PITCHER'S DUEL: Eskymos Fall In Wisconsin, 3-1

Click the thumbnails above to see photos taken by Sheila Olsen, and see/hear post game comments from Collin Arnt and Manager Scott Hanson.

COLEMAN, Wis.---The Escanaba High School baseball team faced perhaps its toughest opponent of the season Friday night, and was on the wrong end of a pitcher's duel, losing to the Coleman Cougars, 3-1, in Wisconsin.

Eskymo senior Collin Arnt threw a complete-game five hitter, issuing no walks, but poor defense in one inning did him and his teammates in.

"That's baseball," Arnt said. "One bad inning, and that's what lost us the game, really. We need to hit the ball, too."

"We're playing like it's early in the season," Escanaba Manager Scott Hanson said. "We need to start playing and be ready to go right from the first inning. It seems like we don't until the third inning or so. Collin couldn't have pitched any better. But we have to have a better approach (at the plate) with two strikes. What did we have? Eleven or twelve strikesouts (it was 11)? That isn;t going to get it done against a team like Cheboygan (in the playoff opener)."

Arnt was matched by Coleman pitcher Karson Casper, who struck out nine batters and allowed only four hits in 5 2/3 innings.

Coleman entered the game with a 14-1 record, the most solid oppoent the Eskymos have faced, with the exception of Cheboygan, who beat the Eskymos twice earlier this month.

The key inning was the second inning, when the Cougars scored all three of their runs. It started with Zach Zablocki hitting a shot to center field. Eskymo senior Tyler Lawson took a step in, then realized it was deeper. He raced back, but it was too late.

Zablocki was creidted with a double and then the next batter, Casper, hit one to third that Brett Schlenvogt fielded fine, but his throw to first was wide. Coleman sophopmore Ray Lemieux followed with an RBI single to make it 1-0. Then, with two out, Owen Kinzinger hit a slow roller to Schlenvogt. His throw sailed over Riley Lamb's head at first base.

Those two runs put Coleman ahead, 3-0.

The Eskymos had their best chance in the top of the sixth inning. With light rain falling, Trent Lawson limed a one-out single. After his brother flew oiut, Arnt drew a walk. With two on, Lancour smacked a shot to left field to bring home the first Escanaba run.

That ended Casper's day on the mound, bringing Lemieux in to pitch. He hit Bryant Maki with a pitch to load the bases. It was the seventh straight game where Maki was hit by a pitch at least once, for a total of eight free bases.

With two out and the bases loaded, Hanson struck out swinging to end the threat.

After Arnt worked a 1-2-3 inning in the bottom of the sixth, the Eskymos got a sharply-hit leadoff single to right-center field from Lamb. But the next three guys went out, and the Eskymos dropped the 3-1 decision.

Arnt pitched all six innings, allowing only one earned run on five base hits.

"My curveball was working good, just getting ahead in the count so you can throw off-speed," Arnt said. "My arm felt good. In close ballgames, we've just got to clean up the errors and we'll be fine."

"We'll be working a lot on defense the next two weeks, I can tell you that," Coach Hanson said.

Escanaba (18-6) is scheduled to travel to Marquette for a doubleheader on Tuesday, although Hanson says that may be changed to later in the week as work wraps up on the newly-remodeled field in Marquette. The Eskymos will close the regular season the following Tuesday in Norway.