Punzel Pitching, Hitting Powers Eskymos To Sweep

ESCANABA---Brandon Punzel pitched a one-hitter and had two hits to lead the Escanaba Eskymos to a 5-1 win over Kingsford in the first game of a doubleheader on Saturday. Then Punzel drove in two runs as the Eskymos won the nightcap, 5-0.

The only hit that Punzel allowed came in the third inning when Justin Lawernway hit a slow roller up the third base line. Punzel bobbled it, but it was ruled a hit.

Brady Hicks had walked earlier in the inning, and with two runners on, Brett Swanson lofted a fly ball to right field for a sacrafice fly.

That would be the only run Kingsford would score all day.

"B (Punzel) looked good today, and he's looked good the last three outings," said Escanaba Coach Kirk Schwalbach. "Sometimes he gets tired and he falls behind with his command, but he's really, really put the time in the bullpen. When he doesn't walk guys, and he throws strikes, he's hard to hit."

Punzel was pitching with a broken finger on his throwing hand.

"It's my ring finger," Punzel said, showing off the dark purple tip of the finger. "I just try to keep the ball away from it. I just don't think about it, really."

Tyler Skufca RBI single scores two runs

When Kingsford scored that run, Escanaba was already leading, 4-0.

The Eskymos scored a run in the first inning on an RBI single by Punzel, then in the third inning, Tyler Skufca's two-run single made it 3-0. Tyler Hardwick scored on an error.

Escanaba's final run came in the fourth inning when Hardwick singled home Justin Popelka, who walked with two out and stole second. Popelka scored two runs.

Punzel allowed just two base runners in six innings of work: one walk and one hit. He struggled at times with the strike zone, but managed to strike out ten batters.

In the second game, Escanaba took a 2-0 lead in the third inning when Popelka was safe on an error, Skufca walked, and Punzel came through with a two-run hit with two out.

Punzel had three hits and three runs batted in in the doubleheader.

"I get frustrated when I'm not hitting," Punzel admitted. "I've been working on my swing lately, trying to get it back to normal again. I guess it worked out."

Escanaba's lead grew to 5-0 in the fifth inning when Parker LaMarch singled and Logan Lamb was safe on an error, and then LaMarch scored on a second Kingsford error.

Tyler Hardwick gets RBI base hit

Lewis Ostrander slapped a single to score the inning's second run, and Sean Bissell's RBI single made it 5-0. Kingsford chose to intentionally walk Punzel to load the bases, and it worked, as C.J. Barron struck out.

That 5-0 lead was plenty for Escanaba's two pitchers. Popelka threw the first four innings, allowing just two hits (to Anthony Raberra and Brock Grenier). Popelka walked two batters, but struck out eight. Kingsford loaded the bases in the fourth inning on a hit and two walks, but Popelka struck out Jake Mongrain to end the threat.

Ostrander pitched the final two innings. He hit the first batter he faced, but retired the final six. Four of the outs came on strikeouts.

Skufca had a big day at the plate, with two hits, three walks, and he was safe on an error once. That had him on base six of the seven times as he batted in the #2 hole.

"I feel comfortable there," Skufca said. "Especially to start off the game. Hardwick usually does a good job of getting on (in the #1 spot). It just all works out pretty good. And I'm seeing the ball well right now."

The game started at 1:00, but it was still an early rise for the seniors Skufca, Ostrander, Hardwick, and Bissell. That's because they graduated Friday night, and then took part in the all-night graduation party at the Escanaba High School.

Tyler Skufca post-game comments

"I'm working on about three hours of sleep," an exhausted Skufca said.

The Kingsford Blues are an American Legion baseball team that combines boys from Iron Mountain and Kingsford High Schools, as well as local kids up to 19 years old. This was the first time on the field for the Blues this season, and eight of the 18 Blues players were missing due to highh school graduation events in Dickinson County.

Still, the Kingsford pitchers, Brock Grenier and Brett Swanson, threw well enough to keep the Blues in both games. Grenier allowed six hits in the opener, walking five and striking out five.

Swanson allowed seven hits in the second game, and he also walked five. But all of the runs aganinst Swanson were unearned runs.

"Both of their kids threw pretty hard," Schwalbach said. "That's what we were looking for, heading into districts."

Escanaba (16-7-1) finishes the regular season on Tuesday in Negaunee, but everyone's thoughts are on next Saturday's district tournament game against Petoskey.

The Northmen are 16-1 this season, and are likely still stinging from last year's district final, when the Eskymos pulled off a miracle comeback in the final inning to win it.

Brandon Punzel post-game comments

"We know that they're having a good season this year," Skufca said. "They want revenge from last year when we took it on their field. We just have to be ready for them."

Escanaba will likely face Northmen pitching ace Jordan Swiss, who handcuffed the Eskymos on no runs last year until that dramatic comeback in the seventh inning.

"He's a quality pitcher," Schwalbach said of Swiss. "But it's not like we don't face other Jordan Swiss's. And I don't mean that in any disrespect to Jordan. It's just that when we play the kind of schedule that we want to play, we see kids who throw like Jordan a lot."

The Escanaba-Petoskey game starts at noon on Saturday at Al Ness Field. It will be broadcast live on WCHT-AM (600), and on-line at www.rrnsports.com.

MARQUETTE LOSES THREE---The Marquette Redmen dropped three games at the Sault Ste. Marie Invitational on Saturday. The Redmen lost to Shepherd, 9-2; fell to Alpena, 12-2; and lost to Sault Ste. Marie, 11-5. Marquette's record is now 19-11.

Click the thumbnails in the ARTICLE HIGHLIGHTS box to see photos and videos taken by Sandi Young, and listen to post-game interviews.

Date	Time	Opponent	Score	Record

4/7	4:30 PM	at Marinette Marines	15 - 0 (W)	1-0

4/11	12:00 PM	at Seymour, Wis.	10 - 5 (W)	2-0

4/11	2:00 PM	at Shiocton, Wis.	7 - 9 (L)	2-1

4/15	5:30 PM	Marquette Redmen	8 - 3 (W)	3-1

4/23	5:00 PM	Negaunee Miners	6 - 2 (W)	4-1

4/24	5:00 PM	at Beloit Turner, Wis.	10 - 5 (W)	5-1

4/25	1:00 PM	at Waupun, Wis.	rain - ppd (W)	rain

4/25	4:00 PM	at Prairie Du Chien Blackhawks	rain - ppd (W)	rain

4/28	4:30 PM	at Gladstone Braves	4 - 5 (L)	5-2

5/1	4:00 PM	at Bay City John Glenn	9 - 2 (W)	6-2

5/2	10:00 AM	at Bay City John Glenn	4 - 5 (L)	6-3

5/2	12:30 PM	at Coldwater High School	5 - 15 (L)	6-4

5/6	5:30 PM	at Marquette Redmen	3 - 4 (L)	6-5

5/7	4:30 PM	Gladstone Braves	5 - 4 (W)	7-5

5/9	10:00 AM	Bark River-Harris Broncos	14 - 5 (W)	8-5

5/9	3:00 PM	Sault Ste. Marie Blue Devils	13 - 3 (W)	9-5

5/13	5:00 PM	Norway Knights	10 - 1 (W)	10-5

5/14	5:00 PM	North Central Jets	9 - 1 (W)	11-5

5/14	7:30 PM	North Central Jets	17 - 6 (W)	12-5

5/16	10:00 AM	Negaunee Miners	11 - 0 (W)	13-5

5/16	3:00 PM	Shawano Hawks	2 - 13 (L)	13-6

5/18	4:00 PM	at Bay Port, Wis. Pirates	5 - 6 (L)	13-7

5/18	6:00 PM	at Bay Port, Wis. Pirates	0 - 0 (T)	13-7-1

5/21	5:28 PM	Marinette Marines	16 - 15 (W)	14-7-1

5/23	1:00 PM	Kingsford Legion Blues	5 - 1 (W)	15-7-1

5/23	4:00 PM	Kingsford Legion Blues	5 - 0 (W)	16-7-1

5/26	5:00 PM	at Negaunee Miners	RAIN - ppd (W)	RAIN

5/30	10:00 AM	Petoskey Northmen	1 - 2 (L)	16-8-1