OFFENSIVE EXPLOSION: Eskymos Sweep Braves

ESCANABA---The bats were loud for the Escanaba Eskymos Tuesday in a doubelheader sweep over the Gladstone Braves at Lemmerand Patk.

The Eskymos ripped 27 hits and rolled to 6-0 and 10-0 victories.

Gabi Salo got the pitching win in both games, throwing a no-hitter in the opener, and setlling for a two-hitter in the nightcap.

And she helped her own cause with a booming double off the right field fence in the opener, and then smoked a two-run homer to left field in the nightcap.

Salo struck out 13 batters in the first game, throwing her third no-hitter against the Braves in the past eleven days.

She got plenty of offensive support, but the Braves hung in there deep into the game as Gladstone catcher Taylor Trudeau threw out two runners and the Braves cut down two otheres on the basepaths.

The Eskymos finally took the lead in the fourth inning on a double by Georgia Lehto, followed by a two-out RBI single by freshman Carsyn Segorski. Escanaba scored two more runs in the fifth inning, with Salo narrowly missing a home run when her long fly ball hit the right field fence for an RBI double. Maddy Block followed with an RBI single.

Escanaba put the game away with three runs in the sixth inning, as Nicole Kamin singled home one run and Dakota Cloutier doubled in two more runs.

Lexi Chaillier was 4-for-4 in the opener, with all four hits being singles.

Andie Balenger took the loss in the circle, yielding all 15 base hits.

In the second game, Trudeau led off with a sharply-hit double, but Salo got two strikeouts and a pop up to keep the Braves off the board.

Then in the bottom of the first, the Eskymos battered Braves pitcher Morgan Letteriello with seven runs.

Chaillier tripled for her fifth straight hit, and scored on a Kamin ground ball. Cloutier followed with a hit and rode home on a long home run to left field by Salo.

Later, Heather Bergstrom singled home Jalin Olson, then Segorski capped the inning with her first varsity home run. The three-run shot made it 7-0.

Bergstrom's two-run single in the second inning made it 9-0, and Bullen singled home another run to make it 10-0. The game ended on the five-inning mercy rule.

The defensive play in the game came in the fifth inning, when Balenger smoked one up the right center field gap. Olson raced over and made a diving catch to keep Gladstone off of the scoreboard.

Salo threw all five innings, allowing three hits and fanning six. Letteriello was charged iwth the loss, giving up four runs on four hits before being relieved by Balenger. Balenger was charged with six runs on six hits. Megan Crow finished up, allowing three hits.

Escanaba improved to 23-3 on the season. Gladstone fell to 28-5.

Click the thumbnails in the ARTICLE HIGHLIGHTS box above to see photos and videos taken by Johnny Schlenvogt. Also listen to post-game comments from Salo, Chaillier, amd Olson.