Lake Linden-Hubbell's Ashlyn Steves takes a lead off first Friday in a game against Gogebic at the Boneyard in Lake Linden. (Eddie O’Neill/For the Gazette)

LAKE LINDEN — On Friday, the Gogebic Miners softball team was one out away from doing what no other team had done this season. That was handing the Lake Linden-Hubbell Lakes their first loss of the year. During the opener of a doubleheader at the Boneyard, the Miners led 8-5 headed into the bottom of the seventh.

The Lakes’ Taylor Goldsworthy led off the inning with a fly-out to center. Then back-to-back doubles by Payton Goldsworthy and Kyara Mills led them both to score putting the Lakes within one of a tie.

After Jovie Daniels walked, Sofia Hamton knocked her in with a single up the middle. The score was now tied. Then, Megan Sutherland grounded out to second. Lissa Johnson poked a ground ball through the right side and advanced Hampton to third. It was up to leadoff hitter Ashlyn Steves to bring her home, and she did. With the count 2-1, Steves turned a riser into a game-winning line drive to left center, and the Lakes won 9-8.

However the dramatics didn’t stop there. They did it again in the second game. This time, it was Payton Goldsworthy who turned a Gogebic fastball into a three-run blast over the left-center fence and another 9-8 win for the Lakes (20-0).

“Credit to Gogebic,” said Lakes coach Curt Kinnunen. “They play good softball, and it is nice to have some real competition. That is how we learn by playing good teams that force us to make the plays in the field and hit the ball.”

In the opener, the Miners led by four after batting in the third. They got on the board with two singles in the first off of Lakes starter Payton. They added another two in the third as Kenly Anderson doubled and brought in pitcher Olivia Peterson and catcher Emma Choronzy.

The Lakes, however, countered with two of their own in the third.

Gogebic led 4-2 after three.

A leadoff walk to the Miners’ Carine Cole in the fourth led to an RBI hit by Emily DelFavero. Kara Prisbe scored in the fifth for the Miners. However, the Lakes countered with a run apiece of their own in the fourth and the fifth frames. It was now a 6-4 Miners’ lead headed into the sixth frame. While the Miners did not score in the sixth, the Lakes did and put themselves within one (6-5) headed into the seventh.

The Miners’ bats stayed hot in the top of the seventh. A lead-off double by Peterson sparked a two-run rally where she scored as did Anderson courtesy of an RBI double by Audrey Stone. That set the stage for the Lakes late-inning rally and Steves dramatic walk off single.

Payton earned the win for the Lakes. She struck out 19 and walked five while surrendering 10 hits and eight runs.

The second game of this doubleheader started in reverse fashion. This time it was Lakes who scored first with three runs in the opening inning. Steves (now pitching) led off with a walk. Cleo Milkey followed with a single. After Taylor Goldsworthy flied out, her sister Payton touched all four with a home run to center. The Lakes led 3-0, and that is how the game stayed until the third.

In that frame the Miners’ DelFavero blasted a solo shot over the fence in left-center. The Miners then added another in the fourth as a double by Choronzy led her to eventually scoring.

The Lakes countered with one as well in fourth,and it was now a 4-2 Lakes lead headed into the fifth.

The Lakes made it 5-2 with Steves hitting a solo blast in the bottom of the fifth.

The Miners got within one with a two-run sixth. Those two runs came off the bat of Peterson, who hit a two-run homer bringing her and teammate Noelle Grace across the plate. The Miners held the Lakes scoreless in the sixth and then took the lead (8-5) in the seventh with four runs.

Back-to-back hits by Lailah Keast and DelFavero set the stage for Grace to contribute, and she did with a bases-clearing triple. She scored as well as Peterson. The Miners led 8-5 with just three outs to go, but it was deja vu all over again.

The Lakes’ Johnson’s leadoff walk led to her scoring. Then hits by Taylor Goldsworthy and Milkey led the way for Payton’s walk-off blast – her second homer of the game. The game ended with a sea of Lakes at home plate celebrating and a lot of hung heads by the Miners as they moped off the field.

Steves earned the win for the Lakes. The lefty allowed 10 hits and eight runs over seven innings. She struck out eight and walked just three.

“We played good defense today,” added Kinnunen. “The way the girls kept battling was the best thing to see. No one gives up, and that is good to see.”

Up next

The Lakes will welcome Ironwood to the Boneyard Monday.