HOUGHTON – Despite a chilly breeze blowing in from right field Friday afternoon, the Houghton Gremlins’ baseball bats were hot and ready at their season home opener.

The Gremlins downed their rival Hancock Bulldogs 10-7 in the opening game of a double header. A walk-off hit by Joel Durocher in the bottom of the sixth inning led to a 5-4 win in the second game.

After tying the second game in the top of the fifth, the Bulldogs were able to keep the Gremlins scoreless in the bottom of the inning, and the Gremlins did the same to the Bulldogs in the top of the sixth. Gremlins’ relief pitcher Henry Switzer put Hancock down with just four batters, and the stage was set for some extra-inning drama.

Ethan Hainault started the inning off with a base hit. He advanced to second on a well-placed Hayden Guilbault bunt and to third on a fielder’s choice. With two outs, Durocher stepped to the plate and on a 2-1 fastball smacked a line drive to right center allowing a mob scene at home plate as Hainault crossed with ease.

“I was impressed with the way we swung the bats today,” said Gremlins coach Kevin Bostwick. “Our guys were patient, and timely hitting won both games for us.”

It was a back-and-forth battle that led to an extra sixth inning. After a scoreless first frame, the Gremlins (4-1) tallied two in the second with Cam Cischke and Kyle Primeau both scoring on a Hainault single up the middle.

To start the third, the Bulldogs (2-2-1) posted two of their own with Zach Geborkoff and Benett Sturos crossing home plate.

However, it was a short-lived 2-2 tie. In the bottom of the third, an opening walk to Durocher led to him eventually scoring to make it a 3-2 Gremlins tilt. That lead was short lived as well, as the Bulldogs scored one in the top of the fourth to knot this one at three apiece.

The Gremlins weren’t about to settle with a tie as they batted in the fourth and scored a go-ahead run thanks to a hard-hit ball hit by shortstop Gaborik Carlson.

The Bulldogs were thinking the same in the top of the fifth. A lead-off walk to Geborkoff led him to eventually score and tie the game at four. With the Bulldogs unable to score in their last at bat, this one was headed into extra innings. Durocher not only won this one with his bat but was the winning pitcher on the mound – going four innings and striking out four.

In the first game, Hancock had their only leads of the afternoon. Both were brief – lasting only a half inning. Lead off hitter and shortstop Ned Larson walked to open this game and eventually came home on some misplays by the Gremlins. The Gremlins, however, made it a 2-1 game with two tallies in the bottom half of the first. In the second, they added four more runs attributed to a bases-clearing single by Eli Heathman. It was a 6-1 Gremlins’ lead after two.

In the third, the Bulldogs crawled back into this one with a three-run rally and did it again in the top of the fourth to take a 7-6 lead. However, the Gremlins were also on the attack as they posted a four -run bottom of the fourth. Lead-off walks to Carlson and Durocher allowed them both to come home on another base rap by Heathman. Hudson Markham and Switzer also scored on some errors by the Bulldogs.

“We were battling the whole time in both games, and we ended up on the wrong side of a few errors,” noted Bulldogs coach Travis Pietila. “Other than that, I was pleased with our effort. I liked the aggressiveness at the plate especially with two outs.”

Pitcher Latham Salmi earned the win on the mound for the Gremlins, going three innings and striking out two. Bryce Hanner suffered the loss.

“Both our pitchers did great today,” added Bostwick. “They threw strikes, and that is what we need.”

Up next

The Bulldogs will host the Jeffers’ Jets on Tuesday to the Driving Park at 4 p.m. The Gremlins will travel to Calumet to take on the Copper Kings on Tuesday at Paul Lehto Field at 4 p.m.