ESCANABA---The Escanaba High School baseball team tuned up for their Saturday showdown with Gladstone by beating the Manistique Emeralds, 8-4, Friday night at Al Ness Field.
It was the Eskymos' first game under the lights this season.
It came against the new Manistique team that is coached by Escanaba Cubs Legion Manager Jon Bintner, and includes three players who go to school in Manistique, but play their summer ball in Escanaba.
One of those players is Carson Sprader, who pitched for Manistique Friday night on the field that he called home last summer. He threw well, allowing only six base hits, and issuing no walks. Of the eight runs he allowed, only three were earned. Sprader pitched a complete game.
Escanaba scored single runs in each of the three innings. In the first, Tyler Lawson singled, stole second, stole third, and raced home aggresisvely on a foul ball by Nick Kolich.
In the second inning, Brett Schlenvogt led off with a hit and scored when Nick LaFave struck out, but the ball got away on the third strike. And in the third, Kolich was safe on an infield single and scored on a base hit to right by Matt Zimmerman (after he fouled off several pitches).
Manistique got a run back in the fourth inning on an RBI single by Griffin Snider, just the second hit allowed by Escanaba's young starting pitcher Bon LaChance. LaChance went four innings allowing one run on two hits. He struck out eight batters and walked four.
Escanaba scored four runs in the bottom of the fourth inning as Manistique made five errors on five consecutive plays. That made it a 7-1 game.
But in the fifth inning, Escanaba Manager Scott Hanson went to the bullpen, and it didn't work out for Casey Bray. He walked five straight batters, forcing in two runs, and when Brett Schlenvogt came in to pitch, he also walked in a run. That closed the score to 7-4.
Schlenvogt got the next two outs with the bases loaded, and then Carter Hudson, who's been on the disabled list after burning two of his fingers, threw two scoreless innings to end it.
Lawson legged out a double in the sixth inning on a pop fly to left field and eventually scored on a wild pitch to plate the final run of the night. He scored three runs altogether.
Manistique (3-10) also played the Escanaba Junior Varsity Eskymos on Friday, and lost, 10-0.
Escanaba (15-4) will play two on Saturday against Gladstone on Parent's Day. Game time is 11:00 with the ceremony between games. Both games will be broadcast on FM-93.5, AM-600 and on-line at www.rrnsports.com.
It was the Eskymos' first game under the lights this season.
It came against the new Manistique team that is coached by Escanaba Cubs Legion Manager Jon Bintner, and includes three players who go to school in Manistique, but play their summer ball in Escanaba.
Escanaba scored single runs in each of the three innings. In the first, Tyler Lawson singled, stole second, stole third, and raced home aggresisvely on a foul ball by Nick Kolich.
In the second inning, Brett Schlenvogt led off with a hit and scored when Nick LaFave struck out, but the ball got away on the third strike. And in the third, Kolich was safe on an infield single and scored on a base hit to right by Matt Zimmerman (after he fouled off several pitches).
Manistique got a run back in the fourth inning on an RBI single by Griffin Snider, just the second hit allowed by Escanaba's young starting pitcher Bon LaChance. LaChance went four innings allowing one run on two hits. He struck out eight batters and walked four.
Escanaba scored four runs in the bottom of the fourth inning as Manistique made five errors on five consecutive plays. That made it a 7-1 game.
Schlenvogt got the next two outs with the bases loaded, and then Carter Hudson, who's been on the disabled list after burning two of his fingers, threw two scoreless innings to end it.
Lawson legged out a double in the sixth inning on a pop fly to left field and eventually scored on a wild pitch to plate the final run of the night. He scored three runs altogether.
Manistique (3-10) also played the Escanaba Junior Varsity Eskymos on Friday, and lost, 10-0.
Escanaba (15-4) will play two on Saturday against Gladstone on Parent's Day. Game time is 11:00 with the ceremony between games. Both games will be broadcast on FM-93.5, AM-600 and on-line at www.rrnsports.com.
