Lake Linden-Hubbell pitcher Payton Goldsworthy is met by her teammates after hitting a home run during a game against L'Anse last season at Bill Givens Field at the Hancock Driving Park. (Daver Karnosky/Daily Mining Gazette)

LAKE LINDEN — Looking to continue their strong start while finally getting the chance to play at home, the Lake Linden-Hubbell Lakes softball team did just that Monday with a pair of wins over the Calumet Copper Kings, 13-8 and 11-9, at the Boneyard.

In the opener, third baseman Cleo Milkey went 4-for-5 at the plate, scoring twice, and knocking in five runs. In the nightcap, she was just 1-for-4, but she scored a pair of runs.

For Calumet, catcher Bethany Garrow led the way at the plate, going 3-for-4 with one run scored and five RBI. In the second game, she also went 1-for-4, but she also walked and scored twice.

In the first game, the Lakes (11-0 overall) scored the game’s first seven runs in the first two innings, only to see the Copper Kings even the score over the next two, and then take a brief 8-7 lead before scoring six straight runs to seal the win.

Center fielder Ashlyn Steves got things started in the bottom of the first inning with a lead off walk. Milkey singled to right field. Two batters later, pitcher Payton Goldsworthy doubled to right field, bringing Steves home. Shortstop Sophia Hampton then singled to second, knocking Milkey home. At that point, Lake Linden led 2-0.

In the bottom of the second, they got back to work. Second baseman Megan Sutherland singled to center field to lead off. Nevaeha Halley drew a walk. Steves then singled to short to load the bases. Milkey singled to right field, scoring Sutherland and Halley. Catcher Taylor Goldsworthy walked, which loaded the bases again. Payton Goldsworthy hit a sacrifice fly, which brought Steves home.

Hampton then walked, loading the bases again. Left fielder Kyara Mills singled to center, knocking in two runs, and suddenly the Lakes led 7-0.

Calumet struck back in the top of the third with four runs.

Second baseman Millie Loukus led off by reaching on an error. Right fielder Amiina Tarnowski doubled to put two runners in scoring position. Garrow doubled to center, bringing both runners home and getting the Copper Kings on the board. Shortstop Molly Erkkila bunted and reached, putting runners on the corners. First baseman Chloe Coppo sacrificed to score Garrow. Erkkila then scored with center fielder Jailyn Poshak at the plate before she struck out.

In the top of the fourth, Calumet evened things.

Third baseman Kaydence Christopherson reached on an error to lead off. Pitcher Danni Stites singled to right. Loukus reached on a fielder’s choice. Tarnowski then reached on an error to load the bases. Garrow tripled to center to clear the bases and tie the game.

After holding the Lakes off the board in the bottom half of the inning, the Copper Kings took their only lead of the game in the top of the fifth on a Wilks two-out home run to center.

Determined to get the lead back, the Lakes scored six runs in the bottom half of the inning.

Taylor Goldsworthy led off with a walk. Payton Goldsworthy followed with a walk as well. Hampton advanced both runners with a sacrifice fly. Mills then walked, which loaded the bases. Jovie Daniels was hit by a pitch, which brought home Taylor to even things at 8-8.

The Lakes weren’t done. Two batters later, Halley reached on an error, which scored Payton Goldsworthy. Steves singled to left field, scoring Mills. Milkey tripled to clear the bases and put Lake Linden up by five, which was the margin they held on to in order to earn the win.

Payton Goldsworthy struck out 14, walked two and gave up 11 hits to earn the win for the Lakes. Stites struck out three, walked 12 and gave up 12 hits in the loss for Calumet.

In the nightcap, the Copper Kings jumped out to a 4-0 lead, only to see the Lakes cut the lead to one by the bottom of third. Calumet scored four in the fourth, but the Lakes answered with four in the bottom of the fifth. Calumet extended their lead in the sixth, only to see the Lakes score four more times in the bottom half of the inning to seal the win.

In the top half of the first, Garrow sparked the Copper Kings with a lead off triple. She scored on a passed ball with Erkkila at the plate. Erkkila hit into a double play before Wilks struck out to end the threat there.

In the top of the second, Christopherson reached on an error to lead off. Poshak doubled to center, scoring Christopherson. Two batters later, Lena Myhren walked. Poshak scored on a passed ball with Clare Ruonavaara at the plate, putting Calumet up 3-0 at that point.

The next inning, Calumet made it 4-0. Erkkila drew a lead off walk. Coppo singled to center. Two batters later, Christopherson reached on an error, which loaded the bases. Two batters after that, Maddie Myhren walked, scoring Coppo.

Lake Linden needed a boost, and it happened quickly in the bottom of the third.

Ella Schneiderhan doubled to center. Steves followed with a single to right field, scoring Schneiderhan. Two batters later, Taylor Goldsworthy hit a two-run home run to center, and suddenly the Lakes trailed by just one, 4-3.

Looking for a response, the Copper Kings found it in the top of the fourth.

Ruonavaara singled to right. Garrow reached on an error, and Ruonavaara scored. Two batters later, Coppo singled to center, scoring Garrow. Wilks followed with a two-run home run, and Calumet led at that point, 8-3.

In the bottom of the fifth, Steves led off with a walk, trying to spark the Lakes. Milkey singled. Taylor Goldsworthy walked, and Lake Linden had the bases loaded. Payton Goldsworthy tripled to left, scoring all three baserunners. Mills followed with a sacrifice to score Payton and Lake Linden trailed by just one run again, 8-7.

The top of the sixth saw the Copper Kings score again.

Coppo singled to left. Wilks reached on an error. Two batters later, with Poshak at the plate, Coppo scored on a wild pitch. Poshak then struck out, followed by Maddie Myhren, which kept Calumet from adding anything further.

The bottom half of the inning saw the Lakes take their first, and only, lead.

Steves singled to lead off. Milkey reached on an error, scoring Steves. Taylor Goldsworthy walked. Payton Goldsworth walked, which loaded the bases. Mills was hit by a pitch, scoring Milkey. Hampton sacrificed to score Taylor. Payton then scored when Sutherland singled next, and Lake Linden led by two, which they held on to until the game ended.

Steves went five innings for the Lakes in the circle, striking out six, walking five and surrendering seven hits. Payton Goldsworthy pitched two innings in relief, striking out four and giving up one hit.

Poshak went five innings for the Copper Kings, striking out two, walking nine, and giving up six hits.