Rockets split against Flivvers
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RAPID RIVER -- An eight-run seventh inning gave the Kingsford Flivvers the win 14-10 and doubleheader split over the Rapid River Rockets Friday night in Rapid River.
The Rockets won the first game 9-4.
"I was just waiting for it to happen from the first game, and it finally happened," said Kingsford coach Corissa Rice. "It's truly the way we've seen the girls hit either for full games or in little spurts. They finally just put it together.
"We did not come out with a vengeance after our ugly loss in the first game, but our defense was much better in game two than it was in game one … It took a bit to get our bats going but eventually we did."
Up until the seventh inning, it was back and forth between the two teams. They were tied at the end of six.
Paige Janousek's single to right field in the top of the seventh pushed in Claire Phillips, who had three singles, for the go-ahead run for the Flivvers. Janousek -- a freshman -- was called up from the JV squad and impressed with a double in addition to her seventh-inning single. Rice noted that she kept the Flivver's rallies going.
Elaina Bortolini pitched both games for Kingsford, absorbing the loss and earning the win with two strikeouts and allowing four walks. She pitched a total of six games this week. Offensively, she was 3-5 with two singles and a double that hit the middle of the fence just shy of a home run.
"Elaina continued to work hard and never let up," said Rice. "She just never labored and kept working strong."
The season has presented additional challenges with COVID, and Rice is happy with how the team has stepped up.
"We started off incredibly well, and then, we lost five of our seniors for quarantine," she said. "We've had JV girls fill in, and I'm proud of them. There have been a lot of things going on that could've made us break, and I think the girls, through different scenarios, have learned that they're good no matter what comes their way."
Natalie Belanger -- like Bortolini -- pitched both games of the doubleheader. In both, she had 12 strikeouts and no walks. Maddie LaChance and Myah Pearson were both 2-4 with a double apiece in the opener.
In game two, McKenzie Schram was 2-3 with a double that brought in three runs to tie the game a four in the third inning.
Cecilia Pilon was also 2-3 in the nightcap.
Belanger, aside from her combined 24 strikeouts, had a great defensive play in the fourth inning to keep it tied at four.
As Allie Lavarnaway hit a groundball to Belanger, Macy Holmes -- who was on third from a triple -- looked to come home. Belanger picked up the ball and pump-faked to Carrigan Flath at first, drawing Holmes toward the plate. She then turned and tagged Holmes for the out.
Pilon and Emily Goodacre connected moments later to throw Lavarnway out at second on an attempted steal to retire the side.
Rockets coach Tim Belanger said the plays help keep momentum on the Rockets side before it switched back to the Flivvers.
"This whole game was like that. It was momentum shifting the whole game," Belanger said. "C.C. had the great throw to get (Lavarnway) stealing and Natalie with the fake-out to get (Holmes) that would have went ahead with that run. She kept the game tied and kept us in it."
Belanger said it came down to errors that swung the momentum back toward Kingsford.
"We had a couple of errors that kind of shifted the momentum against," he said. "The errors started their rally and started giving their hitters some confidence. Then they started opening it up. But, yeah, the errors. We've got to clean up the errors."
As he's stated before, Belanger said the Rockets are fighters until the end.
"I like where our heart's at; I do," he said. "Right in that seventh inning, we had two outs and had two runners on, three runners on, and those girls were still believing that we were going to put it away.
"If we clean up the errors, I think we're going to be alright."
The Rockets host Negaunee in Rapid River on Monday while the Flivvers welcome Calumet to Kingsford on Tuesday.