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Free passes were plentiful and the Ely Timberwolves took advantage Tuesday at Deer River.
Warrior pitchers walked or beaned 15 Ely hitters and the Deer River defense also had several costly errors, and the Timberwolves cruised to an 18-4, five-inning victory.
The win evened the Wolves’ record at 2-2 heading into a busy slate.
In advance of a stretch that would include four games in five days, Ely rested regular starting pitcher Zoe MacKenzie and Naomi Archer filled in.
The freshman gained her first varsity pitching win, working all five frames.
Archer escaped a first-inning jam with two runs and went the rest of the way, scattering seven hits and notching three strikeouts.
She also had plenty of run support, as Ely scored two runs in each of the first three innings, and putting the game on ice with a seven-run fourth.
MacKenzie launched her second home run of the season as part of the onslaught.
Senior Maija Mattson, who plays first base for the Wolves, added two hits and scored three times for Ely, while sophomore Amelia Penke scored three times and ripped a triple.
Annika Eastham also scored three runs for the winners, and Rylee Larsen was two-for-three with two runs scored.
Makenzi Huntington doubled and scored twice, as did Clare Thomas.
• On Monday, Greenway overcame a four-run third from the Wolves and rallied for a 12-4 victory.
The host Raiders hit three home runs and put the game away with two runs in the fifth and five more in the bottom of the sixth.
Greenway made the most of its nine hits and also capitalized on free chances.
Penke, Mattson and Huntington all had run-scoring hits in the third but that was it for the Wolves’ scoring. For the game, Penke had two singles but Ely struggled to make contact, striking out 14 times.
• Perennial Class A powerhouse Cherry downed the Wolves 6-1 in the April 17 home opener at the high school softball field.
The Tigers struck quickly, scoring twice in both the first and second innings. Ely’s only run came in the first inning, when Payton Huntington singled and scored on a MacKenzie double.
The Wolves managed just three hits the rest of the way.
• Ely hosted Chisholm Thursday after deadline and followed up Friday with a contest at Two Harbors.
Home games with Cook County (Saturday, 10 a.m.) and South Ridge (Monday, 1 p.m.) follow.
