Eskymos Suffer Power Outage; Fall In Wisconsin

DE PERE, Wis.---Getting off to a slow start in a baseball game against the DePere Redbirds is usually deadly, and it was Monday afternoon for the Escanaba Eskymos.

The Redbirds scored four runs in the first inning and cruised to a 5-1 win over the Eskymos at Redbird Field. The Eskymos came within one out of being the victims of a no-hitter before Alec Slaga and Andrew Sedlar came through with base hits.

Andrew Sedlar had one of Escanaba's hits.

"We just didn't hit the ball today," Eskymo Coach Kirk Schwalbach said. "It was just one of those days. I don't know if we were tired from the weekend, traveling to Waupun and coming back and then heading back down here on a Monday."

"But I told the kids that we are 4-2 on a six-game road trip," Schwalbach continued. "I don't know of any coach that wouldn't say that it's a pretty good start."

After playing three games over the weekend in the Waupun Invitational, the Eskymos came into this contest a bit short on pitching.

Top pitchers Ben Kleiman and Devin Olsen were already used up, and David Falish continues to recover from a foot injury. And Tyler Skufca, who was penciled in as Monday's starter, was out with a hamstring injury suffered during Saturday's victory in Waupun.

So Schwalbach turned to Bailey Lamb to take the hill. Lamb had pitched on occassion last season for the American Legion Escanaba Cubs, but had never thrown an inning in a high school game. His debut on Monday did not go well, as he walked his first two batters and gave up three base hits before being pulled off of the mound.

"Bailey just didn't have it today," Schwalbach said. "It happens. I told him that."

Brandon Punzel was good in relief.

That brought in freshman Brandon Punzel, who made his high school pitching debut as well. He started off slow, giving up an RBI single to Ryan DeBauche and walking Ben Reynolds.

But Punzel allowed only three more base hits, and one more run, the rest of the way, providing 5 2/3 innings of excellent relief. So, was he nervous?

"Not really," Punzel said. "I've been in worse situations before. Bailey had a little struggle and I wanted to pick him up. My curveball wasn't effective at first, but then I slowed 'er down and I had my release-point lower. It started breaking more. And my fastball was OK, too."

Schwalbach was impressed with what he saw from his freshman pitcher.

"Brandon did a great job," the coach said. "I couldn't ask him to do any more. He had something like 13 out of 18 first-pitch strikes. That's unbelievable for a freshman to pitch that well. Brandon did the best he could to keep us in it."

Punzel walked four batters to go along with the four base hits that he allowed. But he was helped out by two nicely-turned double plays by middle infielders Ben Kleiman and Nick Vandermissen. And catcher Sean Bissell bounced back from a throwing error to throw out three would-be DePere base-stealers in his four innings of catching.

Escanaba's Jeffry Lyle is safe at first base.

"It was very untypical of Sean to throw the way that he threw (at the beginning)," Schwalbach said. "I think he was just coming up too quick, and his head was coming up. The balls were high and he was trying to throw before he had it. Once he got his feet under him, and once he did, he was back to being the 'Old Sean'."

Escanaba scored its only run on an error in the second inning. The boys were close to being no-hit when Slaga and Sedlar had back-to-back singles with two out in the top of the seventh inning. Freshman Hunter LaMarch then drew a walk, and that loaded the bases.

Fellow freshman Logan Lamb flew out to end the game.

DePere pitching ace Blake Rutherford pitched the first three innings, allowing an unearned run and no hits. Sophomore Connor Rutherford pitched the final four innings and yielded three walks and those final two base hits.

Paul Koltz led DePere (4-3) with three hits and a run batted in.

Escanaba (4-2) will finally play a home game this weekend, after numerous games being cancelled because of the weather. The Eskymos will host the Lions Club/Crawford Funeral Home Invitational. Escanaba will face Marquette at 12:30 Saturday afternoon.

The game will be broadcast live on WCHT-AM (600), and at www.rrnsports.com.

Click the thumbnails in the ARTICLE HIGHLIGHTS box to see pictures taken by Sheila Olsen, and listen to audio highlights and interviews.

Eskymo shortstop Ben Kleiman and left-fielder Cam Beversluis concentrate as a DePere runner leads off.

Date	Time	Opponent	Score	Record

4/20	10:45 AM	at Whitehall Vikings	4 - 2 (W)	1-0

4/20	6:00 PM	at Remus Chippewa Hills	12 - 3 (W)	2-0

4/26	5:00 PM	at Kenosha Tremper High School	3 - 14 (L)	2-1

4/27	1:00 PM	University School of Milwaukee	12 - 2 (W)	3-1

4/27	7:00 PM	Prairie Du Chien Blackhawks	12 - 1 (W)	4-1

4/29	5:30 PM	at DePere Redbirds	1 - 5 (L)	4-2

5/4	12:30 PM	Marquette Redmen	16 - 0 (W)	5-2

5/4	5:45 PM	Gladstone Braves	5 - 1 (W)	6-2

5/5	12:00 PM	Sault Ste. Marie (Ontario) Black Sox	14 - 4 (W)	7-2

5/5	3:00 PM	Sault Ste. Marie (Ontario) Black Sox	13 - 3 (W)	8-2

5/7	5:30 PM	Marinette Marines	2 - 0 (W)	9-2

5/8	6:00 PM	at Marquette Redmen	11 - 2 (W)	10-2

5/9	6:00 PM	Gladstone Braves	14 - 8 (W)	11-2

5/17	5:00 PM	Alpena Wildcats	3 - 4 (L)	11-3

5/17	7:30 PM	Alpena Wildcats	10 - 9 (W)	12-3

5/18	12:30 PM	Gladstone Indians	5 - 0 (W)	13-3

5/18	5:30 PM	Alpena Wildcats	3 - 4 (L)	13-4

5/21	4:30 PM	at Shawano Hawks	1 - 2 (L)	13-5

5/21	6:30 PM	at Shawano Hawks	3 - 2 (W)	14-5

5/25	10:00 AM	Shepherd	3 - 2 (W)	15-5

5/25	12:30 PM	Alpena Wildcats	11 - 4 (W)	16-5

5/25	2:30 PM	at Sault Ste. Marie Blue Devils	4 - 5 (L)	16-6

5/28	6:30 PM	at Gladstone Braves	3 - 3 (T)	16-6-1

6/1	12:30 PM	Petoskey Northmen	0 - 2 (L)	16-7-1