Big Innings Lead Escanaba Girls Into State Tourney

IRON MOUNTAIN---The Kingsford Senior Little League All-Stars (age 15-16) put a little shock into the Escanaba girls at the start of Sunday's district championship contest at the Northside Ballfield in Iron Mountain.

Sydney Wickman started the game with a base hit, and then scored on a single to right field by Mariah Clement. The Kingsford girls did something no one had done against Escanaba pitcher Katie Ross in the tournament: score a run.

But the floodgates opened from there as the Escanaba girls had two huge innings and rolled to a 14-2 victory to win the district and earn a spot in next weekend's state tournament in Calumet.

Escanaba scored seven runs in the second inning and added six more in the third, taking most of the suspense out of Sunday's title game. The highlight came in the third inning when #9 hitter Maddie Kolich hit a long fly ball to left field.

It was over the outfielders' heads, and when the left and center fielders bumped into each other, Kolich was off and running.

In the end, she wound up with a three-run, inside-the park home run.

Escanaba got off to its typical slow start at the plate, with the first five girls flying out. But the girls quickly adjusted, and scored seven runs with two out in that second inning, helped along by a huge dropped pop up that would have ended the inning.

Maddie Kolich three-run, inside-the-park home run

All nine Escanaba players had at least one base hit as the team clubbed 14 hits in all.

It was mixture of bunt singles and infield hits by Emily Bruntgens and Jerika McAlpine, along with harder hits by Katie Ross, Taylor Gauthier, and JJ Laviolette. Bruntgens, McAlpine, Claire McInerney, Malary Hiney, and Kolich all had two hits.

Gauthier had a two-run double to the fence in the third inning, and Ross doubled in a run in the second inning. Cassi Wisler had an RBI hit, scored two runs, and pitched a scoreless fifth inning, in relief of Ross. Laviolette drove in two runs.

Ross pitched four innings, allowing two runs on three hits. She struck out seven batters and did not issue a walk. Clement took the loss, allowing all 14 runs (five earned).

Escanaba will open the state tournament in Calumet on Friday, with a game at noon. There are four teams in that tournament: D9 Hudsonville, D5 Taylor, D11 Keweenaw, and Escanaba.

WCHT-AM (600) will broadcast all of the girls games live, and the games will be streamed live at www.rrnsports.com. The winner of next weekend's tournament advances to the Central Regional Tournament in South Bend, Indiana.

Click the thumbnails in the ARTICLE HIGHLIGHTS box above to see photos and videos, taken by Mary Gauthier.