Superior Service swings past Tervo Agency, 19-8: Conners blasts two homers | News, Sports, Jobs

Superior Service’s second baseman Raili Therrian throws to first baseman Molly Bugni for a put-out in a game against Gold Standard Monday at the Boneyard in Lake Linden. (Eddie O’Neill/Daily Mining Gazette)

LAKE LINDEN — After a 19-8 victory over the Tervo Agency, there was no hesitation from Superior Service player-coach Raili Therrian who the game ball should be awarded to. That was Josie Conners.

“That’s an easy one. She was awesome tonight,” said Therrian.

Conners not only earned a complete-game win from the pitcher’s circle, but she hit not one but two out-of-the park home runs. Ironically, both blasts came off Conners’ former high school softball coach, Houghton’s Mel Baker, who was in the circle for Tervo.

The first homer came in the sixth inning, a solo shot to deep center. An inning later, it was again deep – this time to left center.

“I had to laugh,” said Baker, “because I remember the last home run Josie hit. It was her freshman year against Hancock at the Driving Park. So, she was long overdue and found the sweet spot twice tonight.”

This game was tied at two after the first inning, and again at three after the third frame. Then Superior Service (7-2) posted a four-run fourth inning. It was nothing fancy. They simply strung together a series of base hits thanks to Molly Bugni, Tarynn Brey and Conners, and those led to runs scored.

Tervo scored two more in the bottom of the fifth to make it just a 7-5 Superior Service lead headed into the sixth. However, a bases-clearing double by Superior Service’s Lola Cichosz was the start of a six-run rally in which everyone in the lineup batted.

The seventh frame looked quite similar with Superior Service adding another six runs.

“Our bats really came alive tonight,” said Therrian. “That was good to see.”

Baker noted that despite a productive night at the plate with eight runs counted, Tervo (0-8) still struggled in the field to make key plays and slow their opponent’s momentum down. They are still on the hunt for that first win this season.

“Perhaps we need a younger pitcher to get that first win,” Baker added. “We really didn’t have too many errors as much as Superior Service was just cranking the ball. They are a good team.”

JB’s Sales and Service 8, Gold Standard 2

In other Boneyard action, JB’s Sales and Service continued their winning ways with an 8-2 win over Gold Standard. At 7-1, JB’s sits atop the women’s fastpitch league as the team to beat.

According to JB’s player-coach Mackenzie Ekdahl, good pitching has been a key to a successful season this year. That was again the case on Monday as Estella Soumis struck out seven in route to a complete game win.

“Stella did great,” said Ekdahl. “She threw strikes, and our bats came alive early.”

JB’s opened the first frame with three runs. Kaelyn Rouleau started it off with a double and came home on an Ekdahl single to left. She would score herself, as would Soumis.

Gold Standard (3-6) tallied their first of two runs in the third due to an error by JB’s. However, it was of little consequence as JB’s posted two runs of their own in that frame. Soumis helped her own cause knocking in Ekdahl with an RBI double.

While Gold Standard’s Sara Audette opened the fifth with a triple, that is as far as she got. JB’s put the rest of the lineup down in that inning one, two, three. That is something Gold Standard’s coach Curtis Kinnunen wished his team would do better on.

“We make too many errors in the field,” he said. “That, and not hitting well, is why we lost tonight.”