ROLLIN' MO'S: Esky Girls Off To Dominating Start

Click the thumbnails to see photos courtesy of Escanaba HS Softball

ESCANABA---The Escanaba High School softball team is on a roll after having multiple games cancelled due to the weather. The Eskymos hosted their annual tournament this weekend and won all three games over Gladstone, Millington, and Marquette by a combined score of 31-3.

Escanaba beat Gladstone, 10-2, Friday night, topped downstate powerhouse Millington, 6-1, on Saturday, and then rolled over Marquette, 15-0, in Saturday's finale.

The wins give Escanaba an 11-1 record, after a season-opening loss against Jackson Northwest in a rain-soaked downstate tournament. The Eskymos have shivvered at times here in the U.P. weather, but Saturday was beautiful, and the crowed at Lemmerand Park had a fun day,

In Friday's game against the Braves, Escanaba scored four runs in the first inning, with Erica Moore bringing in one of them with an RBI double.

Gladstone got a two-run homer from Montgommery Pepin to get on the board, but Escanaba's Carley McInerney doubled in two runs in the third inning to make it 7-2.

Then in the fifth inning, Moore smacked a solo home run to center field, and Carsyn Segorski added an RBI double.

McKayla Mott threw four innings of two-hit ball to get the win, and freshman Grayson LaMarche tossed two hitless and scoreless innings to finish the game. The two Eskymo pitchers combined to strike out 12 Gladstone batters in the six inning game.

On Saturday, the Eskymos matched up with the Millington Cardinals from Lower Michigan. Both schools won state softball championships in 2019, and the Cardinals come to Escanaba every year for the tournament. They have played some classic games, with Millington coming out on top.

Not this time. After the Cardinals beat Gladstone, 15-4, and then topped Kingsford, 10-2, the downstate team met its match with the Eskymos Saturday afternoon.

Millngton entered the game with a 17-2 overall record, and Trinity Fessler's RBI double in the first inning helped the Cardinals sit in a 1-1 tie after one inning.

But Moore delivered an RBI double to bring home Anna Boutilier in the second inning to put Escanaba back in front, 2-1. Then in the third inning, the Eskymos got scome breathing room when Carney Salo, coming back from a horrific leg injury that sidelined her for more than a year, came through with a squeeze bunt to bring Segorski home.

That made it 3-1. Then, Lizzy Sliva singled home Paxton Bullen (who had a bunt single earlier in the inning), and then Mott smacked an RBI single to make iy 5-1.

The icing on the cake came in the sixth inning when Moore clubbed a solo home run.

Emily Moore, Mott, and LaMarche shared the pitching duties, combining to throw a three-hitter, striking out nine Millington batters and walking none.

The Cardinals' Ashley Ziel took the loss on the mound. She struck out 14 Eskymo batters, but gave up six runs on six hits.

Escanaba's final game on Saturday was an easy one, 15-0 over Marquette in four innings.

Emily Moore threw a no-hiiter over those four innings, striking out five and walking none. The only Redette baserunner against her was on an Eskymo infield error.

Escanaba's offense, meanwile, pounded out 18 base hits. LaMarche had three of them: a single, triple, and home run, leaving her just a double shy of hitting for the cycle.

She drove in four runs, but did not get a chance for that double because of the mercy-shortened game. Erica Moore continued her hot hitting with three more runs batted in on two hits.

Against U.P. teams this season, Escanaba is a perfect 8-0, with a combined score of 115-4.

The Eskymos face Kingsford in a doubleheader on Thursday before heading downstate to look for some competition in Canton. The Eskymos will play Carleton-Airport, Warren Cousino, and Anchor Bay in that annual showcase.