STATE CHAMPS AGAIN!!! Big League Girls On Top

WYOMING, Mich.----The Escanaba Big League All-Stars (age 17-18) battled a tough District Nine team for a third time in less than 24 hours Wednesday night, and it was another tense game that went down to the wire. Escanaba posted a 7-5 win to capture a state championship, and a spot in the Central Regional Tournament later this month.

Seven of the ten girls on this team also won the state championship at the Senior Girls level last summer, advancing to the World Series championship game in Delaware.

"They battled all day, and we were ready," Escanaba Manager Andy Fields said. "We came here early, hit, and it paiid dividends. Every inning, we got runners on."

"We didn't win the second one (of Tuesday's doubleheader), but at least we knew, coming back today, that we knew everything that they had," Escanaba catcher Taylor Segorski said. "We knew that we could beat them today. I don't think anyone on the team thought otherwise."

Before the game, Fields talked about putting the ball in play, noting that his team had struck out 20 times in Tuesday's doubleheader split.

He felt that the District Nine defense was weak, and that turned out to be the case, with four errors leading to four unearned runs for Escanaba.

The Escanaba defense did not make an error.

The District Nine offense was tough, pounding out eleven base hits against Escanaba pitcher Katie Ross. But the Grand Rapids team stranded eleven base runners as Ross made big pitches to get out of innings with runners on base against her.

"I had to move the ball around, or I was going to be in trouble," Ross said. "I had to move it inside and outside to kind of throw them off a little bit. Off-speed (pitches) also kind of threw them off."

After the game, Ross verbally committed to playing college softball for Ferris State University...after next year's senior season at Escanaba High School, of course.

Escanaba led 2-1 in the third inning before Ross helped her own cause with a double, driving home Becca Piron. Pinery Park scored twice in the top of the fifth inning with three base hits to start the inning, and then a bases loaded walk. A grounder by Paige Creasy brought in a run, but Ross got a fly ball to keep her team in front.

Escanaba replied with two big runs in the bottom of the fifth inning. Piron singled home Jerrika McAlpine, who struck out but reached base on an error. Then Piron scored on a wild pitch to make it 6-3. Ross also tried to score on that play, but was tagged out.

The icing on the cake came in the sixth inning when Claire McInerney slapped a solo home run over the center field fence, leading off the inning.

"I was a little surprised at myself," McInerney said. "Yesterday, I didn't do too good hitting. But it feels good to be back at it again."

Ross and Piron both had two hits for Escanaba, while Jenna Davis had three hits to lead District Nine. Chloe Deckrow and Nicky Zsost both had two base hits as well.

But Escanaba's hits were more timely this time, and the defense was more solid.

"Getting those first couple of runs on the board, it creates momentum, and momentum is huge in the sport of softball," Segorski said. "Of course, after last night, we were kind of mad because their coach wasn't the most pleasant man in the world. I think we came out to show him, and to show everyone that it doesn't matter who we put on the field, Escanaba is a great program."

Escanaba travels to the Central Regional in Elgin, Illinois, July 22-24.

Click the thumbnails in the ARTICLE HIGHLIGHTS box above to see photos and videos taken by Mary Gauthier, and to hear the radio call of the final out...along with post-game interviews.