ELY – The Timberwolves softball team improved to 4-0 on the season on Tuesday after notching their third straight home victory against Mesabi East. It was the second straight nail-biter for Ely, as the Wolves needed a seventh-inning rally to edge the Giants 10-9.
The Wolves came into the final frame staked to a 7-4 lead, but gave up five runs to give Mesabi East the edge.
“That’s when Madeline Kallberg came up to bat in the bottom of the inning with one out, and bases loaded,” said Coach Cory Lassi. “She hit a walk off double that cleared the bases for the win. She had two hits and four RBI for the night.” Clare Thomas, Rachel Coughlin and Kate Coughlin all had two hits each. Pitcher Katrina Seliskar scattered nine hits and struck out two for the win. “The girls battled all game long and earned a big win,” Lassi added.
Tuesday’s comeback was reminiscent of Ely’s Friday tilt against Two Harbors. After taking a commanding 8-0 lead into the sixth inning, Ely watched as the Agates caught fire, scoring four runs in the sixth and three more in the seventh. “We stranded their tying run on second and the go-ahead run on first, to come away with the 8-7 win,” Lassi said.
Ely hurler Katrina Seliskar gave up 12 hits on the afternoon, while striking out five. She added a hit as well to help Ely’s cause.
“Katrina did a really good job of keeping them off balance the first couple of times through the lineup, and then they got their timing down and started hitting the ball hard,” he said.
Ely batters racked up eight hits for the day. Zoe MacKenzie, coming off the mound from the previous day, started at third base and had three hits for the day. Flom and Thomas had two hits each.
“Zoe got us out of jam in the sixth inning, when Two Harbors scored four runs,” Lassi said. “She made a diving catch to end the inning. It could have been a much bigger rally for them.”
Lassi is pleased with his team’s start, particularly its ability to close out two one-run games in the win column. “We started out this season talking about trying to win some of those close games that we weren’t able to last year, he said. “This game was a perfect example of that. We were able to find a way to win with a couple of big hits at the plate and a couple of big plays in the field. Last year we lost on a walk-off hit to Two Harbors in a one-run game. To be able to flip those games around is huge.”
In their chilly home opener last Thursday, the Wolves scored five in the first inning to put the heat on Deer River on route to a 12-0 win. “After that productive first inning, we fell off on getting runners on base in the second and third innings, but then we scored seven more runs in the fourth inning,” Lassi said.
Ely had just five hits in the game, and four walks, but took advantage of their time on base. “We put the ball in play and put pressure on them,” he said. “We forced them to make plays.”
The Timberwolves had seven stolen bases, led by Kate Coughlin who had three. Charly Flom, Cedar Ohlhauser, Katrina Seliskr and Clare Thomas each swiped a base.
Madeline Kallberg legged out a hit for a triple, and two RBI’s, while Cate Coughlin and Seliskar also had two RBI’s each. Clare Thomas and Raven Saino each added an RBI.
Pitcher Zoe MacKenzie made her first start of the season and gave up just three hits over five innings. She struck out six Warriors and walked four. “I feel like those four walks he gave up they earned it,” Lassi said. “They weren’t just four-pitch walks. They had to battle for it.”
MacKenzie, an eighth-grader, showed promise on the mound last year, and looks to be the starter next year after Seliskar graduates. “This was huge for us. Moving forward into the season, we have a lot of games coming up in a short amount of time. It was nice to see Zoe step in and we didn’t miss beat,” he said. “I was impressed last year when she started a couple of games, and I feel comfortable putting her in there against anybody this season.”
The Timberwolves were scheduled to be on the road late this week, including Wednesday, May 4, at Chisholm; Thursday, May 5, at North Woods; and Saturday, May 7, at Cook County. Ely returns home on Monday, May 9, to host International Falls, and they host Nashwauk-Keewatin on Tuesday, May 10.