Eskymos Overwhelm Braves; Take Softball Twinbill

ESCANABA---The Escanaba High School softball team completed a sweep of the season series from the Gladstone Braves on Tuesday, winning 6-0 and 5-1 at Lemmerand Park.

The Eskymos won all four games from the Braves, although the final scores for three of them don't indicate how competitive the contests were.

In Tuesday's opener, Escanaba freshman pitcher Gabi Salo was in complete control. She mixed in a lively fastball and a wicked change-up to handcuff the Braves hitters.

Only three Gladstone batters reached base against her, and she ended up with ten strikeouts.

Kaitlyn Hardwick's shot off the glove of the first baseman in the second inning was the only baserunner until the seventh inning, when Hardwick singled to right field and Tasi Martinez drew a walk. Salo ended the game by striking out Taylor Hunter.

Lexi Chaillier led the Eskymo offense by going 4-for-4 with three runs batted in. The sophomore left fielder also scored twice, and two of her hits were RBI doubles. Taylor Gauthier and Katie Ross both had two hits and a run batted in for the Eskymos.

Jenna Steinhoff took the loss for the Braves, allowing six runs on eleven hits.

The second game was played in a persistent light rain, which got stronger and eventually forced the contest to end after four innings of play. It was counted as an official game.

Hardwick put the Braves in front with a solo home run in the second inning off of Ross, the Eskymo senior pitcher.

Ross got her revenge later, however, when she got Hardwick to ground into a force play with the bases loaded to end the third inning.

Escanaba tied the game in the third inning when Clare McInerney singled, stole second, and scored on a throwing error. The Eskymos scored four runs in the bottom of the fourth inning, with Aubrey Saunders ripping an RBI hit to the fence to break the 1-1 tie.

Savannah Barron's bounce-out made it 3-1, and McInerney's second hit of the nightcap drove home the fourth run. A dropped fly ball as the rain came down scored the fifth run, and when the fourth inning ended, the umpires called the game.

Escanaba improved to 29-4 on the season, and will host Marquette in a doubleheader on Thursday. Gladstone fell to 25-9.

Click the thumbnails in the ARTICLE HIGHLIGHTS box above to see photos and videos taken by Nate Bellville.