STATE CHAMPIONS: Esky 11u Girls Run The Table

GLADSTONE---The Escanaba 11u Little League softball team completed a perfect state tournament run on Monday, capturing the Michigan state championship in the six-team event.

Escanaba beat Sparta, 10-0, in the semifinals, and then topped St. Clair, 11-7, in the championship game at Gladstone High School. The Upper Peninsula's other team in the tournament, Marquette, lost to St. Clair in the other semifinal game, 14-4.

"It's super, super nice to coach Escanaba and a nice bunch of kids," Escanaba Manager Todd Milkiewicz said. "The kids make it easy, they really do. I love them to death. St. Clair is a great ballclub. They're aggressive. They never gave up. They're a well-coached team. We hit the ball, and Ava Jackson pitching and Koeller Hayes behind the plate made the difference for us."

St. Clair took a 2-1 lead in the third inning, the first time the future Eskymos trailed in the entire tournament. But Escanaba responded quickly with six runs in the bottom of the third inning to turn things around. Brelyn Grandchamp, Kinsley Williams, and Brynn Lucas had hits in that inning, bringing in two runs. And the big hit was a bases-clearing three-run double to right field off the bat of Hannah Trombley.

But a couple of errors, a walk, and a hit by Macey Wilson brought St. Clair to within 8-5 in the fifth inning. Escanaba responded again with three runs in the bottom of the fifth, with the big hit being an RBI triple by Williams to right field. She then scored on a groundout by Gabby Parlato, and the lead was up to 11-5.

St. Clair scored twice in the sixth inning but Jacksin had a big enough lead to close out the win. She had 38 strikeouts in 20 innings of work as Escanaba ran the table with a 5-0 record in the tournament. Jackson had eight strikeouts in the 10-0 semifinal win over Sparta, and eight more in the championship victory over St. Clair.

"Ava Jackson was on,"Milkewiecz said. "And Koeller, with throwdowns and putouts, she was excellent behind the plate. A great catcher makes a pitcher look even better. It's a long day in the sun, from warm-ups to the games. And remember, these are just little girls. Just young ladies trying their best."

And for several of the girls, it was redemption, after they went on the 12u team to the state tournament in Jackson two weeks ago and lost a heartbreaker in the quarterfinals.

"To get a second shot at it, and come out winning, they came back here and they were positive and ready to go, even though they didn't win down there," Milkiewicz said. "They're a great bunch of kids. Brian Parlato was the coach of that 12u team and he did a great job with the kids, which made my job a whole lot easier."

Milkiewicz, who has coached Little League teams for three decades in Escanaba, thanked the community for its support.

"The tournament was in Gladstone, and they did a fabulous job," he said. "They made us feel at welcome and at home in their town. A lot of volunteers that helped out and made a difference for our girls and made it special. It was a great tournament."