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Ely’s high school softball team was in need of a win, and the Timberwolves put any doubts to rest early Tuesday afternoon.
In the bottom of the first inning, they sent 13 batters to the plate and nine scored on the way to an easy, 15-1, five-inning win over Deer River.
The victory came during the Wolves’ home debut, and they ended a brief threegame losing streak to improve to 2-3 on the young season.
Catcher Peyton Huntington had a huge day, going four-for-four at the plate with three runs scored.
Huntington jumpstarted the first inning rally with a single and a stolen base, and her run-scoring triple helped close out the uprising.
Junior Clare Thomas had both a run-scoring double and an RBI single in the first, while Ella Perish, Maija Mattson, Grace Flynn and winning pitcher Zoe MacKenzie all knocked in runs with first-inning hits.
The Wolves would add two more runs in the second frame and four in the fourth.
MacKenzie was in control in the pitching circle for Ely. The sophomore gained her second win of the season while notching six strikeouts. She scattered six hits.
The Wolves bounced back Tuesday after losing a tough one April 18 at Cherry.
That’s when the host Tigers rallied for a 13-12 win.
Ely had an 8-3 lead at one point, only to see it evaporate.
The Wolves would again take control in the see-saw affair, taking a 12-9 edge going into the bottom of the seventh.
Once again, Cherry would not be denied.
Despite a leadoff strikeout, the Tigers battled back and scored four times, the last three coming with two outs and both the tying and game-winning runs on a twoout single that ended matters. Both Huntington and Hannah Penke scored three runs for the Wolves, with Huntington getting two hits including a triple and Penke finishing three-for-four.
Thomas scored two runs with two hits, while Mattson and MacKenzie both scored twice.
• Ely is slated to visit South Ridge (Monday), North Woods (Thursday) and Cook County (May 4) in the next week, while a May 6 clash with International Falls kicks off a stretch that includes six home games in the final two weeks of the regular season.
