Copper Country Crush 12U closes season with Battle on the Bluff championship
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GLADSTONE -- The Copper Country Crush 12U softball team closed its 2026 season with a championship, winning the Battle on the Bluff tournament in Gladstone, Michigan, Aug. 7-9.
Copper Country went 4-1 over the weekend. After splitting its two pool-play games, the Crush entered bracket play as the No. 3 seed and won three straight games to capture the tournament title.
The championship came with a 1-0 victory over Focus Fastpitch, the same team that had defeated the Crush 4-0 during pool play one day earlier.
The Crush opened the tournament Friday with a 1-0 win over River Rebels Black.
Ramona Raisanen went the distance in the circle, allowing just three hits over six shutout innings.
Copper Country manufactured the game’s only run in the second inning when Vivian Mattson drew a walk and stole second and third. With Mattson at third, Giana Guilbault battled through her at-bat and put the ball in play with a grounder back to the pitcher, allowing Mattson to score. Ari Jahfetson and Raisanen recorded the Crush’s two hits as pitching dominated the opener.
Saturday began with a 4-0 loss to Focus Fastpitch.
Jahfetson led Copper Country at the plate with two hits, while Raisanen pitched all six innings without issuing a walk.
The Crush entered bracket play later Saturday as the No. 3 seed, and responded with its biggest offensive performance of the weekend, defeating 906 Fastpitch 15-1.
Izi Jahfetson went 3-for-3 with four RBIs, collecting a single, double and triple. Mattson drove in two runs,
Ari Jahfetson added a triple, Guilbault tripled and collected multiple hits, and Jordyn Rouleau added an RBI single. Abby Hampton also drove in a run, drew two walks and stole two bases.
Raisanen struck out seven over three innings in the circle, while Emma Kangas and Rouleau also worked in relief as the Crush advanced to Sunday’s semifinal.
Copper Country opened Sunday with an 8-0 semifinal victory over UP Chaos Fastpitch 11U.
Ava Giachino drove in four runs, including three on a pair of late-game singles.
Raisanen threw a six-inning shutout and struck out 11. Mattson drew two walks, while Rouleau, Guilbault and Mattson each stole multiple bases.
That victory sent the Crush into a championship rematch with Focus Fastpitch.
The final developed into another pitching and defensive battle. Raisanen allowed five hits over six scoreless innings as Copper Country held Focus off the scoreboard. The Crush broke the scoreless tie in the fourth inning and made the 1-0 lead stand.
Guilbault led the offense with two hits, while Rouleau drove in the game’s only run and stole two bases.
Pitching and defense were central to the championship run. Copper Country allowed just five runs over five games and recorded three shutouts. Raisanen handled most of the work in the circle, including complete-game shutouts in both the tournament opener and championship and an 11-strikeout performance in the semifinal.
Kangas and Rouleau also contributed in relief during the weekend.
The championship finished a season in which the Crush developed production throughout its lineup. In 16 games, Copper Country totaled 114 hits, scored 98 runs and stole 92 bases while batting .322 as a team.
Kangas finished with a team-high 19 hits and scored 16 runs while batting .422. Raisanen collected 15 hits and 12 RBIs, while Ari Jahfetson hit .353 with five triples and a home run. Izi Jahfetson also drove in 12 runs with 13 hits, including eight for extra bases.
Mattson drove in 11 runs and stole 14 bases, Giachino added 11 hits and nine RBIs, and Elin Pelli collected 10 hits and stole 15 bases.
Guilbault finished the season batting .382 with a .512 on-base percentage, 13 hits and nine stolen bases, and delivered important contributions during the championship weekend. Rouleau contributed five RBIs and six stolen bases in 10 games and drove in the championship-winning run. Hampton played five games and reached base at a .538 clip while adding five stolen bases.
The team’s versatility was also important throughout the summer.
Ari Jahfetson handled all the catching duties behind Raisanen, with Izi Jahfetson, Kangas, Mattson and Giachino working throughout the infield. Hampton, Guilbault, Pelli and Rouleau filled the outfield, with the defense shifting when Kangas or Rouleau entered the circle.
The Battle on the Bluff championship capped the 2026 season for the Copper Country Crush 12U.
The Copper Country Crush 12U team thanks its 2026 sponsors, Great Lakes Sound & Vibration (GLSV) and Dean Kangas State Farm, for their support throughout the season. Their sponsorship helps provide Copper Country players the opportunity to practice locally and compete in tournaments throughout the U.P. and Wisconsin.