ISHPEMING — Errors and a walk off single lifted the Ishpeming Hematites softball team to a 4-3 win over the visiting Hancock Bulldogs on Thursday in the opening game of a doubleheader. The Bulldogs bounced back in a big way in the second game, earning a 23-7 victory.

In a battle between the ninth-ranked Hematites and the 10th-ranked Bulldogs, Hancock made four errors, including one in the bottom of the seventh, which gave Ishpeming two runners on in a 3-3 game before a single to center ended the game.

Ishpeming jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning. The game remained that way until the top of the fifth.

Kaelyn Rouleau led off with a double to left field to get things started. Mallory Sporalski hit a grounder to second, and was thrown out at first, but Rouleau advanced to third on the play. With Alice Larson at the plate, a wild pitch gave Rouleau a chance to get home, cutting the Hematites’ lead in half.

A home run in the bottom half of the fifth put Ishpeming back up by two. In the top of the sixth, Hancock (16-3 overall) struck back.

Brooke Koskela hit a lead off triple to right field. Two batters later, Ella Storm hit a pop up, but she reached first base on a defensive error. Koskela scored on the play. Sydnie Scholie followed with a grounder back to the pitcher, and Storm crossed home plate to tie things up.

Sadie Biekkola took the loss in the pitcher’s circle, striking out six and walking just two while giving up seven hits in six innings.

Hancock’s bats, which only accounted four hits in the opener, exploded for 12 in the second game, and the Bulldogs scored seven runs in the fourth and 12 more in the sixth as part of their lopsided victory.

Six of the nine Hancock hitters recorded at least one hit, and all nine scored at least one run, with Storm, Biekkola and Larson all scoring four times each.

With one out in the top of the first, Koskela singled to get things started. Scholie followed with a ground ball to third, and she was able to reach first base due to an error. Koskela scored on the play.

In the second, Biekkola singled to left field to lead off. Larson drew a walk. A passed ball allowed Biekkola to get to third, and she later scored when Diem Kilpela grounded out. Freeman then hit a ground ball two batters later, and she reached first on a defensive error. Larson scored on that same error, making it 3-0 Hancock.

With Storm on base with one out in the third, Rouleau drew a walk. Biekkola then hit a hard ground ball and reached first on a defensive error. On the same play, Storm scored and Rouleau was caught making a move to score, which ended things with the Bulldogs up by four.

Ishpeming got two runs back in the bottom of the third.

In the top of the fourth, Hancock threatened again as Larson reached on a defensive error to lead off. Kilpela then popped a ball up, but she also reached on an error. Larson also scored on the play.

Josie Hembroff then reached on a bunt. Koskela hit into a fielder’s choice, and Kilpela was tagged trying for home. Scholie followed with a single to center field, and both Hembroff and Koskela scored.

Storm then walked. Rouleau followed with one of her own. With the bases now loaded, Biekkola drilled a ball to deep left field that made it over the fence for a grand slam home run, pushing Hancock’s lead to 11-2.The Hematites scored four runs in the bottom of the fifth to cut the lead to 11-6, but a strikeout kept things from getting any worse.

The Bulldogs saw Storm, Rouleau, Biekkola, Larson, Kilpela, Hembroff, Freeman, and Koskela all scored in the top of the sixth, including four runs on Koskela’s own grand slam. Then Storm and Rouleau both scored again. Biekkola and Larson also scored again to made it 23-6 in favor of Hancock.

Ishpeming added one more run in the bottom of the sixth, but that was as close as they could get before the a pop out ended the contest.

Scholie went six innings to earn the win in the pitcher’s circle. She finished her day with three strikeouts, five walks, and just five hits against.

Biekkola led the offense with three hits in four at bats. She also knocked in five and scored four times.

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Hancock was scheduled to be back in action Friday against Bark River-Harris.