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ESCANABA---It started off as a great day for the Escanaba Cubs American Legion baseball team, but ended up in heartbreak at the Gregg Johnson Memorial Tournament Sunday at Al Ness Field.

The Cubs, making their a rare appearance in the semifinals of this Wisconsin-team-filled tournament, managed to eek out a 1-0 win over the Plover Black Sox as Cannon Arnt threw a complete-game two-hit shutout. But in the championship game, the Cubs were three outs away from a win over Marinette, but collapsed in that final inning and lost, 6-5, on a rare balk call that forced in the winning run.

Escanaba's first-year manager, Paul “Chopper” LaChance, tried to keep things in perspective after an ugly opening loss on Friday, then three straight wins, and then Sunday's heartbreaking championship loss.

“I think it was a great weekend,” LaChance said. “I told the boys after the first gane (win over Plover) that I was proud of them, just for the fact that we were working on the field, we're working the (admission) gate, we're doing the 50/50. They helped out all weekend, and plus, they had to play five games of baseball. I said, I don't know about you, but I'm tired!”

Exhaustion aside, the Cubs had the championship in their grasp, which would have been just the second for Escanaba in the 33-year history of this tournament.

Cooper Curtis's bloop single to right field scored two runs and gave the Cubs a 5-3 lead, but in the final inning, LaChance asked Adrian Mercier to get three outs to seal the win out of the bullpen.

The Cubs' Lakeland University pitcher could not get a single out, giving up hits to Teagan Anderson and Maveric Williamson, and walking Caleb Klimek. Then Ethan Doubeck singled down the left field line, and then, with Sawyer Walters at the plate, lead umpire and Bay College baseball coach Mike Pankow called a balk on sophomore reliever Joey Garcia to force in the walk-off winning run.

Garcia was confused as the game ended on that play, as was his head coach.

“I saw him start to pitch, and I didn't see him wiggle his shoulders or whatever,” LaChance said. “I don't actually know what the balk call was. But, it was called, so what are you gonna do?”

The unfortunate balk call that gave the game an anti-climatic ending overshadowed some great defense by both teams. Cubs left fielder Owen Fields made a running, sliding, catch on a sinking line drive that saved two runs. Marinette center fielder Chase MacGregor made a diving catch to save extra bases.

And at third base, Marinette's Doubek was solid, with several tough plays to keep Cubs runners off the basepaths.

“A lot of practice, I guess,” Doubek said. “I mean, hard work, and playing that spot for basically my whole life, I'm pretty used to it now. And we're hitting the ball really good. Just more hard work. Practicing hitting the ball. I mean, hitting the ball is one of the biggest things we're doing right now, and it's helping a lot.”

Teagan Anderson had four hits in the championship game for Marinette. Seven different players had base hits for the Cubs. Five of them were singles.

In the second semifinal, Justin Kruse threw a complete-game no-hitter as Marinette eliminated Sheboygan, 10-1. In the Cubs' semifinal win over Plover, Escanaba's only hit was off the bat of Graham Johnson, and it had nothing to do with the only run of the gane, as that run scored thanks to two walks and an error. Arnt struck out twelve batters and walked none, allowing just two hits

Ben Gruba took the tough-luck loss for Plover (4-3-2 record).

Escanaba (9-2 overall) will have a rematch with Marinette (5-3 overall) in Marinette this Friday night at the Firecracker Tournament at the Pederson Ballpark in Marinette.

“It will be a totally different game because both teams will be fresh, instead of five games into the weekend,” LaChance said. “We had an opening in our schedule, so we will practice a couple of times this week. They have a game on Tuesday (against Green Bay Southwest).”