MacKenzie throws no-hitter

Sophomore dominates in the circle, blanks Mesabi East in debut

Only a sophomore, Zoe MacKenzie is nonetheless quite at home in the pitching circle.

She gained varsity experience in both her eighth and ninth-grade seasons, and the Ely standout has an at-home garage large enough to hone her throwing skills.

All that time paid off in the Timberwolves’ April 12 season-opener, as MacKenzie tossed her first career no-hitter in a 7-0 win at Mesabi East.

While the Wolves suffered a couple of tough defeats since, both to expected section contenders, MacKenzie’s gem got the Ely season off to a strong start.

“Her game on Friday was great,” said Ely Head Coach Cory Lassi. “She went out and pitched, not just threw. She hit her spots very well and really did an amazing job of mixing her pitches.”

MacKenzie retired the last eight batters of the game and issued only two walks while going the distance.

Mesabi East never got a runner past first base and MacKenzie recorded eight strikeouts.

Ely got all the runs the righthander would need in the top of the second, when both Rylee Larsen and Peyton Huntington reached base and scored.

The Wolves put the contest away with five runs in the top of the seventh Clare Thomas, Hannah Penke and Ella Perish all had run-scoring hits in the frame, with Penke ripping a triple.

The Wolves erased a 5-0 deficit Monday, coming back to tie Silver Bay at seven before the host Mariners walked it off with a run in the bottom of the seventh.

Perish singled and scored on a Maija Mattson double to tie things up, but the Mariners countered in the home half of the inning, plating the winning run with the help of back-to-back Ely errors.

MacKenzie scattered eight hits and had six strikeouts, but the Mariners were able to plate three runs in the first and two more in the second.

Peyton Huntington’s tworun single capped off a fiverun third for the Wolves, while Perish, Amelia Penke, MacKenzie, Mattson and Makenzi Huntington all had hits during the extended rally.

Mattson had a four-forfour day at the plate for the Wolves, who outhit the Mariners, and both Thomas and Peyton Huntington added two hits.

Conditions were miserable for Tuesday’s game on the turf at Mt. Iron-Buhl, and the host Rangers overcame rain, sleet and a brisk wind to down the Wolves 11-3.

Perish and Amelia Penke drove in runs for the Wolves in the fourth inning, while Thomas doubled home Peyton Huntington in the top of the seventh.

The host Rangers, however, erupted early with five runs in the first two innings.

They added five runs in the sixth to help close things out.

MacKenzie gave up 10 hits and notched five strikeouts for the Wolves, who were at Cherry Thursday and have a busy week ahead.

They host Deer River (Tuesday) and Two Harbors (Friday) with an Apr. 25 road date at Chisholm in between.