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SOFTBALL FEAST: Eskymos Sweep Annual Invite
 ESCANABA---Escanaba's Lemmerand Park was busy on Saturday as the Eskymo Softball Challenge was held with a dozen games, featuring teams from across the U.P. and Wisconsin. And when the day was over, the host Eskymos were a perfect 3-0. Escanaba beat Neenah, Wis., 7-2; Sault Ste. Marie, 10-0; and Shawano, Wis., 11-1, to finish the tournament undefeated. Those wins go alongside a pair of victories the girls earned Friday night over Rapid River (11-3), and Marshfield, Wis. (14-1).  "We have four or five players on our team that are so fast that if you mishandle the ball, if you bobble it, if you take that extra step, you're just not going to get them. The team speed that we have is as good as we've ever had." Emily Bruntjens leads the way in the "speed" department of the top of the order. In the win over Neenah, Bruntjens had two singles and a double, and scored two runs. And in the win over Shawano, she also had a lead-off hit and scored a run. Katie Ross continued to pound the ball. She ripped an RBI double against Neenah, hit a two-run home run against Sault Ste. Marie that ended the game on the mercy rule in the sixth inning, and launched another home run in the win over Shawano. Taylor Gauthier also hit another home run, a two-run shot against Neenah, giving her eleven for the season. She also added an RBI double and scored twice in that game.  In the circle, Ross went the distance against Neenah and Shawano, allowing four hits in both games. Abby Jackson pitched the six-inning shutout against the Sault. In Friday's games, Escanaba beat Rapid River, 11-3, as Ross and Jackson shared the pitching duties. Chaillier had her first varsity home run in that victory, smashing a vehicle's mirror in the process. The Eskymos later hit four home runs against Marshfield: Gauthier, Ross, Taylor Segorski, and Savannah Barron. Escanaba travels to Marquette on Monday and travels to Gladstone on Tuesday. The Gladstone-Escanaba games will be broadcast live on WCHT-AM (NewsTalk 600). GLADSTONE TAKES TWO OF THREE---The Gladstone Braves beat Kingsford, 2-1, and Neenah, Wis., 4-2, to get their tournament off to a good start. Jenna Steinhoff pitched both games for the Braves. The Braves later lost to Shawano, Wis., 11-1, in a game that went the full seven innings. Stenihoff's solo home run was Gladstone's only run. Mattie Kowalski took the loss in the circle, allowing five runs in three innings.  The game was tied at 0-0 heading into extra innings, so the inernational tiebreaker rule was used. That saw both teams begin their extra innings with a runner on second base. Finally, in the tenth inning, Marquette scored two runs to take the lead. The Tigers, however, scored three runs, winning the game on a throwing error. Click the thumbnails in the ARTICLE HIGHLIGHTS box above to see photos and videos from both Friday and Saturday, taken by Mary Gauthier. Also listen to interviews with Coach Segorski, Ross, McAlpine, and Bruntjens...and hear a replay of Ross's last home run. 2017 ESCANABA ESKYMO SOFTBALL CHALLENGE Friday, May 12, 2017 Escanaba 11, Rapid River 3 Escanaba 14, Marshfield, Wis. 1 Saturday, May 13, 2017 Marquette 7, Rapid River 0 Gladstone 2, Kingsford 1 Escanaba 7, Neenah, Wis. 2 Marshfield, Wis. 3, Marquette 2 (10 Innings) Shawano, Wis. 11, Sault Ste. Marie 0 (6 Innings) Marshfield, Wis. 17, Rapid River 1 (4 Innings) Escanaba 10, Sault Ste. Marie 0 (6 Innings) Gladstone 4, Neenah, Wis. 2 Shawano, Wis. 11, Gladstone 1 Kingsford 6, Rapid River 5 Esvanaba 11, Shawano, Wis. 1 Sault Ste. Marie vs Kingsford  |
