Kivisto tallies 400th win as Midgettes gash Granite Diggers in doubleheader

Kivisto, his 400th win coaching the Hurley softball team came on a warm and sunny day.

After the Midgettes beat Mellen 15-0 in the first game of a doubleheader, Hurley players sprayed Kivisto with as many water bottles as they could find.

Kivisto didn't tell his team the milestone was coming, but they found out anyway. And he said the shower felt good.

"It means 28 years of coaching," Kivisto said of his latest milestone. "To get to it, you've got to be coaching for a long time. The biggest thing for me that I'm proud of is the program; 400 wins comes because of the program. I've got great kids for 28 years. It's all to them; without them, you don't get the wins.

"I'm more happy and proud of how the program's been run for 28 years than the 400. Maybe someday that'll switch. But for right now, to me it's just another win, but I'm happy for the kids and how the program's been run."

Fifteen other coaches in Wisconsin have tallied at least 400 wins, according to wissports.net.

A snowout of Thursday's scheduled game at Ironwood moved his first chance at 400 wins to Hurley.

"We were all so pumped; we all planned this like a week in advance right when we found out, it was fun," Hurley senior first baseman Brittany Czarnecki said. "He's really funny. I love Jimmy. He's a really good coach."

Hurley's only difficulties of the day came very early in the first game.

Mellen loaded the bases with two outs in the top of the first inning. Hurley pitcher Gabby Pecotte got a strikeout to end it; she actually had three Ks in the frame.

"That was a big thing right there, just to get out of it," Kivisto said. "The key is we got out of it. People are going to get on base, we already know that, it's not giving up the big hit or the big error that's going to cost us. So far, we've done a great job at that. I think the rest of the way we played pretty well."

Pecotte settled down from there, allowing only one baserunner, on a walk, in the game's three remaining innings. She allowed just one hit in the four-inning game.

It took the Hurley offense an inning to adjust to a slower pitcher.

The Midgettes still tallied three runs in the first. Paige Aho's triple plated a run and she scored on a hit by Kaylyn King, who came home on a single by Czarnecki.

"Last night at practice, I threw just like they did and we hit the ball really hard in practice," Kivisto said. "They come here, I just think they're so aggressive, they want to hit it. They're too aggressive or they're too hyped up and they're swinging and missing or just hitting little ground balls. But they did adapt to it. They did come back and hit the ball hard, got the runs, were patient at the plate and hit the good ones."

Hurley scored seven runs in the second on six hits, a walk and an error.

Maria Swartz reached on the error to score Gabby Pecotte, the first run of the inning. Paige Aho followed with an RBI single, King's double plated two, Felicia Herlevi knocked in a run with a single, Czarnecki's triple brought home a run and Tori Colassaco's single did the same.

That made it 10-0 Hurley.

All three of Hurley's third-inning runs scored on a triple by Brooke Piilola.

A walk to Ashley Clement and an RBI by Mackenzie McCorkle made it 15-0 Hurley, ending the game with an out in the fourth.

Hurley won the second game 20-0 in three innings for Kivisto's 401st win.

The Midgettes scored just one run - an RBI single by King - in the first inning, but they scored seven in the second and 12 more in the third.

Kirkie Pecotte kicked off the scoring in the second with a three-run double. Czarnecki also singled in a run.

Eighteen batters went to the plate for Hurley in the third.

Driving runs in in the inning with hits were: King (two), Kirkie Pecotte (two), Allyson Huff (two) and Czarnecki.

Paige Aho picked up the win, pitching three scoreless innings. She struck out three.

Hurley (7-1) is scheduled to host Solon Springs Friday, but the Eagles may not be able to make it, potentially leaving Hurley without another game in what looks to be a very nice week weather wise.

Game 1

Mellen 0 0 0 0 - 0 1 1

Hurley 3 7 3 2 - 15 13 0

Game 2

Hurley 1 7 12 - 20 11 0

Mellen 0 0 0 - 0 1 3