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Eskymos Are Runners-Up At Waupun Tournament
 WAUPUN, Wis.---The Escanaba High School Baseball team continued its rough early-season schedule this weekend with three games at the Waupun (Wis.) Invitational. Facing some of the best teams in Wisconsin, the Eskymos won two of three games and finished in second place out of the eight-team field. Five of the eight teams at the event entered the weekend ranked amongst the Top 20 teams in the State of Wisconsin. 
Kirk Schwalbach meets with Ben Kleiman and Brandon Punzel (7) against Waupun.
Escanaba opened the tournament on Friday with a 9-2 win over Kenosha Tremper, a team that beat the Eskymos in last year's tournament, 14-3. Then on Saturday, the Eskymos beat the host Waupun Warriors team, 6-4. That set up the championship game Saturday night, which the Eskymos lost to Fox Valley Lutheran, 7-4. In Friday's game against Kenosha, Ben Kleiman pitched five innings to earn the win and Devin Olsen came in to throw two shutout innings. Kleiman also led the way at the plate with three runs batted in. Brandon Punzel had two hits and three RBI, and Hunter LaMarch drove in a pair of runs in the 9-2 Eskymo win. On Saturday, it was an early start as the Eskymos faced the host Waupun Warriors in a 9 a.m. (CT) game. Escanaba jumped off to a 4-0 lead in the second inning and then cruised to the 6-4 win. Olsen pitched 6 1/3 innings, striking out four and walking just one. 
Devin Olsen rounds third base. He had five hits in Saturday's games in Waupun.
And they had to wait almost seven hours to play in that game, so the team went back to the hotel for some lunch and relaxation. In the championship game against Fox Valley Lutheran, the Eskymos jumped to a 2-0 lead in the first inning. But the Foxes scored three runs in the top of the second inning against Skufca to take the lead, and then they added another run in the third inning. Escanaba managed to tie the game at 4-4 in the fourth inning, but the Foxes scored three runs off Eskymo reliever Brandon Punzel to take the championship trophy. "That championship game was winnable," Schwalbach said. "They just got a few hits with two outs, you know how baseball goes. A little dribbler here with runners on second and third, that kind of thing. Sometimes balls just don't roll your way." It was an excellent weekend for Olsen. The senior right-hander turned in eight innings of solid pitching over two days, and then at the plate on Saturday, he had five hits. 
Brandon Punzel pitches against Fox Valley
Punzel had two hits and two RBI in all three games, going a combined 6-for-12 at the plate with six runs batted in. Jack Valentine had two RBI in the championship game. "We're starting to play better baseball," Schwalbach said. "I think this weekend has given the kids a little bit of confidence. We've played a tough schedule. Hopefully, we can finally play a home game (Tuesday against Gladstone) if the weather cooperates." Escanaba's record is 3-5, with all eight games on the road in Lower Michigan and in Wisconsin. The Eskymos return to action Tuesday night against the Gladstone Braves. That game has been moved to Gladstone because Al Ness Field is still not ready to play on. Tuesday's game starts at 5:30 in Gladstone. It looks like the team's home opener will be next Saturday afternoon (May 3rd) against Menominee in the Escanaba Lions Club Invitational. Game time is 12:30. Click the thumbnails in the ARTICLE HIGHLIGHTS box to see photos taken throughout the weekend by Sheila Olsen. 
Tyler Skufca bats against Kenosha during Friday night's game. He pitched in two games this weekend.
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| Date | Time | Opponent | Score | Record |
4/11 |
5:30 PM |
at Appleton North Lightning
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3 - 7 (L)
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0-1
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4/18 |
4:00 PM |
at Bay City Central Wolves
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6 - 4 (W)
|
1-1
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4/18 |
6:00 PM |
at Bay City Central Wolves
|
2 - 8 (L)
|
1-2
|
4/19 |
11:00 AM |
at Essexville-Garber Dukes
|
7 - 16 (L)
|
1-3
|
4/19 |
1:00 PM |
at Essexville-Garber Dukes
|
3 - 14 (L)
|
1-4
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4/25 |
6:00 PM |
at Kenosha Tremper High School
|
9 - 2 (W)
|
2-4
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4/26 |
10:00 AM |
at Waupun, Wis.
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6 - 4 (W)
|
3-4
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4/26 |
6:30 PM |
at Fox Valley Lutheran High School
|
4 - 7 (L)
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3-5
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5/3 |
12:30 PM |
Menominee Red Wave Legion
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10 - 0 (W)
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4-5
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5/3 |
5:00 PM |
Negaunee Miners
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0 - 7 (L)
|
4-6
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5/7 |
5:30 PM |
at Marquette Redmen
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10 - 4 (W)
|
5-6
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5/8 |
4:30 PM |
at Gladstone Braves
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0 - 1 (L)
|
5-7
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5/11 |
1:00 PM |
Kingsford Legion Blues
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5 - 4 (W)
|
6-7
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5/11 |
3:15 PM |
Kingsford Legion Blues
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11 - 2 (W)
|
7-7
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5/13 |
6:30 PM |
at Kingsford Legion Blues
|
15 - 0 (W)
|
8-7
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5/16 |
5:00 PM |
Alpena Wildcats
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7 - 2 (W)
|
9-7
|
5/16 |
7:00 PM |
Alpena Wildcats
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6 - 2 (W)
|
10-7
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5/17 |
12:30 PM |
Houghton Gremlins
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7 - 2 (W)
|
11-7
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5/17 |
5:00 PM |
Negaunee Miners
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6 - 7 (L)
|
11-8
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5/22 |
4:00 PM |
at Negaunee Miners
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10 - 0 (W)
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12-8
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5/24 |
12:00 PM |
Sault Ste. Marie (Ontario) Black Sox
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9 - 0 (W)
|
13-8
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5/24 |
2:30 PM |
Sault Ste. Marie (Ontario) Black Sox
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10 - 3 (W)
|
14-8
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5/26 |
6:00 PM |
Gladstone Braves
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1 - 3 (L)
|
14-9
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5/29 |
4:30 PM |
Marinette Marines
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5 - 7 (L)
|
14-10
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5/31 |
12:30 PM |
at Cheboygan Chiefs
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19 - 3 (W)
|
15-10
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5/31 |
3:00 PM |
at Petoskey Northmen
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5 - 3 (W)
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16-10
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6/7 |
10:00 AM |
Newaygo High School
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6 - 1 (W)
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17-10
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6/7 |
3:00 PM |
Gladwin
|
1 - 4 (L)
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17-11
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