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CADILLAC---The Escanaba High School softball team had its season come to an end in Sunday as the defending state champion Gaylord Blue Devils rolled to a 12-2 win over the Eskymos in the Division Two regional championship game.
The Blue Devils scored seven runs in the first two innings and never looked back, as they mercied the Eskymos for a second stright spring after Escanaba got the upper hand in 2022.
This was a battle between two of the top five-ranked teams in Michigan in Division Two, with the Blue Devils at Number One and the Eskymos ramnked fifth. And the match-up was delayed by a day because of torrential rains that flooded the field on Saturday.
Aubrey Jones smoked a three-run homer in the first inning for the Blue Devils, and then Taylor Moggenberg pulled a two-run double down the left field line to highlight the four-run second inning against Eskymo pitcher Grayson LaMarche.
Escanaba's only runs came on a two-run, opposite field home run from Katey Lamb in the bottom of the fourth inning, cutting the deficit to 7-2, and giving the Eskymos some life.
But the Blue Devils just kept on scoring, putting up five more runs in the fifth inning, to end it on the mercy rule. Jones, who will play at Oklahoma State University after high school. had another RBI double in that fifth inning to cap the scoring.
Escanaba made three errors in the second inning to help Gaylord grab that early lead against LaMarche, who will play at the University of Michigan after high school is over.
Eskymo senior Anna Boutilier ended her four-year high school career with two base hits. The Eskymos finish their season with a 29-8 record, while Gaylord improved to 35-4.
CADILLAC---The Escanaba High School softball team had its season come to an end in Sunday as the defending state champion Gaylord Blue Devils rolled to a 12-2 win over the Eskymos in the Division Two regional championship game.
The Blue Devils scored seven runs in the first two innings and never looked back, as they mercied the Eskymos for a second stright spring after Escanaba got the upper hand in 2022.
Aubrey Jones smoked a three-run homer in the first inning for the Blue Devils, and then Taylor Moggenberg pulled a two-run double down the left field line to highlight the four-run second inning against Eskymo pitcher Grayson LaMarche.
Escanaba's only runs came on a two-run, opposite field home run from Katey Lamb in the bottom of the fourth inning, cutting the deficit to 7-2, and giving the Eskymos some life.
But the Blue Devils just kept on scoring, putting up five more runs in the fifth inning, to end it on the mercy rule. Jones, who will play at Oklahoma State University after high school. had another RBI double in that fifth inning to cap the scoring.
Escanaba made three errors in the second inning to help Gaylord grab that early lead against LaMarche, who will play at the University of Michigan after high school is over.
Eskymo senior Anna Boutilier ended her four-year high school career with two base hits. The Eskymos finish their season with a 29-8 record, while Gaylord improved to 35-4.
