RUBBER MATCH: Braves Strike Early To Beat Esky

ESCANABA---Heading into Thursday night's baseball game between the Escanaba Eskymos and Gladstone Braves, no one quite knew what to expect.

After all, the Braves beat the Eskymos, 10-1, earlier this season before the Eskymos turned that around with a mercy killing last week, 12-1, in Gladstone.

So, Thursday night was the rubber match in the series, and the Braves used one big inning to post a 6-2 victory on a sunny, quiet evening at Al Ness Field.

The Braves clearly hadn't forgotten the thumping they look nine days ago.

"You want to win every game that you play," Gladstone Assistant Coach Kurt Lauscher said. "You don't go our there to lose."

"But, the guys took it personal, and they went out there and did what they needed to do."

It was the first time in the three meetings that the Braves did not face Escanaba's ace pitcher, Justin Popelka. Eskymo Manager Kirk Schwalbach said that he wanted someone other than Popelka to face the Braves this time around.

Gladstone took advantage of the wildness of Escanaba starting pitcher Parker LaMarch, and then strung together a couple of hits against reliever Johnny Schlenvogt to put four runs on the board in the second inning.

"We need someone other than Timber (Popelka) to pitch, because going into the districts, we need a Number Two," Schwalbach said. "It's frustrating. We had one bad inning, and Park is so hard on himself that if he doesn't have it, he doesn't have it."

The Braves scored the first run in the top of the first inning when LaMarch walked four batters and hit another.

LaMarch was able to get out of that jam to strand the bases full, but after the Eskymos tied it in the bottom of the inning, he got into trouble again.

Jack Stephenson led off the second inning with a single, and then Hunter Botruff drew a walk. Braeden Lamberg put down a perfect bunt up the third base line for a single to load the bases, and then Lucas Weinert's base hit put the Braves back up, 2-1.

When LaMarch hit Tyson Seymour with the bases loaded to force in another run, and that's when Schwalbach went to the bullpen, bringing in Schlenvogt.

Dan Martin greeted him with a run-scoring hit to make it 4-1, then Ben Schwalbach lifted a fly ball to center field to bring home another run.

Schlenvogt gave up base hits in both the third and fourth innings, and hit a batter in the fifth, but he was able to keep the Braves off the board.

"Johnny has been struggling with his pitching, but tonight, he pitched great," Kirk Schwalbach said. "Hindsight is 20/20. I wish some little birdie would have flew in my room last night and said 'hey, pitch Johnny tomorrow'. I would have done that."

The problem for Escanaba was a lack of timely hits against Braves pitcher Jared Crow. The left-hander shook off that shaky first tinning, and did not allow a base hit for four straight innings, until he tired in the sixth inning.

"He got behind more hitters than normal, but as a pitcher, you have them games when your control isn't what you want it to be every time," Lauscher said. "You've still got to go out there and make your pitches, and have your defense help you a little bit. I just went out there and gave him a breather (in the first inning). Told him to get back into the zone, keep the ball down, and try to keep it on the corners. He did that."

By that time, Gladstone had a 6-1 lead, as Martin ripped a triple over the head of Eskymo right fielder Aaron Young in the top of the sixth, scoring Tyson Seymour.

In the bottom of the sixth, Cody Frappier smoked a double, two pitches after his foul pop up was dropped by Lamberg.

Frappier scored on a single by Schlenvogt to make it 6-2, then Jake Anderson got a two-out single.

With two on and two out, Crow struck out pinch hitter Justin Malmstead to end the threat. Owen Hanson pitched the seventh inning, giving up hits to LaMarch and Justin Popelka, before getting Frappier to fly out to end the game.

Crow allowed four hits, two runs (one earned) in six innings. He walked three and struck out six. For Escanaba, LaMarch took the loss, allowing five earned runs on three hits.

Schlenvogt threw six innings in relief, allowing one unearned run on five hits.

Escanaba (11-10) will host its four-team tournament on Saturday. The Eskymos will face Sault Ste. Marie at 10:00, with Houghton taking on Shawano (Wis.) at 12:30.

Escanaba's scheduled game with Houghton on Friday has been cancelled, and the Gremlins will now visit Bark River-Harris instead on Friday.

Gladstone (18-4) will host Sault Ste. Marie in a doubleheader on Friday. Game time is at 4:30. The games will be broadcast live on WCHT-AM (NewsTalk 600), and on-line at www.rrnsports.com.

The Braves will also play a single game on Saturday against Southern Door, Wis., at 11 a.m. That game will be played at Coleman High School.

Click the thumbnails in the ARTICLE HIGHLIGHTS box above to see photos taken by Brenda Crow and Nate Bellville, and videos taken by Bellville. Also, listen to post-game radio interviews with Crow, Martin, Kirk Schwalbach, Kurt Lauscher.