Click the thumbnails for photos and videos, and for post-game comments fr0m Cooper Curtis, Eli Gardner, and Cubs Manager Paul LaChance.
MARINETTE, Wis.---Cooper Curtis fired the most bizarre no-hitter you will ever see in American Legion Baseball on Saturday as the Escanaba Cubs beat the Menominee Red Wave, 8-0, in the second game of the Firecracker Tournament in Marinette, Wis.
Curtis threw all seven innings, striking out seven batters and walking five. Not a dominating performance, but it was clear that he was in command. But two plays stand out when looking at Curtis's no-hitter, and they were both base hits against him.
Confused? Well, so were the Red Wave coaches and players.
The first play in question came in the sixth inning when Blake Paasch hit a looping fly ball in right field that Escanaba's Cannon Arnt got to, and had pop out of his glove on the grasstops. The umpire waved his arms “safe”, meaning no catch.
But Passch got confused (he wasn't the only one), so he went back to home plate, thinking it was either foul or had been ruled a catch. Eventually, Arnt threw to first baseman Ashton Rymkos, who tagged Paasch near home plate. And since Paasch never touched first base, there was no base hit. Just a 9-3 putout.
“I was kind of confused,” Curtis admitted. “I thought Cannon had caught it out there. But then the umpire said he was 'safe', and I was just kind of standing there. And I didn't know what to do!”
“The umpire is not supposed to say anything on a fair ball,” Escanaba Manager Paul LaChance said. “Well, he said 'no catch'. Their kid (Paasch) heard noises, and he thought he said 'foul', so he stopped.'
One inning later, Chase Monette smoked a line drive to right field off the bench for the Red Wave. But he didn't run it out, as they say in baseball, and Arnt, in right field, came up firing. His throw rather easily retired Monette at first base. Again, a 9-3 putout.
“Honestly, I told him that if he got in, I'd give him fastballs,” Curtis said of his friend, Monette. “He got his fastball, and I thought, well, the no-no is over right there. But I guess he thought it was a groundout. It was weird. I was standing there, thinking it (the no-hitter) was all gone, but then I saw Cannon gun it to first. It's his no-hitter!”
“Here's the deal,” LaChance said. “Our right fielders. It's been put into their heads that on a solid base hit, and the guy doesn't hustle to first, you throw. That's something we're looking for.”
Curtis walked five batters, including three in the sixth inning (after the Paasch out). But those three baserunners were stranded when Curtis got Gable Buck to ground out.
“I was just trying to throw strikes, really,” Curtis said. “I knew I had a really good defense behind me. So, I was just trusting them. I think we can make a run this year.”
Offensively, Escanaba essentially put the game away with a six-run third inning, keyed by two-run base hits by Adrian Mercier and Luis Warmack. Eli Gardner added a single and double and scored a pair of runs for the Cubs.
“We're finally starting to see the ball,” Gardner said. “Putting runs across the board. Our baserunning is definitely getting a lot better, and our defense has always been solid.”
Menominee's Weston Hanson took the loss on the mound.
Escanaba improved to 2-0 in the tournament ahead of Saturday night's game against Watertown, which is 1-1 after a 5-4 loss to Marinette on Saturday afternoon. The game is set for 5:30 CT/6:30 ET and will be broadcast live on FM-93.5, AM-600, and on-line at www.rrnsports.com. Menominee (0-2) faces Marinette Saturday night at 6:30 CT.
