Baseball

Bark River-Harris at Superior Central

EBEN — It was definitely a tale of two baseball games here Monday night as Bark River-Harris and Superior Central split a doubleheader.

The Cougars won the opener 10-0 in five innings, and the Broncos captured the nightcap 14-0 in four.

“Those were two very different games, no doubt about that,” said BR-H coach Al Botwright. “We had one problem in the first game, their starting pitcher (Kaden Rockhill). He’s a fine pitcher. We had no answers for him. He throws hard and has a very good curveball. If he’s not the best pitcher we’ve seen so far, he’s way up on the list. They’re a very good team, no doubt. They know how to play the game, and they’re well-coached.”

Max Hall and Isaac Ives shared the mound duties for the Broncos in the second game, allowing no hits.

“Our starting pitcher (Hall) did an unbelievable job,” said Botwright. “He kept them off the bases. We didn’t give up any hits, and that was the difference. We also played a lot better defense. We starting making the plays we’re used to making. Isaac retired them in order in the fourth.”

Nick Javurek led the Broncos with two hits and two RBIs. Tyler Racicot added two hits and one RBI, and Joe Javurek scored three times.

The Broncos visit North Central for a doubleheader Thursday. The Cougars host Stephenson in a twinbill Thursday.

North Central at Norway

NORWAY — The bats came alive for the North Central Jets in the second game of a doubleheader here Monday night in a 13-8 baseball victory over the Norway Knights.

Norway won the opener 12-2 in four innings.

“I am hoping these were the last of our cold games of the season,” said Jets coach Jason Mercier. “That was brutal tonight, around 32 degrees. In Game 1, we just fell into the same late-inning funk as we have been accustomed to. A few errors multiply, and before you know it, the game escapes and is over.”

“In Game 2, we attacked the ball early. Our 1-4 hitters are heating up, which is a good sign. The entire team is starting to make contact more regularly.”

The Jets collected 11 hits in the nightcap, including two each by Ian Gorzinski, Wyatt Riley, Adrian Mercier and Jesse Sampson, who also drove in four runs.

Gannon Bray, however, limited the Jets to two hits in the opener. He struck out five and walked two.

“Our defense played relatively clean, and Bray was efficient on the mound in the first game,” said Norway coach Tony Adams. “Offensively, we showed some patience and made better contact as the game went on. In the second game, North Central did a nice job putting the ball in play, and we had too many errors. Although, our kids did a nice job competing throughout the game.”

Adrian Mercier took the win in the nightcap, striking out four, walking four and allowing four runs on five hits through four innings.

“Adrian kept the runs down,” said coach Mercier. “That’s all we can ask on a freezing night. He helped himself out on offense also. Adrian and Wyatt have been roping the ball and manufacturing runs.”

The Jets host Bark River-Harris in a twinbill Thursday.

Softball

Rapid River at Norway

NORWAY — Sophomore Andi Carlson cracked a bases-loaded triple to tie the game in the bottom of the sixth inning to tie the game, followed by Gabrielle Leiker’s RBI single to score Carlson, as Norway held off Skyline Central Conference foe Rapid River, 10-9 in game one of a softball doubleheader, at Marion Park in Norway Monday afternoon.

Norway junior Kali Stanchina, toed the mound for the entire seven innings, fanning 10 hitters, while only walking one. She had two hits, along with teammates Averie Popp, MacKenzie Clifford, Mackenzie Gilroy, Leiker and Donna Van Holla, whose two hits were a double and a triple.

Senior Natalie Belanger pitched for the Rockets, fanning five Norway batters. She also cracked a double for the visiting Rockets, who are coached by Norway native George Kanyuh Jr.

In game two, the International Tie Breaker rule went into effect, with a runner starting at second base to begin the eighth inning. The Knights held the Rockets in the top half of the inning.

Norway sophomore Jada Freudinger hit a two-out single to score Carlson for a walk-off win in the bottom of the eighth.

Hannah Burklind, who drilled two triples for the Knights, also pitched the second game, striking out four Rockets’ hitters, while walking seven.

Belanger was back on the mound for the Rockets in the nightcap, fanning eight Norway hitters, while walking none. She also helped her own cause with a triple.

Popp had two hits for the Knights on game two.