Comeback Kids! Esky Girls Now In Regional Final

AKRON, Ohio---First, there was a loud gasp. Then, dead silence.

Escanaba pitcher Hannah Edington got hit by a pitch during Tuesday's Central Regional Tournament game in Akron, Ohio. She got hit hard, and in the hand.

As the tears poured down and the pain intensified, everybody was concerned about how bad she was hurt.

Fortunately, it was not her pitching had that was hit by that fastball.

Edington toughed it out, and with the help of her defense, finished the final three innings as Escanaba's Junior Girls (age 13-14) rallied for a 3-2 win over LaGrange, Ill.

"I was scared, because if I broke anything, I wouldn't be able to play," Edington said. "I think it's just a deep bruise."

Edington's teammates were also concerned.

"I was really sad because she's our No. 1 pitcher," shortstop Taylor Gauthier said.

Hannah Edington hit by pitch. OUCH!

"At first, I thought it was her pitching hand that got hit," third baseman Heather Bergstrom added. "I was really sad."

The victory puts Escanaba into the Central Regional Championship game on Thursday morning at 10:30. Their opponent is still to be determined.

"We're in the Finals," Escanaba Manager Vance Hiney said. "Who would've thunk? They've come together. They're having fun. They're out here dancing even when they're behind. They're doing it. But I don't know if I can take many more. Hard on the heart!"

Escanaba had a difficult time getting the bats going against Illinois pitcher Peyton Hammon.

She had a devastating change-up and a decent fastball that kept the girls guessing all day long. Escanaba managed five hits, but got them at the right times.

For the second straight game, Escanaba got off to a sluggish start as Hammon retired the first six girls she faced, four of them on strikes.

Finally, in the third inning, Maddie Kolich got a base hit down the right field line. She went to second base on a wild pitch, but the next three girls all went out, so the game stayed scoreless.

In the top of the fourth inning, LaGrange took the lead. After Dana Reynolds was robbed of extra bases by Escanaba center fielder Lexi Chaillier, Lauren Engless got a base hit.

Illinois' Carly Uhlir gets an RBI triple.

With two outs, Angelina D'Amico hit a ground ball to short. The throw pulled first baseman Savannah Barron off the bag, and that allowed a run to score from third.

Then Carly Uhlir smoked a triple to the fence to put Illinois ahead, 2-0.

In the bottom of the fourth, Escanaba finally got some base runners. Hiney and Gauthier led off with singles, and advanced to second and third on a passed ball. That's when Edington got hit by that pitch, sending a wave of concern through the crowd.

Malary Hiney scores on wild pitch

Kolich ran for Edington and the bases were loaded with no outs. A wild pitch to the short backstop scored Hiney from third base...just barely...but the next three girls all struck out, so Escanaba was still trailing by a run after four innings.

In the top of the fifth inning, Escanaba's defense was strong as Edington pitched while injured. Barron reached up and grabbed a shot that was ticketed for the right field corner. And then Kate Beumer hit a pop fly that looked like a sure infield hit.

But McInerney raced over from second and caught it at her shoestrings. It was McInerney's second outstanding defensive play of the game.

"I tell you what, Claire made some phenominal plays," Vance Hiney said. "Taylor (Gauthier) stopped a few balls from going out there a few times (at short). Everybody was on the ball. Everybody contributes. It's amazing."

In the bottom of the fifth, Escanaba took the lead. Chaillier was safe on an error, and then Heather Bergstrom's pop fly landed for a single.

McInerney's ground ball to second moved the runners to second and third, but Hiney popped up for the second out.

That brought up Gauthier, who has been the team's top hitter during this tournament run. She got a 2-2 pitch and got just enough of it to loop it over the second baseman's head and into the outfield. Two runs scored, and Escanaba had a 3-2 lead.

Taylor Gauthier two-run single.

"I just wanted to hit the ball and I swung at really bad pitches," Gauthier said. "I thought someone was going to catch it, but she didn't!"

Gauthier also contribued on defense, including catching a line drive that she turned into a double play to end the second inning.

"No one was calling it," Gauthier said. "So, I was like, I'm just gonna go get it."

The Illinois State Champions had another rally in them in the top of the seventh inning. D'Amico led iff with a hit, and then after Kolich made a nice catch in right field, Hammon was safe when her ground ball went through the Escanaba second baseman.

A wild pitch moved the runners to second and third, and LaGrange tried to squeeze home the tying run. Edington came out of the circle, slid toward home plate, and shoveled the ball to Hiney at the dish.

Hiney applied the tag to retire D'Amico.

There was still a runner on third and two outs when pinch hitter Sioben Callahan came to the plate. She hit a pop fly near the third base fence. Bergstrom caught it.

"I started going for it and I was like 'yes, yes, yes. this is gonna be the final out'," Bergstrom said. "And then the baserunner on third got in the way and so did the coach, and I was like 'nuts, they gotta move'! And then I finally got around them and I caught it and I got so excited. I ran to my team and we were all screaming."

Edington, Hiney make out at the plate.

Escanaba will play in the regional championship game Thursday morning.

The team will not play at all on Wednesday. That's because heavy rains flooded the field Tuesday, and a loser's bracket game was not played. So, on Wednesday, Jeffersonville, Ind., will play Elyria, Ohio. Then, the winner of that game will play LaGrange, Ill., later on Wednesday afternoon.

Whoever survives will play Escanaba on Thursday. Game time is 10:30, and it will be broadcast live on WGKL-FM (105.5) at 10:10. If Escanaba does not win that game, then there would be a second championship game on Thursday at about 1:00.

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