ESCANABA---Johnny Schlenvogt is a freshman.
But you wouldn't have known it by the way he pitched Thursday night against the Negaunee Miners. His curveball wouldn't work, but Schlenvogt was able to overcome that problem to pitch four strong innings to lead the Escanaba Eskymos to a 6-2 win.
Senior Corey McInernery threw the final three innings to earn the save. Both of the runs that the Miners scored were unearned runs as they were limited to six base hits.
"I was a little nervous at first, but it felt great once I got out there," Schlenvogt said. "It was a great experience and I hope I get to do it some more."
"In fairness to Johnny, we're just not getting enough work outdoors," Eskymo Manager Kirk Schwalbach said. "We go to the (Wells) complex and it's great to have that, but they don't have mounds over there and it's harder to do flat-land pitching. So, Johnny hasn't had a lot of time to work on his curveball and he hasn't been on the mound too much."
Schlenvogt allowed three hits and one walk in his four innings, striking out three batters.
"I thought he had good mound presence, and he had good poise," Schwalbach said. "We keep track of 'first-pitch strikes' and he was 11 of 11. You can't ask much more from the kid. Work ahead, and he did exactly what we asked of him."
McInerney, a senior, also allowed three hits and a walk in his three innings. He had to work very hard in the seventh inning as three errors were made behind him.
"He did what we expect out of a senior," Schwalbach said. "He battled. He made good pitches. He's been working on his curveball. Hats off to him."
Escanaba had nine hits. Tyler Skufca, Brandon Punzel, and Lewis Ostrander all had two hits.
Logan Lamb had an RBI triple in the first inning to put the Eskymos on the board, and Jack Valentine came through with a two-run double in the third to make it 3-0.
Negaunee, playing its second game in Delta County this week, got two hits from senior Chad Larson. Larson played for the first time after suffering an injury during hockey season. Larson took the loss on the mound, yielding five runs (four earned) on seven hits in 3 1/3 innings. Grant Johnson threw the final 2 2/3 innings and gave up one run.
Escanaba had several excellent defensive plays in the game.
Jeff Mathews was robbed of a hit by Skufca, who trapped the ball near second base and threw Mathews out while sitting on his behind.
In the fifth inning, Ryan Bischof got a base hit, but center fielder Tyler Hardwick threw out Larson at third base.
"It was a line drive to center and I saw the kid round second and head for third," Hardwick said. "So I just came up throwing. If I didn't make that throw, it definitely would have been a run or two (for Negaunee)."
Escanaba improved to 4-1 on the season. The Eskymos travel to Waupun, Wis., for a tournament this weekend. Escanaba faces Beloit Turner, Wis., Friday at 5:00. The game will be broadcast live on WCHT-AM (600), and at www.rrnsports.com.
GLADSTONE BRAVES DROP 6-3 DECISION IN NORWAY
The Gladstone Braves were on the short end Thursday, falling to the Norway Knights, 6-3, at Marion Park. It starts a busy weekend of five games in three days.
"We hit the ball hard. A lot of Rockets that they made plays on," Gladstone Manager Don Lauscher said. "We had our opportunities. Our base running was outstanding. But there's these little things, mental errors, that are still hurting us."
Gladstone carried a 2-0 lead into the fourth inning as freshman pitcher Braeden Lamberg had the Knights handcuffed on no base hits and one walk.
"Then Braeden's bicep tightened up on him," Lauscher said. "So, I yanked him right away. Braeden pitched really well, but I had to get him out of there."
Clay Cole came in to pitch the fourth inning, and had a rough time. He gave up four runs on two hits and three walks.
Then in the fifth inning, Ben Schwalbach was hit for two runs on a couple of doubles and a walk.
The Braves could not come back, even though they had their chances.
"Their left-fielder robbed Jack Stephenson on a line shot," Lauscher said. "Justin Jurek hit the hardest ball I've ever seen him hit, no kidding, and it went right to their pitcher's glove with runners on second and third. I couldn't believe it."
Norway Junior John Edwardsen pitched all seven innings to earn the win.
"He's a lefty and he threw very well," Lauscher said. "He had a really good curveball. And he had a fastball that the kids said was running away from the right-handed batters. Norway played extremely well. Kudos to them."
Hunter Garling had two hits in a losing effort for the Braves (5-3).
Gladstone heads downstate for four games this weekend. The Braves will face the Grayling Vikings in a doubleheader Friday, starting at 4:00. Gladstone then takes on the Charlevoix Rayders Saturday in a doubleheader that will start at 1:00.
But you wouldn't have known it by the way he pitched Thursday night against the Negaunee Miners. His curveball wouldn't work, but Schlenvogt was able to overcome that problem to pitch four strong innings to lead the Escanaba Eskymos to a 6-2 win.
"I was a little nervous at first, but it felt great once I got out there," Schlenvogt said. "It was a great experience and I hope I get to do it some more."
"In fairness to Johnny, we're just not getting enough work outdoors," Eskymo Manager Kirk Schwalbach said. "We go to the (Wells) complex and it's great to have that, but they don't have mounds over there and it's harder to do flat-land pitching. So, Johnny hasn't had a lot of time to work on his curveball and he hasn't been on the mound too much."
Schlenvogt allowed three hits and one walk in his four innings, striking out three batters.
"I thought he had good mound presence, and he had good poise," Schwalbach said. "We keep track of 'first-pitch strikes' and he was 11 of 11. You can't ask much more from the kid. Work ahead, and he did exactly what we asked of him."
"He did what we expect out of a senior," Schwalbach said. "He battled. He made good pitches. He's been working on his curveball. Hats off to him."
Escanaba had nine hits. Tyler Skufca, Brandon Punzel, and Lewis Ostrander all had two hits.
Logan Lamb had an RBI triple in the first inning to put the Eskymos on the board, and Jack Valentine came through with a two-run double in the third to make it 3-0.
Negaunee, playing its second game in Delta County this week, got two hits from senior Chad Larson. Larson played for the first time after suffering an injury during hockey season. Larson took the loss on the mound, yielding five runs (four earned) on seven hits in 3 1/3 innings. Grant Johnson threw the final 2 2/3 innings and gave up one run.
Jeff Mathews was robbed of a hit by Skufca, who trapped the ball near second base and threw Mathews out while sitting on his behind.
In the fifth inning, Ryan Bischof got a base hit, but center fielder Tyler Hardwick threw out Larson at third base.
"It was a line drive to center and I saw the kid round second and head for third," Hardwick said. "So I just came up throwing. If I didn't make that throw, it definitely would have been a run or two (for Negaunee)."
Escanaba improved to 4-1 on the season. The Eskymos travel to Waupun, Wis., for a tournament this weekend. Escanaba faces Beloit Turner, Wis., Friday at 5:00. The game will be broadcast live on WCHT-AM (600), and at www.rrnsports.com.
GLADSTONE BRAVES DROP 6-3 DECISION IN NORWAY
The Gladstone Braves were on the short end Thursday, falling to the Norway Knights, 6-3, at Marion Park. It starts a busy weekend of five games in three days.
"We hit the ball hard. A lot of Rockets that they made plays on," Gladstone Manager Don Lauscher said. "We had our opportunities. Our base running was outstanding. But there's these little things, mental errors, that are still hurting us."
Gladstone carried a 2-0 lead into the fourth inning as freshman pitcher Braeden Lamberg had the Knights handcuffed on no base hits and one walk.
"Then Braeden's bicep tightened up on him," Lauscher said. "So, I yanked him right away. Braeden pitched really well, but I had to get him out of there."
Then in the fifth inning, Ben Schwalbach was hit for two runs on a couple of doubles and a walk.
The Braves could not come back, even though they had their chances.
"Their left-fielder robbed Jack Stephenson on a line shot," Lauscher said. "Justin Jurek hit the hardest ball I've ever seen him hit, no kidding, and it went right to their pitcher's glove with runners on second and third. I couldn't believe it."
Norway Junior John Edwardsen pitched all seven innings to earn the win.
"He's a lefty and he threw very well," Lauscher said. "He had a really good curveball. And he had a fastball that the kids said was running away from the right-handed batters. Norway played extremely well. Kudos to them."
Hunter Garling had two hits in a losing effort for the Braves (5-3).
Gladstone heads downstate for four games this weekend. The Braves will face the Grayling Vikings in a doubleheader Friday, starting at 4:00. Gladstone then takes on the Charlevoix Rayders Saturday in a doubleheader that will start at 1:00.
