Popelka Flirts With No-Hitter As Eskymos Win, 9-0

ESCANABA---No one in the dugout would say it, but most everybody was thinking it. And the Al Ness Field scoreboard screamed it loudly: VISITOR HITS....0.

Justin Popelka was on fire on the mound for the Escanaba Eskymos, and carried a no-hitter into the sixth inning of Thursday night's game against the Negaunee Miners.

But people in the dugout could start talking to Popelka again shortly after the sixth inning began after Mark Anderson lined a base hit to center field to break up the no-hit bid.

Popelka settled for the one-hitter as the Eskymos posted a 9-0 win over the Miners.

"He had a good hit," Popelka said. "He hit the ball hard. He deserved the hit."

So, did Popelka know that he had a "no-no" going?

"Oh, yeah," he said. "Everybody in the dugout was being pretty quiet about it. They didn't want to jinx it or anything. But, yeah, I just felt comfortable out there. It was a good outing."

"It's two games in a row that he's pitched really well and had good command," Eskymo Coach Kirk Schwalbach said. "He's matured since last year. He's really keeping his pitch count down and he's getting ahead (in the count) and he's around the plate all the time."

Popelka allowed just two baserunners: a walk to Anderson in the third inng. Popelka picked Anderson off of first base, however, moments later. He faced only 22 batters in the seven innings, which is just one above the minimum a pitcher can face.

"He's worked hard on his change-up," Schwalbach said. "He was sick yesterday and I wasn't even sure he'd be here today. I talked to his dad and he said that he gave him some special medicine, so he's fine now! We laughed about it and I said, 'well give him something on Tuesday (against Gladstone), too then!"

Popelka had some great defense behind hi,, especially in the fifth inning when his teammates made two defensive plays in a row to at least temporarily preserve the no-hitter.

Owen Lajoie hit one deep in the hole to short, and Hunter LaMarch raced over, got it, and fired it to first baseman Brandon Punzel, who scooped it nicely. Then Shane Ring hit a slow roller that third baseman Logan Lamb fielded and threw to first.

The Eskymos got all the offense they'd need in the first inning when they scored four times. Punzel had an RBI hit and Jack Valentine had a two-run single in that inning. Of the nine runs the Eskymos scored on Thursday, four came home on wild pitches.

Grant Johnson took the loss for Negaunee, pitching five innings and allowing eight runs (six earned) on six hits. Lajoie pitched the sixth inning and gave up one run.

Escanaba improved to 6-5 on the season and will host Bark River-Harris Friday afternoon at 4:00. 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 above to see videos and photos taken by Sandi Young, and listen to post-game interviews.

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