Miners Top Eskymos To Win Another Tournament
ESCANABA---It was a game that was pretty bland and boring at times, but in the end, the Escanaba Eskymos and Negaunee Miners put on a dramatic show to cap off Saturday's Bink's Coca Cola Baseball Invitational at Al Ness Field. And then, in the ninth inning, the Miners scored an unearned run to take the lead and then held off a furious Eskymo rally in the bottom of the inning to post a 7-6 victory. It was Negaunee's second tournament championship over the Eskymos this spring, and the Miners also won a tournament championship in Norway earlier this month. For Eskymo Manager Kirk Schwalbach, the end result was disappointing. "It's tough to take," Schwalbach said. "This kids are disappointed. But in the long run, this is going to build some character in the kids. It's going to make us better."
Final play of game gives Negaunee win
Escanaba shortstop Ben Kleiman couldn't field it cleanly, and the go-ahead run scored from third base. The inning had started with #9 hitter Grant Johnson leading off with a single. He was bunted to second by Tyler Lajoie and was bunted to third by Chad Larson. With Negaunee's best player, Tyler Jandron, at the plate next, and Eric Lori due next after him, Schwalbach decided to intentionally walk both of them to load the bases. McInerney then got Hunter Ridley to ground out to end the inning, leaving the bases loaded. That set up the bottom of the ninth inning, when the Eskymos had their chance against Negaunee reliever Chad Larson. Jack Valentine led off with a single, then Bailey Lamb followed with a double past a diving Dylan Tasson in left field. That put runners at second and third with no outs. Hunter LaMarch hit a ground ball to the left side of the infield, and the left-handed shortstop Tyler Jandron made the play at the plate. Runners ended up at first and third, bringing up Lewis Ostrander. Alternative content
Bailey Lamb huge double in ninth inning
Ostrander was hustling up the line, and it appeared that he beat the throw to first. That would have re-tied the game for the Eskymos, but the umpire call was "out", and the game ended. Schwalbach says that his team is snakebitten, especially against Negaunee. "Baseball is a funny game," he said. "Sometimes the ball just doesn't seem to go your way, and twice now against Negaunee, it hasn't gone our way. The kids are a little frustrated." "But, like I said, it's going to make us better." For most of the game, the Eskymos played with very little energy. It was their fourth game in less than 24 hours, and the team seemed to be flat. The top of the seventh inning was embarrassing, as the Eskymos committed three errors that allowed the Miners to score two runs and take a 6-2 lead into the bottom of the seventh. Alternative content
Sean Bissell two-run single ties game
Jandron struck out Bailey Lamb, but he walked LaMarch to force in a run, making it a 6-4 game. Jandron fanned Ostrander, but Sean Bissell came through with a two-run single to left field to tie the game. That set up the extra-innings drama into the evening. Alternative content
Kirk Schwalbach post-game comments
Earlier in the day, Escanaba beat Houghton, 7-2, while Negaunee dusted off Alpena, 5-3. Alpena beat Houghton in the third place game, 11-1, in five innings. Click the thumbnails in the ARTICLE HIGHLIGHTS box to see photos taken by Sheila Olsen, and to hear radio replays from the game. |
Date | Time | Opponent | Score | Record |
4/11 |
5:30 PM |
at Appleton North Lightning
|
3 - 7 (L)
|
0-1
|
4/18 |
4:00 PM |
at Bay City Central Wolves
|
6 - 4 (W)
|
1-1
|
4/18 |
6:00 PM |
at Bay City Central Wolves
|
2 - 8 (L)
|
1-2
|
4/19 |
11:00 AM |
at Essexville-Garber Dukes
|
7 - 16 (L)
|
1-3
|
4/19 |
1:00 PM |
at Essexville-Garber Dukes
|
3 - 14 (L)
|
1-4
|
4/25 |
6:00 PM |
at Kenosha Tremper High School
|
9 - 2 (W)
|
2-4
|
4/26 |
10:00 AM |
at Waupun, Wis.
|
6 - 4 (W)
|
3-4
|
4/26 |
6:30 PM |
at Fox Valley Lutheran High School
|
4 - 7 (L)
|
3-5
|
5/3 |
12:30 PM |
Menominee Red Wave Legion
|
10 - 0 (W)
|
4-5
|
5/3 |
5:00 PM |
Negaunee Miners
|
0 - 7 (L)
|
4-6
|
5/7 |
5:30 PM |
at Marquette Redmen
|
10 - 4 (W)
|
5-6
|
5/8 |
4:30 PM |
at Gladstone Braves
|
0 - 1 (L)
|
5-7
|
5/11 |
1:00 PM |
Kingsford Legion Blues
|
5 - 4 (W)
|
6-7
|
5/11 |
3:15 PM |
Kingsford Legion Blues
|
11 - 2 (W)
|
7-7
|
5/13 |
6:30 PM |
at Kingsford Legion Blues
|
15 - 0 (W)
|
8-7
|
5/16 |
5:00 PM |
Alpena Wildcats
|
7 - 2 (W)
|
9-7
|
5/16 |
7:00 PM |
Alpena Wildcats
|
6 - 2 (W)
|
10-7
|
5/17 |
12:30 PM |
Houghton Gremlins
|
7 - 2 (W)
|
11-7
|
5/17 |
5:00 PM |
Negaunee Miners
|
6 - 7 (L)
|
11-8
|
5/22 |
4:00 PM |
at Negaunee Miners
|
10 - 0 (W)
|
12-8
|
5/24 |
12:00 PM |
Sault Ste. Marie (Ontario) Black Sox
|
9 - 0 (W)
|
13-8
|
5/24 |
2:30 PM |
Sault Ste. Marie (Ontario) Black Sox
|
10 - 3 (W)
|
14-8
|
5/26 |
6:00 PM |
Gladstone Braves
|
1 - 3 (L)
|
14-9
|
5/29 |
4:30 PM |
Marinette Marines
|
5 - 7 (L)
|
14-10
|
5/31 |
12:30 PM |
at Cheboygan Chiefs
|
19 - 3 (W)
|
15-10
|
5/31 |
3:00 PM |
at Petoskey Northmen
|
5 - 3 (W)
|
16-10
|
6/7 |
10:00 AM |
Newaygo High School
|
6 - 1 (W)
|
17-10
|
6/7 |
3:00 PM |
Gladwin
|
1 - 4 (L)
|
17-11
|