Eskymos Take Two More Close Losses Downstate

Click the thumbnails to see video highlights from the games

SAGINAW---The Escanaba High School baseball team took its show on the road, again, this weekend, to face another tough Lower Peninsula team in preparation for the upcoming district tournament,

The Eskymos played the Saginaw Swan Valley Vikings, and competed hard before losing both ends of the doubleheader, 4-2 and 4-1.

It was Escanaba’s second straight trip below the Mackinac Bridge to face winning programs, after playing Southgate Anderson, Trenton, and Allen Park on last weekend’s trip to Metro Detroit.

Escanaba dropped all five games the past two weekends, and scored a grand total of four runs in those five games.

But Manager Scott Hanson believes these games will help to get ready for the post-season. And now, if the Eskymos pay toll again at the Bridge, it will be for competition in the MHSAA Regional Tournament.

Escanaba (12-10) will play eleven straight games against Upper Peninsula teams over the next two weeks, with ten of them at home.

On Saturday, the first game was a pitcher’s duel between Escanaba’s Lenny Peacock and Swan Valley’s Jaxon Hartley. Hartley got the upper hand, strikking out 17 Eskymo batters, but the Eskymos did manage to make a game of it at the end after falling behind, 4-0.

In the sixth inning, Bryce Bichler led off with a bunt single, and scored on a one-out triple by Ashton Rymkos. Rymkos scored on a wild pitch, bringing the Eskymos to within 4-2.

In the seventh inning, Cannon Arnt led off with a single, and with one out, Alex Ison got a line-drive base hit and stole second to put the tying runs on base. But Peacock and Bichler struck out to end the game.

Peacock threw well, striking out eleven batters and allowing only five hits. But three walks and a hit batter, with timely Vikings hits, gave them the margin of victory.

In the second game, Escanaba took a 1-0 lead in the second inning when Nolan Bink led off with a bunt single, Peacock followed with a base hit, and Brian Boutilier grounded out to bring home an Eskymo run.

With two men on, however, Arnt and Max LeDuc both bounced out to end the threat.

Swan Valley (19-5) scored twice in the fourth inning and added single runs in the fifth and sixth against Arnt, who threw six innings before running out of pitches. He allowed eight hits but walked only one batter. Boutilier threw a scoreless seventh inning to end the game.

Vikings third baseman Caleb Klein was hard to keep off the bases, as he went three-for-three and scored two of his team’s runs. Aiden LaFond threw a complete game four-hitter, using only 83 pitches to do it.

Escanaba’s next game is Monday night at home against Manistique, and after a game in Kingsford Tuesday, the Eskymos will host Sault Ste. Marie Wednesday night.