Popelka Walk-Off Leads Eskymos To Opening Win

ESCANABA---Justin Popelka's two-out base hit in the bottom of the seventh inning lifted the Escanaba Eskymos to a 3-2 win over the Marquette Redmen Wednesday night at Al Ness Field. It was Escanaba's first home game after playing four in Wisconsin.

The game was a tight one after the Eskymos scored two runs in the first inning to take the lead, but spent the next five innings stranding base runners in scoring position.

"We're pressing a little," Escanaba Coach Kirk Schwalbach said. "The kids are trying too hard. It was like that this weekend (in Wisconsin Dells). We had opportunities against Adams-Friendship and against LaCrosse Logan. We're just not getting the two out hit."

Well, they did in the bottom of the seventh inning. Parker LaMarch led off with a solid single to center (pictured above), and was bunted to second base by C.J. Barron. Marquette Coach Todd Koski chose to intentionally walk Brandon Punzel, who had a double and a triple earlier in the game. Hunter LaMarch flew out, bringing up Popelka.

Popelka fell behind in the count, 0-2, but got an inside corner strike and drove it to left field for the winning run. He pumped his fists as he ran to first base, as LaMarch scored.

"I knew I had to swing at anything close, and I got a really good pitch to hit on 0-2," Popelka said. "I put a good bat on it. I knew it was over, so I was happy."

"Usually, our philosophy is 'late and away, we're looking late and away' with two strikes," Schwalbach said. "But the kid threw it up and in, and he (Popelka) turned on it. He just put the bat on the ball and hit it down the left field line. So, a credit to him."

Escanaba took a 2-0 lead in the first inning when Punzel tripled and scored on a wild pitch. Hunter LaMarch walked, went to third on a poor pick off throw to first base, and scored on an infield hit by Popelka. The Eskymos got their first two batters on base in the second inning, but could not score.

They also got a double by Hunter LaMarch in the third inning, two walks in the fourth, a double from Punzel in the fifth, and a walk and stolen base by Logan Lamb. In every case, the men were left on base.

That allowed Marquette to hang around, and get back in the game on the scoreboard. In the third inning, Garrett Finkbeiner singled and scored on a hit by Hunter Doucette.

In the fourth, Jack Kochever walked, stole second, went to third on a passed ball, and scored on a wild pitch. In the sixth inning, the Redmen got a hit and a walk off of pitcher Johnny Schlenvogt. But Parker LaMarch came on to get a strikeout and ground out.

Then in the seventh inning, Alec Beauchamp led off with a bloop single and went to second on a passed ball. But LaMarch retired the next three batters to keep it tied.

"We got to the mound and Coach was like 'Park, can you throw strikes?'," Parker LaMarch said. "And I was like, 'yeah, I'll try'. So, sure enough, I got on the mound, and that practice...we've been practicing doing everything and I got some innings in last weekend...and that really helped me a lot just holding on runners."

"I just threw strikes."

He earned the win on the mound, allowing one hit, no walks, and two strikeouts in 1 2/3 innings.

Popelka started, going three innings, giving up a run on two hits. Schlenvogt went 2 1/3 innings in the middle, giving up one run on one hit and three walks.

Marquette's Jay Oberg started and went four innings, giving up two runs on four hits. Finkbeiner pitched the final 2 2/3 innings and gave up the winning run on three hits.

Escanaba improved to 2-3 on the season while Marquette lost its season opener.

The Eskymos will travel to Waupun, Wis., for a tournament on Friday and Saturday.

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

Date	Time	Opponent	Score	Record

4/11	5:00 PM	at Marinette Marines	1 - 4 (L)	0-1

4/15	6:00 PM	at Mauston, Wis.	7 - 4 (W)	1-1

4/16	10:00 AM	at Adams-Friendship, Wis.	4 - 5 (L)	1-2

4/16	2:00 PM	at LaCrosse Logan, Wis.	3 - 5 (L)	1-3

4/20	5:00 PM	Marquette Redmen	3 - 2 (W)	2-3

4/22	4:00 PM	at Kenosha Tremper High School	2 - 14 (L)	2-4

4/23	11:00 AM	at Westosha Central, Wis.	6 - 8 (L)	2-5

4/23	3:00 PM	at Seymour, Wis.	3 - 2 (W)	3-5

4/27	4:00 PM	Superior Central Cougars	12 - 0 (W)	4-5

4/27	6:30 PM	Superior Central Cougars	12 - 2 (W)	5-5

4/28	5:00 PM	Negaunee Miners	9 - 0 (W)	6-5

4/29	4:00 PM	Bark River-Harris Broncos	7 - 0 (W)	7-5

5/3	5:00 PM	Gladstone Braves	3 - 3 (T)	RAIN

5/6	5:00 PM	at Negaunee Miners	14 - 1 (W)	8-5

5/7	1:00 PM	at Shawano Hawks	12 - 2 (W)	9-5

5/7	3:15 PM	at Shawano Hawks	11 - 1 (W)	10-5

5/9	4:00 PM	at Bark River-Harris Broncos	15 - 1 (W)	11-5

5/11	4:00 PM	at Marquette Redmen	9 - 4 (W)	12-5

5/11	6:15 PM	at Marquette Redmen	8 - 5 (W)	13-5

5/12	4:30 PM	at Gladstone Braves	1 - 2 (L)	13-6

5/13	6:00 PM	Houghton Gremlins	11 - 1 (W)	14-6

5/14	12:30 PM	Sault Ste. Marie Blue Devils	9 - 8 (W)	15-6

5/14	7:00 PM	Houghton Gremlins	6 - 2 (W)	16-6

5/18	5:00 PM	Norway Knights	2 - 0 (W)	17-6

5/21	12:30 PM	Kingsford Legion Blues	1 - 2 (L)	17-7

5/21	3:00 PM	Bark River-Harris Broncos	14 - 2 (W)	18-7

5/24	4:00 PM	North Central Jets	- (T)	RAIN

5/24	6:00 PM	North Central Jets	- (T)	RAIN

5/26	6:00 PM	Kingsford Legion Blues	1 - 2 (L)	18-8

5/30	6:30 PM	at Gladstone Braves	3 - 4 (L)	18-9

5/31	5:00 PM	Rudyard Bulldogs	5 - 5 (T)	18-9-1

6/3	12:00 PM	Petoskey Northmen	4 - 3 (W)	19-9-1

6/3	5:00 PM	at Sault Ste. Marie Blue Devils	16 - 3 (W)	20-9-1

6/11	12:30 PM	Fremont High School	0 - 2 (L)	20-10-1