Escanaba Girls One Step Away From World Series

ELGIN, Ill.---The Escanaba Big League Girls (age 17-18) moved to within one win a trip to the World Series in Delaware on Saturday with a 12-2 win over South Bend, Ind., in a game that was closer than the score indicates. Escanaba will play for a regional title on Sunday.

Katie Ross pitched a complete game, scattering seven base hits, with three of them being bunt singles that helped South Bend to take a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning. But the Escanaba girls scored three in the bottom of the inning and had to battle through six different South Bend pitchers before getting eight runs in the sixth inning to pull away for the victory.

"Katie pitched a fine game," Escanaba Manager Andy Fields said. "They jumped on us early with small ball. They caught us off guard a little early. They pulled a lot of tricks in this game, and the tricks don't always work, and they kind of backfired on them at the end."

The "tricks" included running six different girls into the pitcher's circle, including one who literally underhanded the ball to the plate in hopes of getting the Escanaba girls to pop up.

It worked for a while, but in the sixth inning, the walks added up and Escanaba exploded.

"It's annoying," Escanaba right fielder Jerrika McAlpine said. "I mean, leave one in and change later on if you need to. Change back and forth? We're still gonna hit the ball."

They did their best hitting against an old foe from a year ago: Ashlynn Kopinski. She was in the circle for South Bend through most of last summer's epic doubleheader in Indiana when Escanaba pulled the emotional upset to win the Central Regional title.

This time, Escanaba hit her hard in the first inning, getting three runs, two of them on RBI hits by Katie Ross and Taylor Gauthier.

When South Bend brought Kopinski back in to pitch again later in the game, she gave up three more runs. But in between her appearances, the Indiana District Eleven team made its patented comeback that made this game a nailbiter in the middle innings.

Escanaba led, 3-1, in the third inning, when Maggie Gillis skied one to deep right field. Cassi Wisler reached over the fence and pulled it back, saving a potential home run. In the fifth inning, South Bend got a run on Kopinski's second solid base hit of the game.

But with runners on second and third and two out, Ross got Mackenzie Kazmierczak to bounce out.

Then came the sixth inning, when Escanaba scored eight times, ending the game on Taylor Segorski's bases loaded double to the fence that scored the team's 11th and 12th runs.

"Our team was having so much fun today," Segorski said. "I mean, it's fun to beat teams that we have a history with. Especially to beat them in that fashion. I don't think anyone came out here rattled like we typically would in a rival game. We came out here and had fun."

McAlpine had a pair of infield hits, while Gauthier also added a pair of hits.

Escanaba will finish pool play on Sunday, with a game against Melrose Park, Ill., followed by the championship game, which will likely feature a rematch against South Bend. Because of heavy rain Saturday night in Elgin, the start time of Sunday's games have been delayed.

Escanaba will face Illinois at 3:00 ET/2:00 CT, with the championship game set fir 5:00 ET/4:00 CT. Both games will be broadcast live on WGKL-FM (105.5), and on-line at www.wgklradio.com. Coverage is set to begin at 2:30 ET/1:30 CT.

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