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SOFTBALL STUNNER! Esky Beats South Bend, 6-3
 SOUTH BEND, Ind.---The Escanaba Senior Little League All-Stars knew they were in for a war on Saturday when they stepped onto the field to face the Indiana District Eleven team in South Bend. The host team has won multiple Central Regional tournaments, and has won the Senior Little League World Series in each of the past two summers. The South Bend team has 15 players on the roster, while the Escanaba girls made the long trip south with just nine.  Escanaba topped the host team, 6-3, Saturday behind three solo home runs: two of them by Taylor Gauthier and one from Katie Ross. Even though the Eskymos made five defensive errors, Ross pitched well enough and the hitting was good enough. "We got into a little trouble early," Escanaba Manager Andy Fields said. "Our defense was a little shaky. We've got a couple of girls in new spots. They're learning the ways. Our hitting has covered up the errors so far, and that's been the key." Escanaba scored first when Emily Bruntgens walked and went to third on a base hit by Jerikka McAlpine. Bruntgens scored on a squeeze bunt by Taylor Segorski.  
Katie Ross solo home run vs South Bend
But with two out in the third inning, Ross tied the game with a very long home run to right field. It was her second home run in as many days.  In the fourth inning, Gauthier roped one to right-center field for a solo home run to put her team in the lead. And then in the top of the sixth, Gauthier did it again. Two solo home runs for a girl who had struggled with her hitting earlier this summer. "I don't know, I just hit them, and I was like 'what's going on'," Gauthier said. Escanaba had a 4-2 lead as the District Eleven team struggled to get the key base hit off of Ross. They had plenty of baserunners, but stranded nine. In the sixth inning, two straight errors allowed South Bend to close to within 4-3. And Lilly Ledbetter lofted one down the right field line that looked like it may tie the game. 
Taylor Gauthier's first HR vs South Bend
In the top of the seventh, Escanaba added a pair of insurance runs. Maddie Kolich led off with a double, and she went to third on a passed ball (the only one of the game). Bruntgens used her bat and speed for an infield hit to score Kolich, and then McAlpine got an infield hit of her own. Ross smoked one to right field for an RBI single.  She got great defensive help from Gauthier on a 6-3 double play to end the fifth inning, and then the game ended when Joanna Keilman hit an infield pop fly that Escanaba third baseman Claire McInerney made a diving catch of. "I thought it was going deeper than I was expecting," McInerney said. "So, I was backing up a little bit. But then I saw that it was dropping, so I just sprinted and caught it!" "They spray the ball all over the field," Fields said about the South Bend hitters. "I think once she (Ross) started to get into the groove, she got into the groove!" Ashlyn Kopinski took the loss, allowing five runs on seven hits. 
Claire McInerney diving catch ends game
If South Bend wins, then a second game would follow Sunday at 1:00. Catch the broadcast of Sunday's game on WGKL-FM (105.5) and on-line at www.rrnsports.com, starting with the pre-game show at 10:45 a.m. E.T. Click the thumbnails in the ARTICLE HIGHLIGHTS box to see photos and videos taken by Mary Gauthier, and to hear brief post-game interviews.  |
