Eskymos Open Holiday Weekend With DH Sweep

ESCANABA---The Escanaba Eskymos have faced so many ranked teams that Saturday's baseball games against a team that is just starting its season was a relief.

The Eskymos beat the Sault Ste. Marie (Ontario) Black Sox, 9-0 and 10-3, in a doubleheader at Al Ness Field. The Black Sox had played only five games entering Saturday's action, and they have not played a game yet on its home field.

Corey McInerney leads off base on Saturday.

"You could tell that we've played a little more baseball than they have, obviously," Eskymo Manager Kirk Schwalbach said. "I'm satisfied with the weekend. We came in and got a lot of kids some (playing) time. They deserve it. They work real hard in practice."

In the first game, Lewis Ostrander got the ball for the Eskymos.

He had not started a game on the mound in a high school game until a couple of weeks ago against Kingsford, but he did well again on Saturday.

Ostrander did not allow a base hit until Dana Lesage got a two-out single in the fourth inning. He walked four batters during his five innings of work.

"I've been feeling pretty good lately," Ostrander said. "My bullpens have been coming along a lot better. I've had more confidence in myself. But today, I did struggle to locate some pitches toward the end, and that's what eventually took me out."

Lewis Ostrander post-game comments.

Escanaba scored a run in the first inning, then added four runs in the second inning on several infield base hits and a couple of Black Sox errors.

Two more runs came home in the third inning, and then the Eskymos scored two more runs in the sixth inning. The Eskymos had ten hits in the game, with four of them being infield singles. Hunter LaMarch and Devin Olsen each had two base hits.

Lewis Ostrander got the win in Game #1.

So, did Ostrander know that the hit he gave up to Lesage was the first against him?

"Yep, I knew," he said. "Maybe I should have thrown my body in front of it or something, I don't know."

Tyler Skufca pitched the final two innings for the Eskymos....six up, six down.

In the second game, Escanaba scored three unearned runs in the second inning as the Black Sox made four errors...all of them by the third baseman. Then in the third inning, the Eskymos scored seven runs to take a 10-0 lead.

Brandon Punzel had a two-run double, Corey McInerney had an RBI single, and Bailey Lamb had an RBI hit.

Also in that third inning, Ostrander had an RBI double for his second base hit.

"Both with two strikes," Ostrander smiled. "I've been struggling with the bat this year, but lately, it's been picking up a little bit. I'm glad that I can help the team out."

C.J. Barron post-game comments.

Escanaba freshman C.J. Barron got to play the second game, and he made his mark with a pair of RBI singles.

In his third at-bat, Barron smoked one to right field and it was caught. And Barron made the defensive play of the game in the sixth inning, when Brad Manson hit a swinging bunt up the first base line. Barron got it to first base in time.

"I saw that it was a bouncer, so I knew that I had to hurry up and charge it," Barron said. "I threw it, and I yelled "inside" (the line), and I should have yelled "inside" right before it, but he (first baseman Lamb) got it, so it was all good."

C.J. Barron gets one of his two base hits.

Punzel pitched the second game, and he also carried a no-hitter into the fifth inning. But he walked seven batters, including four in that fifth inning. So Schwalbach removed him from the mound, sending Skufca in for the second time on the afternoon.

"He does well early, and then he has that one bad inning," Schwalbach said of Punzel. "He was up at 90 (pitches), and he was ready to come out. He handed me the ball before I even asked for it.

"He battled, didn't have his best stuff, and still had a 'no-no'."

The no-hitter ended when Adam Bouillion hit a fly to left that was just out of the reach of freshman left fielder Justin Popelka. Two runs scored for the Black Sox.

"I think Justin, if it was hit again, he would have laid out for it," Schwalbach said. "I think he got to the point where he thought that he had it, but with the wind blowing in, the ball toward the left field line kept going toward the left field line. It was a hit."

Manager Kirk Schwalbach post-game comments

Punzel was charged with three runs on no hits in 4 1/3 innings, walking seven and striking out five, to earn the win. Skufca gave up four hits and a walk in 2 2/3 innings.

Escanaba improved to 14-8 on the season. The Eskymos host the Gladstone Braves in a make-up game on Memorial Day Monday. Game time is 6:00. The game will be broadcast live on WCHT-AM (600), and on-line at www.rrnsports.com.

Click the thumbnails in the ARTICLE HIGHLIGHTS box to see photos taken by Sheila Olsen, and to listen to post-game radio interviews.

Eskymo senior Devin Olsen dives back into first base ahead of Dom Buonomo's tag. (Sheila Olsen photo)

Date	Time	Opponent	Score	Record

4/11	5:30 PM	at Appleton North Lightning	3 - 7 (L)	0-1

4/18	4:00 PM	at Bay City Central Wolves	6 - 4 (W)	1-1

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

4/25	6:00 PM	at Kenosha Tremper High School	9 - 2 (W)	2-4

4/26	10:00 AM	at Waupun, Wis.	6 - 4 (W)	3-4

4/26	6:30 PM	at Fox Valley Lutheran High School	4 - 7 (L)	3-5

5/3	12:30 PM	Menominee Red Wave Legion	10 - 0 (W)	4-5

5/3	5:00 PM	Negaunee Miners	0 - 7 (L)	4-6

5/7	5:30 PM	at Marquette Redmen	10 - 4 (W)	5-6

5/8	4:30 PM	at Gladstone Braves	0 - 1 (L)	5-7

5/11	1:00 PM	Kingsford Legion Blues	5 - 4 (W)	6-7

5/11	3:15 PM	Kingsford Legion Blues	11 - 2 (W)	7-7

5/13	6:30 PM	at Kingsford Legion Blues	15 - 0 (W)	8-7

5/16	5:00 PM	Alpena Wildcats	7 - 2 (W)	9-7

5/16	7:00 PM	Alpena Wildcats	6 - 2 (W)	10-7

5/17	12:30 PM	Houghton Gremlins	7 - 2 (W)	11-7

5/17	5:00 PM	Negaunee Miners	6 - 7 (L)	11-8

5/22	4:00 PM	at Negaunee Miners	10 - 0 (W)	12-8

5/24	12:00 PM	Sault Ste. Marie (Ontario) Black Sox	9 - 0 (W)	13-8

5/24	2:30 PM	Sault Ste. Marie (Ontario) Black Sox	10 - 3 (W)	14-8

5/26	6:00 PM	Gladstone Braves	1 - 3 (L)	14-9

5/29	4:30 PM	Marinette Marines	5 - 7 (L)	14-10

5/31	12:30 PM	at Cheboygan Chiefs	19 - 3 (W)	15-10

5/31	3:00 PM	at Petoskey Northmen	5 - 3 (W)	16-10

6/7	10:00 AM	Newaygo High School	6 - 1 (W)	17-10

6/7	3:00 PM	Gladwin	1 - 4 (L)	17-11