MARINETTE, Wis.---Luckily for the Escanaba High School baseball team, the road through the state tournament does not include a trip across the Menominee River.
The Eskymos played their sixth and final game against a Wisconsin opponent on Tuesday, and lost to the Marinette Marines, 13-3, at Pederson Ballpark.
Escanaba committed five errors, hit into two double plays, and had other mental mistakes that turned a 4-3 game into a five-inning mercy-killing.
"I am disappointed," Eskymo Manager Kirk Schwalbach said. "Considering the way we had been playing, I totally didn't expect that. We always try to limit the runs and not give up the big inning, and we had two or three innings that were big innings today."
By the time the Eskymos ended the top of the fifth inning by going out 1-2-3 with three pinch-hitters, it was just the final chapter in a story that was not very pleasant for much of the 87 minutes that it took to play this game. They ended up losing all six games they played this season against Wisconsin high school baseball teams.
"Mentally, we just weren't prepared for the game," Schwalbach said. "That's my job to get them ready, so I'll take the blame for that. Some of the stuff on the field that happened? We've got to play better. We played 'young' today."
Even the fact that the Eskymos had a 1-0 lead in the first inning didn't feel too good because Escanaba had the bases loaded with nobody out and the run scored only because of a double play ground ball.
And then in the top of the second inning, Bailey Lamb drew a walk but the Eskymos hit into another double play, hard-hit ball by Cam Beversluis.
"We missed some signs in some situations," Schwalbach said. "One time, we had the bunt on, and he missed the sign and we didn't get the runners over. So, the next pitch he hits into a double play when we could have runners at second and third. Then the next kid gets a hit, and we could've had two runs. I'm not saying that's what would have happened, but it seems like this happens every time we make a mistake."
Ben Kleiman got the ball for the first time in a week, and he started well by getting the Marines 1-2-3 in the first inning. But the second inning was another story.
Marinette scored four runs on five hits in the inning as Kleiman's curveball was not nearly as effective as it had been against Marquette last week. And Kleiman had an error on a pick-off throw and catcher Alex DeHaan air-mailed one into center field as he tried to get a runner at second base on the back end of a two-RBI single by Aaron Pettit.
Escanaba tried to come back in the top of the third inning. Kleiman drew a one-out walk, then Nick Vandermissen singled.
DeHaan followed with a single to score Kleiman and make it a 4-2 game. David Falish then drew a walk, and he stole second.
That brought up the team's hottest hitter, Lamb. But the sophomore popped up the first pitch and Marinette catcher Scott Eldridge tracked it down for the second out. The Eskymos got to within 4-3 when Marine starter Ty Bebo threw one in the dirt. It didn't get too far away from the plate, but Vandermissen came racing home to score.
Unfortunately, Beversluis flew out to end the threat. And then came the bottom of the third inning, which is one the Eskymos would love to forget.
Max Hipke led off with a single, and went to second on another bad pick-off throw. He went to third on a wild pitch, but Kleiman got clean-up hitter Austin Belonga on strikes.
Kleiman walked the next batter, and then hit the next one, loading the bases with one out. But it appeared that the inning would end when Kleiman got Bebo to hit a ground ball to Vandermissen at short.
Vandermissen raced to the bag at second for the second out, and had plenty of time to get the relay throw. But that throw sailed on him, sending Lamb high into the air to save an overthrow.
Bebo was safe, a run scored, and it was 5-3.
Sure enough, the next batter, #8 hitter Jake McMahon, stroked a two-run single to make it 7-3, and then Kleiman walked the #9 hitter, Derek Klegin. That was end of the day for Kleiman on the mound, as Andrew Sedlar took over in relief.
And it appeared that Sedlar would stop the bleeding as he got Pettit to hit the ball to third baseman Jeff Lyle.
Lyle, however, bobbled the ball, and then tripped, allowing Pettit to reach base. And, sure enough, the next batter, Eldredge, ripped a two-run hit up the gap.
So a game that should have been 4-3 was now 9-3.
Marinette (12-9) put the game away with another four runs in the bottom of the fourth inning off Sedlar. McMahon ripped another two-run double to make it 11-3. He, despite being in the #8 spot, ended up 3-for-3 with five runs batted in.
Then, it looked like Sedlar would at least get out of the inning when he got Klegin to ground to Vandermissen, who was now at second base. But Vandermissen bobbled the ball, so everyone was safe. And, sure enough again, Pettit came up with a two-run hit to the fence, making the Eskymos pay once again for a little mistake. Pettit had four RBI.
"Give Marinette credit," Schwalbach said. "They took advantage of our mistakes, but, without a doubt, it was just hard to sit in the dugout and watch us play like this. I feel bad for the kids because I know that they feel bad. We've got to put it behind us."
Escanaba (15-8) is on the road again on Thursday. The boys will play in Kingsford against the Blues Legion team. Game time is 6:00 ET.
There will be NO RADIO coverage for this game, so that we can broadcast the Eskymo girls softball games in Gladstone.
Thanks again to Sheila Olsen for taking the pictures and videos that you see on this web page.
