Escanaba, Menominee Split Two in Lower Michigan

This story was written by Braden Kerr, RRN Intern

GAYLORD--- The Escanaba Cubs 8-7, Menominee Red Wave 7-11, Gaylord Post 180 7-5-1, and Northern Michigan Patriots 5-8 played four games in Gaylord on Saturday. The action kicked off with the Cubs and Patriots, then the Red Wave and Gaylord played, followed by Gaylord and Escanaba, before Menominee and Northern Michigan capped the day of baseball.

Escanaba 11 vs. Northern Michigan 8
Escanaba scored early and in bunches against Northern Michigan, before the Patriot bats woke up and nearly completed the big comeback.

The Cubs pushed five runs across in the first inning to open the game. Five singles and a few Patriot mistakes allowed Escanaba to open the game with a statement. Bon LaChance took the mound for Escanaba and pitched four solid innings allowing three earned runs on four hits.

Two bases loaded walks in the third put Northern Michigan on the board, but Escanaba would respond with four runs in the next inning. With the bases loaded Nick Chiu singled home LaChance and Trent Turchin singled in Ben Johnson and Chiu.

Chiu replaced LaChance after he reached the pitch limit. Two ground outs scored runs for Northern Michigan in the fifth. In the bottom of the sixth, the first three batters reached base and would score on singles from Evan Douglass and Cassidy Gudakunst, who will play baseball at Bay College in Escanaba next year. Eli Gardner would get the last two outs to shut the door and get Escanaba the win.

Gaylord 8 vs. Menominee 6
Quinn Schultz and Chris Koscielniak led the charge at the plate for Gaylord each tallying three RBI in the game. None bigger than the bases clearing double in the bottom of the sixth from Schultz to give Gaylord the lead for good.

Kennison Boiven had three RBI for Menominee in the game, but the Red Wave would fall just short. Boiven would open the scoring for the Red Wave singling home two runs to give Menominee the lead in the top of the third. Gaylord answered with three runs of their own highlighted by a two run Koscielniak single.

In the top of the fourth inning Adrian Mercier and Zach Starzynski had RBI singles to regain the lead for Menominee 5-4. In the bottom of the sixth Gaylord scored four runs to retake the lead for good. Quinn Schultz’s big hit proved to be the difference for Gaylord.

Gaylord 9 vs. Escanaba 4
For the second time in two games, Gaylord used a big final inning to capture a victory in a close game. With the score tied at four, Gaylord scored five runs in the bottom of the fifth to blow the game open. Timely hits and a few Escanaba errors allowed Gaylord to take advantage and control of the game.

Escanaba, who was down a man after a Hunter Lancour injury from the first game, borrowed Spencer Coldren from the Menominee team to have a full roster for the game. Jack McEvers doubled to score Eli Gardner in the first inning, but Gaylord scored on a past ball in the bottom of the inning.

In the third inning Escanaba would take the lead when Jack McEvers scored on a Gaylord error. In the bottom of the inning, Gaylord scored three runs on a Quinn Schultz single, a Garrett Purdy sacrifice fly, and an Escanaba error.

Escanaba scored two runs on an error and a bases loaded walk respectively in the top of the next inning to tie the game at four. In the bottom of the fifth, Gaylord manufactured five runs via walks, errors, and hits that was highlighted by a two-run single from Sam Sircely. Escanaba put two runners on base in the sixth inning but was unable to score any runs and that brought the game to its time limit.

Menominee 14 vs. Northern Michigan 7
In the final game of the day both offenses were stagnant through three innings with Northern Michigan leading 1-0. Both teams then proceeded to only produce crooked numbers. The Patriots scored three runs in the fourth and fifth innings but were no match for the Red Wave bats. Menominee scored five runs in the fourth and nine runs in fifth inning to break the game wide open.

Three Adrian Mercier walks and an error allowed Northern Michigan to score one run in the first inning. After the first inning both pitchers cruised through the opposing lineups. In the top of the fourth inning Menominee got RBIs from Gable Buck, Ian Gorzynski, and Adrian Mercier to fuel a five-run inning. Errors fueled a three run fourth for Northern Michigan.

The Menominee offense used numerous walks and a few hits in their nine-run inning. The first eight batters that came to the plate scored. The same three Patriots from the foruth inning scored runs in the bottom of the fifth inning on a walk, a double, a single, and an error, but it was not enough to overcome the Red Wave offense.

Escanaba, Menominee, and Gaylord went 2-1 over the two days while Northern Michigan dropped all three games. The Patriots fell to 5-8 on the season with their losses. Gaylord improved to 7-5-1. Menominee now sits at 7-11. Escanaba moved above .500 to a record of 8-7.