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Esky Softball Wins Two Of Three Games Downstate
 Click the thumbnails to see photos and videos, WALLED LAKE, Mich.---The Escanaba High School softball team won two of three games at a tournament in suburban Detroit on Saturday, beating Walled Lake Central and Warren Mott, before losing to the fifth ranked team in Division One, Grand Blanc, to end the afternoon. In the first game, the Eskymos, ranked No. 3 in Division Two, were in a 0-0 contest with Walled Lake in the fourth inning before breaking loose with an eight-run rally. McKenzie Engebretsen, who went 3-for-3, drove in the team’s first run, and then Addison Noblet and Clara Braun had back-to-back two run doubles to make it 5-0. After that big rally, Grayson LaMarche was taken out of the circle, and Landry Bray took over pitching duties. LaMarche got the win, allowing three hits, no runs, and striking out ten batters. Bray pitched the final three innings and qualified for a save, allowing only one unearned run on three hits. Walled Lake Central (11-13) got two hits from Jessica Fick. In the second game, the Eskymos beat the Mott Mauraders as LaMarche didn’t pitch, but went 4-for-4 at the plate and Carly Bowden drove in three runs. Bray threw all five innings of the time-limited game, allowing four runs on four hits and striking out nine batters. Mott (21-8) got a two-run homer from Sharon Becroft. She also had an RBI single in a losing effort. The third game of the day was the most challenging as the Eskymos (27-3) went up against the Grand Blanc Bobcats (25-3). The Eskymos could do nothing against pitchers Savannah Schultz and Kayla Blumenschein, as the two combined to throw a one-hitter with 13 strikeouts. The only hit of the game for Escanaba came off the bat of Braun. Meanwhile, the Bobcats battered LaMarche, Escanaba’s ace pitcher who has signed with the University of Michigan. LaMarche struck out ten batters in five innings, but gave up two home runs: to Schultz and Ella Stevenson. Blumenschein also had three runs batted in. Grand Blanc had nine base hits, and six of them went for extra bases, Escanaba wraps up play Sunday morning against the Flat Rock Rams (14-13 overall). Game time is 9:45 before the Eskymos take the eight-hour drive back to the Upper Peninsula. |
