Eskymo Girls, Braves Boys Ready For Quarterfinals

The Escanaba High School softball team and the Gladstone High School baseball team will both play Tuesday with the same goal in mind: win and advance to this weekend's state semifinals at Michigan State University.

The Eskymos will face Frankenmuth in a softball state quarterfinal game while the Braves will take on Muskegon Oakridge in a baseball quarterfinal.

For Escanaba (27-8), it's the third trip to the Division Two quarterfinals in the last four years.

They've been led by the pitching of Jaymie Frappier, Katie Ross, and Sam Connor, and they've had power hitting from seniors Michelle LaFave and Becca Piron.

"We're playing really well right now, and we're happy where we're at," Eskymo Manager Jamie Segorski said Monday at the Escanaba High School after rain cancelled the team's outdoor practice. "The girls are happy to be there. The hard work continues."

And so the Eskymo opponent from eastern Michigan on Tuesday is Frankenmuth.

Esky's Michelle LaFave and Becca Piron talk

"We know very little about Frankenmuth, and Frankenmuth knows very little about Escanaba," Segorski said. "It's going to be an interesting game. They've kind of survived like we have. With tough pitching, good hitting, and a solid defense. That's what softball is all about."

"I expect it to be a great game."

Frankenmuth is 35-3 on the season, and is paced by pitcherAmariah Wright, who is 22-1 this season with a 1.00 ERA and 198 strikeouts in 146 innings in the circle.

Escanaba Coach Jamie Segorski comments.

Game time is set for 1:00 Tuesday at Central Michigan University.

Up the road in Traverse City, the Braves (27-9) will try for their second straight trip to MSU with a win over the Muskegon Oakridge Eagles.

Last year, Gladstone hung on for a 3-2 quarterfinal win.

"It's not like we're playing really, really great baseball," Braves Manager Don Lauscher said. "But on the other hand, we're finding ways to win. We're getting some of the small things done, timely hitting, and of course, our great pitching that's carried us."

Muskegon Oakridge has had the best season in school history, winning 27 games in the regular season, and carrying a 31-5 record into the quarterfinal.

But the Eagles were dealt a severe blow with their best player, Wyatt Hilton, being ejected from Saturday's regional tournament for running over the catcher on a botched suicide squeeze. By MHSAA rules, Hilton, who pitched well in defeat against Gladstone in last year's quarterfinal, is ineligible on Tuesday.

Gladstone's Tyson Seymour on the experience

Even so, Lauscher says Oakridge will still be tough.

"Obviously, they're on top of their game," Lauscher said. "We're expecting a very, very good game. All we have to do is make sure that we do the small things right, get good pitching and timely hitting, and we should be able to beat anybody."

Gladstone's Justin Jurek quarterfinal comments

The Gladstone-Oakridge game is set for 12:00 noon Tuesday at Traverse City West High School. It will be broadcast on WCHT-AM (600), and on-line at www.rrnsports.com.

Click the thumbnails in the ARTICLE HIGHLIGHTS box to see video interviews with the Eskymo softball team and the Braves baseball team, and to see photos from last Saturday's Gladstone-Tawas baseball game.

Pictured above: Eskymo girls practice indoors Monday due to rain. Pictured below: Gladstone's Hunter Garling fishes whiffleballs out of the Traverse City harbor.

Date	Time	Opponent	Score	Record

4/11	1:00 PM	at Appleton North Lightning	1 - 9 (L)	0-1

4/11	3:30 PM	at Appleton North Lightning	0 - 16 (L)	0-2

4/17	4:00 PM	at Cadillac Vikings	7 - 4 (W)	1-2

4/17	6:00 PM	at Cadillac Vikings	6 - 3 (W)	2-2

4/18	11:00 AM	at Kingsley Stags	12 - 0 (W)	3-2

4/18	1:30 PM	at Kingsley Stags	6 - 3 (W)	4-2

4/20	4:30 PM	North Central Jets	ppd - rain (L)	ppd

4/21	4:30 PM	Negaunee Miners	7 - 5 (W)	5-2

4/23	4:00 PM	at Norway Knights	3 - 6 (L)	5-3

4/24	4:00 PM	at Grayling Vikings	2 - 0 (W)	6-3

4/24	6:30 PM	at Grayling Vikings	9 - 4 (W)	7-3

4/25	1:00 PM	at Charlevoix Rayders	2 - 7 (L)	7-4

4/25	3:00 PM	at Charlevoix Rayders	7 - 4 (W)	8-4

4/27	4:30 PM	Superior Central Cougars	19 - 4 (W)	9-4

4/27	6:30 PM	Superior Central Cougars	15 - 0 (W)	10-4

4/28	4:30 PM	Escanaba Eskymos	5 - 4 (W)	11-4

4/30	4:30 PM	Marquette Redmen	10 - 4 (W)	12-4

5/1	5:30 PM	at Peshtigo Bulldogs	6 - 7 (L)	12-5

5/2	12:00 PM	at D.C. Everest Evergreens	4 - 6 (L)	12-6

5/2	3:00 PM	at Wausau West Warriors	9 - 5 (W)	13-6

5/4	4:30 PM	Norway Knights	3 - 0 (W)	14-6

5/4	6:45 PM	Norway Knights	10 - 0 (W)	15-6

5/7	4:30 PM	at Escanaba Eskymos	4 - 5 (L)	15-7

5/9	10:00 AM	Hancock Bulldogs	10 - 2 (W)	16-7

5/9	12:30 PM	Hancock Bulldogs	19 - 0 (W)	17-7

5/11	5:30 PM	at Green Bay Preble	3 - 4 (L)	17-8

5/13	4:00 PM	at Negaunee Miners	10 - 0 (W)	18-8

5/13	6:00 PM	at Negaunee Miners	3 - 1 (W)	19-8

5/16	12:00 PM	at Green Bay Notre Dame	5 - 4 (W)	20-8

5/18	6:00 PM	at Crivitz, Wis.	4 - 3 (W)	21-8

5/19	4:30 PM	at Marinette Marines	7 - 1 (W)	22-8

5/22	5:00 PM	at Marquette Redmen	1 - 5 (L)	22-9

5/26	6:00 PM	Hancock Bulldogs	14 - 1 (W)	23-9

5/30	12:00 PM	at Negaunee Miners	8 - 3 (W)	24-9

5/30	5:00 PM	Houghton Gremlins	7 - 2 (W)	25-9

6/6	10:00 AM	at Tawas	3 - 2 (W)	26-9

6/6	4:00 PM	at Traverse City St. Francis	4 - 2 (W)	27-9

6/9	12:00 PM	Muskegon Oakridge	6 - 5 (W)	28-9

6/12	11:30 AM	at Buchanan Bucks	4 - 6 (L)	28-10