No matter how hard they tried, there was just no getting past Silver Bay.
The second-seeded Mariners proved to be the Ely Timberwolves’ nemesis - not only in a tight regular-season contest but two lopsided playoff encounters last week on the North Shore.
In an elimination round matchup in the Section 7A high school softball tournament, the Mariners exploded early and scored 10 runs in the first three innings and rolled to a 14-0, five-inning victory on May 21.
The win sent the Mariners into the final four of the double- elimination tournament, while the Wolves finished with a record of 13-10.
Earlier the same day, Ely blanked Mt. Iron-Buhl 3-0 to remain alive in the playoffs.
But the rematch with the Mariners was never in doubt as the hosts racked up 13 hits and rode the pitching of Madison Ollman, who blanked Ely on three hits and was backed by a nearly flawless defense.
The Wolves only struck out once but never got anything going against Ollman.
Silver Bay, meanwhile, got a two-run home run from Ollman as part of a four-run first.
In the third inning, the Mariners batted around and rapped out five more hits while scoring six times.
Silver Bay would do more damage in the fourth, scoring four more times.
Ollman finished with two hits and three runs batted in, and the Mariners had five extra-base hits in the contest.
Peyton Huntington, Ella Perish and Lindi Zemke had the Wolves’ only hits, and senior Zoe MacKenzie took the loss in the pitching circle.
• To stave off elimination, MacKenzie tossed a three-hit shutout and recorded seven strikeouts and Ely avenged a tough regular season loss to Mt. Iron-Buhl with a hardfought win in the playoff rematch.
Perish doubled in a run in the second inning, the hot-hitting Julia Zgonc singled in another in the third, and Perish’s fourth-inning solo home run finished the scoring.
MacKenzie, meanwhile, kept the Rangers off balance and off the scoreboard for the entire game.
She stranded two runners in both the fifth and seventh innings and got a key double play with two runners aboard and nobody out in the sixth.
That’s when Perish snared a line drive and doubled off a runner who stretched too far off of third based.
MacKenize walked only two batters while going the distance and Perish went three-for-three at the plate.
Ninth-grade outfielder Lucy Oelke added two hits for the Wolves.
• Cromwell eliminated Silver Bay in 7A action on Tuesday and advanced to meet Barnum in the section championship game.
