Eskymo Seniors End Home Careers On Sour Note

ESCANABA---The Marinette Marines scored four runs in the top of the seventh inning to snap a 3-3 tie, and then held on to beat the Escanaba Eskymos, 7-5, Thursday afternoon, at Al Ness Field. The teams combined to commit six errors, leading to most of the game's runs being unearned runs.

Tyler Skufca catches one in left field.

"It seems like that when we don't win, that's the way it's gone," Escanaba Manager Kirk Schwalbach said. "We pull in the infield, and they get a hit, where if they're back, it's a tailor-made (double play). Then we hit a couple hard, and right at them. And then we make some mental mistakes. This game is a lot like our whole season."

The game was the final one at home for seniors Ben Kleiman, Bailey Lamb, and Devin Olsen. All three boys played all seven innings of this game.

"They're great kids and I am proud of them," Schwalbach said. "We wanted to do good for them."

Lewis Ostrander pitched for the Eskymos, and he was in control.

But his defense let him down, especially in the third inning, when he struck out a batter but that batter reached base on a passed ball. Later, an infield error kept the inning going, and Marinette took a 2-0 lead on RBI singles by Eli Krah and Kevin Konyn.

Lewis Ostrander threw six innings.

The Eskymos tied it in the bottom half when Tyler Hardwick and Sean Bissell each walked, and Kleiman put down an excellent bunt single to load the bases. One run scored on a Marinette error, and the other on a sacrafice fly by Tyler Skufca.

Lamb came through with an RBI single in the fifth inning to put the Eskymos in front, but a 6-4-3 double play prevented them from building a lead. Then in the sixth inning, a walk and another error put two on and Alex Nemitz drove in the tying run.

That would be all for Ostrander, who left the game and got a no-decision.

"Lewis pitched a good game," Schwalbach said. "He threw strikes. Lewis was Lewis. He would have went 150 pitches if I would have let him. He was like 'I'm fine. My arm is fine, coach'."

In the seventh inning, Corey McInerney was asked to pitch in a 3-3 tie. He has only had one other pitching performance this season, but Schwalbach didn't want to use one of his starting pitchers in this game with the districts just two days away.

Eskymo senior Ben Kleiman bats Thursday.

McInerney hit the first man he faced, then walked the next one. And the Marines took advantage when Jacob Swenson got an RBI single, and then the Eskymos missed the cutoff and a second run scored on an error.

Then a wild pitch and a passed ball allowed two more runs to score, and Escanaba trailed, 7-3.

It looked like the game would end that way. With two out in the bottom of the seventh, Skufca hit a routine ground ball to shortstop. It was missplayed, so the game kept going.

Then Lamb and Jack Valentine each drew walks against a tiring Marinette reliever Jimmy Jackimciewcz, losing the bases.

Hunter LaMarch came threw with a two-run single to make it 7-5, and then Hardwick walked to reload the bases.

With the tying run in scoring position, Sean Bissell popped up to end the game.

Eskymo Senior Bailey Lamb holds on Marinette's Jacob Swenson at first base.

The Eskymos finish the season with a 14-10 record. Marinette improved to 6-15.

"I told the kids that once we get in to the postseason now, nobody has any wins, and nobody has any losses," Schwalbach said. "I'm not going to dwell on this. (But) We can't have bad innings like that, and we need some timely hits."

Escanaba opens MHSAA Division Two District Tournament play on Saturday in Petoskey.

"I'll take this loss for two wins on Saturday," Schwalbach said. "We will be ready."

The Eskymos will face the Cheboygan Chiefs in their first game. It is set to start at 12:30.

The game will be broadcast live on WCHT-AM (600), and on-line at www.rrnsports.com. Petoskey plays Sault Ste. Marie in the other semifinal.

Click the thumbnails in the ARTICLE HIGHLIGHT box to see photos taken by Sheila Olsen, and to hear radio replays and interviews.

Escanaba senior Devin Olsen reaches up to make a tough catch in foul ground on Thursday.

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