big relief for player-coach Raili Therrian’s team.

“I think it’ll be good momentum going into the rest of the season,” she said. “We’re going into the second half of the season, and hopefully, (we’ll) start winning in the second half of the season more.”

Therrian felt that the difference for her team from their previous four losses was the way her team approached the game at the plate.

“I think we were finally stringing hits together,” she said. “We’ve struggled with that, so I think we were able to get a lot of runs that way.”

Northern Wishes player-coach Kim Aho liked a lot of what she saw from her team, including the fact that they fought back from the 8-0 deficit to even things.

“We have a good bunch of girls,” she said. “I mean, they’re well rounded athletes. Most of us have been playing for a few years. We know a game can turn around just like that, and we had that one inning and came back and hit the ball. Was that the fourth? Whenever we scored our first runs, we had a good rally there, and I think that turned it around.”

The turnaround started with a change in the pitcher’s circle.

Morgan Erkkila got the start for Northern Wishes, and while she pitched well, forcing multiple flyouts, in the third inning, Superior Service was able to turn a 3-0 lead into an 8-0 lead. So, Kim Aho called for a change, bringing in Rosalie Kangas, who struck out the first nine batters she saw, and finished with 12.

“We switched up pitchers to give them a different look, and that worked for us today,” said Aho. “Some days it doesn’t, but today that worked. Not quite enough to give us the win, but it was nice to give us a fighting chance, get us back in the game.”

Superior Service was on the attack from the start of the game, Loukus had a single to lead off. She later scored on a sacrifice by Kaydence Pizzi two batters later.

The game remained 1-0 into the second before Superior Service broke through two more runs in the second. With two outs, Lola Cichosz got on base with a walk. Molly Bugni then singled to right field. Hill reached on a defensive error, which scored Cichosz. Then Loukus doubled all the way to the left field fence, which scored Bugni.

Superior Service still led 3-0 going into the third. Pizzi led off with a single. Josie Heinonen singled just past short. Therrian then singled to left field to load the bases. Mallory Sporalski doubled to center field, scoring Pizzi and Heinonen. Cichosz then doubled to center, knocking in Therrian and Sporalski. Bugni moved Cichosz to third with a sacrifice. Hill sacrificed to bring Cichosz home, and the game was 8-0 at that point.

That’s when Northern Wishes buckled down.

In the top of the fourth, Meg Ruohonen got things going with a lead-off double to center field. Kangas followed with a double of her own to center, scoring Ruohonen. Kangas stole third. Rachel Kinnunen then singled to center field, scoring Kangas. Aho sacrificed to move Kinnunen to third. Janet Mattila singled to center field to bring her home and the lead was down to five, 8-3.

The game remained there until the top of the sixth. With one out, Naomi Frahm singled to third. Aho then singled. Mattila doubled to center field, clearing the bases. Mattila continued to third before the play ended. She scored on a passed ball, and suddenly the lead was down to two, 8-6.

Savannah Hendrickson walked before Mattila scored. Erkkila singled, putting runners on the corners. She then stole second to put both runners into scoring position. Sylvia Aho then sacrificed to score Hendrickson. As the play continued, Erkkila scored on a defensive error, evening the score.

Northern Wishes had two chances to score one more run, but neither time they got their bats going with the same consistency they found in the fourth and sixth innings.

Up next

Copper Country Women’s Fastpitch softball action is off on Wednesday thanks to the pending holiday. They will return to action Monday, July 7, with games in Lake Linden and Chassell.

Superior Service pitcher Josie Heinonen extends her arm before delivering a pitch during a game against Northern Wishes Monday at Chassell Field. (Daver Karnosky/Daily Mining Gazette)