Jul 3, 2025
Northern Driveline’s Matthew Halonen (left) takes a lead off first base as Gerald Johnson of REL-Mohawk Technology keeps him close Tuesday in Stanton. (Eddie O’Neill/For the Gazette)
STANTON — In Twilight League action on Tuesday, Northern Driveline improved to 3-3 on the season with a 5-3 win over REL-Mohawk Technology. It was a game that was tied at three after four innings, and Northern sealed the deal with a two-run fifth inning for the win.
Northern Driveline jumped on the scoreboard first with second baseman and Chad Nordstrom and Craig Halonen both scoring. REL, however, posted two runs it in the top of the third to make this a 3-2 game.
In that frame, Bryce Turner slapped a double to left and Brandon Pietila joined him on the bases after being hit by a pitch. Catcher Benny Keranen brought them both home with a hard-hit single up the middle.
REL added one more in the fourth to tie this one at three apiece. Dean Jurmu earned his was on with a line-drive single and made it home on a deep sacrifice fly to left.
It was a short-live tie as Northern rallied with another two runs in the fifth and those proved to be the game winners. Those two runs came on errors and two hit by pitches by starter Alan Jurmu. An error at second base put Alex Nordstrom to start the inning and catcher Buzz Rajala joined him after being hit by a pitch. Both scored making this a 5-3 game and an eventual win. Brent Loukus earned the win on the mound for Northern. Alan Jurmu suffered the loss.
“Brent (Loukus) pitched well for us and kept us in the game, and we had lots of timely hits and scored when we needed to,” noted Northern’s player-coach Evan Larson. “Game ball goes to Craig Halonen who swung a big bat for us tonight.”
With the loss, REL falls to 1-6.
Copyright © 2025 Ogden News Publishing of Michigan, Inc. | https://www.mininggazette.com | P.O. Box 368, Houghton, MI 49931 | 906-482-1500
