Ely outslugs and outscores Deer River, 27-24

by Tom Coombe
Ely’s high school softball team experienced both ends of the offensive spectrum, in a matter of five days.
After failing to get a base runner against Cherry’s Lauren Staples, who fired a five-inning perfect game in a May 21 game at Ely, the Wolves turned things around in amazing fashion on Tuesday.
Ely came out slugging, building a 17-1 lead and then hanging on for a 27-24 victory at Deer River.
The Wolves (9-8) played at Two Harbors Thursday and seem likely to go on the road Tuesday when the Section 7A playoffs begin.
Barring an unanticipated shift in the standings, the Wolves will be seeded fifth in the north half of the section and travel to play number-four Littlefork-Big Falls. A win puts the Wolves into the double-elimination phase of the tournament, which starts June 3 at Grand Rapids.
Against Deer River, the Wolves were three outs from finishing the Warriors off in the fifth inning before the hosts mounted a comeback, taking advantage of some control problems by winning pitcher Katrina Seliskar.
Seliskar settled in and closed down Deer River in the seventh to preserve the win. She scattered 11 hits and fanned five.
At the plate, Rachel Coughlin went three-for-five and she helped turn two key double plays in the field that helped stop Warrior rallies.
Kate Coughlin scored five times and had two hits, while Ella Perish had three hits and Bella Davis went three-for-three.
Charly Flom scored four times and Madeline Kallberg went two-for-two in Wednesday’s 25-6, four-inning victory over Northeast Range.
Seventh-grader Zoe Mackenzie got the pitching win in the circle. She struck out two and gave up only two hits.
The Wolves were overmatched by Cherry and Staples last week.
The hard-throwing Tigers righthander didn’t allow a base runner in the five inning contest.
She also helped her own cause with two hits.