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WORLD SERIES BOUND AGAIN!!! Escanaba Rolls
 ELGIN, Ill.---The Escanaba Big League Girls (age 17-18) beat Mother Nature and the vaunted Indiana District Eleven All-Stars in one fell swoop as the day turned to night in Elgin, Ill. The Escanaba girls earned a return trip to the World Series in Roxana, Delaware, with a dominating 14-0 win over South Bend, Ind., Sunday night, in a game that was delayed for several hours by heavy rains, thunder, and lightning.  "Last year, I thought it was so cool that I had the opportunity to go to the World Series," Escanaba center fielder Emily Bruntjens said. "Now that we're going back again, I feel that we can win it all." "I think it may get better every single time," said Escanaba catcher Taylor Segorski, who will be playing in her third World Series. "This is the first time I've actually cried. It's super emotional." The day began under 90-degree weather and a two-hour delay because of Saturday night's severe thunderstorms. The Escanaba girls were already 3-0 in the tournament, and were guaranteed a spot in the championship game. But they still had to play a game against Illinois District Ten, and the outcome would determine who Escanaba would face in the title game. Escanaba tried to rest starting pitcher Katie Ross by letting Cassi Wisler throw, but the Illinois girls ripped twelve base hits and scored seven runs in just over three innings. Trailing 7-2, Escanaba brought Ross to the circle, and she got out of a bases loaded, no out jam.  After a quick warm-up, Escanaba faced South Bend, a year after the two Little League programs played an epic two games that sent the Escanaba Senior Girls to Delaware for the World Series. This time, it's the Big League World Series berth that was on the line, and things went bad quickly for the Indiana District Eleven girls. Escanaba scored three runs in the first inning on a couple of bunts and three South Bend errors. Then, after two innings, lightning was spotted. The lightning delays stretched on as new flashes were seen in the distance, and then, the rains came, flooding the field. It took three hours to clean things up, with a game that was scheduled to start at 2:00 CT now resuming at 9:30 CT...10:30 back home in Escanaba. "We just kind of listened to music and tried not to let our nerves get to us," McAlpine said about the weather delays. "Just play like the way we're supposed to play. We really wanted this one." And Becca Piron made sure there would be no doubt how this game would end. She pounded the first pitch after the rain delay out of the park for a solo home run that made it 4-0.  After that home run, things fell apart for South Bend, as the infield made four errors that helped the Escanaba girls bat around. Piron came up a second time in that third inning and blasted another one...this one off the fence that brought in three runs and made it 10-0. Then, in the fourth inning, it was icing on the cake as Ross blasted a three-run opposite field home run to make it 14-0. In the fifth inning, Ross ended it all with a strikeout. She pitched a three-hitter, with strong defense behind her all evening...rain or no rain. And in the end, it was a range of emotions, especially for third baseman Aubree Saunders, who could not make the trip to the World Series last year because of a torn ACL. "This is Katie (Ross) and Taylor (Segorski) third time, and this is my first," Saunders said. "I can't believe they got this feeling three times. It's crazy. My heart's racing. There's a lot of adrenaline. But it feels amazing, though." The girls open Big League World Series play Sunday night at 8:00 against the West Regional champions. We will post the schedule as it becomes available on Monday. Click the thumbnails in the ARTICLE HIGHLIGHTS box to see photos and videos taken by Mary Gauthier, and to hear radio replays and interviews.  |
