Hit parade: Knights outslug host Mountaineers
Norway’s Hannah Burklund (18) pounds the ball into the dirt in front of home plate and then sprints towards first base to beat the throw of Iron Mountain catcher Annaliese Lucas (19), who was being backed up on the play by starting pitcher Ellison Powell (16), during Game 2 of a girls varsity softball doubleheader at Northside Field on Monday. (Dennis Mansfield/Daily News photo)
Norway second baseman Gabby Leiker (10) looks to gets out of the way as her teammate and Knights right fielder Taylor Adams (15) charges in to catch a fly ball for an out during the nightcap against the host Mountaineers on Monday afternoon. (Dennis Mansfield/Daily News photo)
Iron Mountain varsity slugger Annslee Runsat (22) puts the bat on the ball for one of 3 hits by the Mountaineers in Game 1 of a softball twinbill against Norway at Northside Field on Monday afternoon. The Mountaineers dropped both games to the visiting Knights. (Dennis Mansfield/Daily News photo)
Norway’s Hannah Burklund (18) pounds the ball into the dirt in front of home plate and then sprints towards first base to beat the throw of Iron Mountain catcher Annaliese Lucas (19), who was being backed up on the play by starting pitcher Ellison Powell (16), during Game 2 of a girls varsity softball doubleheader at Northside Field on Monday. (Dennis Mansfield/Daily News photo)
Norway second baseman Gabby Leiker (10) looks to gets out of the way as her teammate and Knights right fielder Taylor Adams (15) charges in to catch a fly ball for an out during the nightcap against the host Mountaineers on Monday afternoon. (Dennis Mansfield/Daily News photo)
Iron Mountain varsity slugger Annslee Runsat (22) puts the bat on the ball for one of 3 hits by the Mountaineers in Game 1 of a softball twinbill against Norway at Northside Field on Monday afternoon. The Mountaineers dropped both games to the visiting Knights. (Dennis Mansfield/Daily News photo)
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IRON MOUNTAIN -- The Norway Knights came ready to hit, outslugging host Iron Mountain in a girls varsity softball doubleheader at Northside Field on Monday afternoon.
Norway was held scoreless in the fourth inning of Game 1, but that was about the only frame Iron Mountain would silence the Knights' bats who went on to a 13-1 win.
Norway put up 4 runs in the first inning and never looked back, scoring in five of the six innings. That included a 5-run outburst in the sixth, as the Knights tallied 15 hits in the win.
Averie Popp led the Norway hit parade with a 3 for 4 performance at the plate, as she scored twice and drove in a pair of runs.
Knights Donna VanHolla (2 Rs, 2 RBIs), Gabby Leiker (2 Rs, RBI), Mackinzie Gilroy (2 Rs, RBI), Elizabeth Rometti (2 Rs, RBI) and Emma Dube (3 RBIs) each had 2 hits in the game.
Not that Knights pitcher Kali Stanchina needed all the offensive support, as she allowed just 1 earned run in a 6-inning complete game. The Mountaineers managed just 3 hits off Stanchina, who walked 3 and fanned 2 Iron Mountain batters.
Mountaineer hurler Ashlyn Bal took the loss, giving up 13 runs, only 8 earned. She didn't walk a batter and tallied 3 strikeouts.
Juliana Tapio, Annslee Runsat and Ellison Powell accounted for all three of the Mountaineers' hits, with Runsat driving in Bal, who had walked, for Iron Mountain's lone run.
Game 2 didn't go much better for the Mountaineers, with the Knights pounding out 10 hits on their way to a 10-3 victory.
Again, Norway banged out 4 runs in the first inning for another early lead, scoring in five of the seven innings.
And Popp was again a huge factor for the Knights with another solid game at the plate, going 3 for 4 with 1 run and 1 RBI. VanHolla (2-4, R, 2 RBIs) and Leiker (2-4, 2 Rs) also had multiple hits for Norway.
Starting pitcher Hannah Burklund made the 10 runs stand, as she held the Mountaineers to 6 hits and 3 runs, only 1 earned, over 7 innings of work. She also walked 2 while striking out 6.
Powell started on the mound for Iron Mountain, throwing 5 innings and giving up 9 runs, 5 earned, on 9 hits, while also striking out 1 and allowing 2 walks. Runsat pitched the final two innings, allowing a run on 1 hit and 2 walks.
Bal (2-3, BB, R) and Runsat (2-4, RBI) paced the Mountaineer's attack, with Lindsey Sorensen (1-2, R) and Annaliese Lucas (1-3) also both getting base knocks in the nightcap.