BESSEMER — In their last tuneups before the Copper Country Invite Saturday in Hancock, the Calumet Copper Kings softball team traveled to face the Gogebic Miners. The Copper Kings used a big fifth inning in the opener to win, 9-4, but they could not string together enough offense in the nightcap and ultimately fell, 9-0.

Pitcher Danni Stites was outstanding in the opening game. She threw eight innings, striking out 12, walking two, and giving up eight hits. At the plate, she went just 1-for-4, but she scored a run and knocked in two.

Catcher Bethany Garrow got things rolling right away with a leadoff single to left field. Two batters later, first baseman Chloe Coppo singled to right field, scoring Garrow on the play.

Gogebic tied things up in the bottom half of the inning. The game stayed 1-1 until the top of the third.

Second baseman Abby Bausana drew a leadoff walk. Garrow sacrificed to move her to third. Shortstop Molly Erkkila then reached first on a bunt after Bausana scored on a passed ball. Coppo reached on an error. Erkkila scored as Jaysa Wilks grounded out, making it 3-1 Calumet at that point.

The Miners scored three runs in the bottom of the fifth to take a 4-3 lead before the Calumet bats responded in the top of the sixth.

Coppo led off with a triple to center. Wilks then singled to left, scoring Coppo in the process. Third baseman Kaydence Christopherson doubled to left, which scored Wilks, and the Copper Kings regained the lead, 5-4.

Center fielder Jailyn Poshak singled to right field, putting runners on the corners. Stites then tripled, bringing both runners home. Two batters later, Bausana grounded out, but not before Stites crossed home plate to put Calumet up 8-4.

The Copper Kings added one more run in the top of the seventh. Erkkila drew a leadoff walk. She was tagged out in a fielder’s choice when Coppo grounded back to the pitcher. Coppo did reach safely. Wilks singled to left field. Two batters later, Poshak singled to third. Coppo scored on an error on the play and Calumet led 9-4 at that point.

Gogebic got two runners on base in the bottom of the seventh, but neither crossed home plate before a strikeout ended the game.

In the nightcap, the Copper Kings managed four hits, one each from Garrow, Erkkila, Christopherson and Bausana, but no runs.

Poshak got the start in the circle, going four innings, striking out five, walking six, and giving up four hits. Wilks pitched 1/3 of an inning in relief, striking out one, walking two, and giving up three hits.