Eskymos Grind Out Baseball Sweep Over Negaunee

ESCANABA---The Escanaba High School baseball team worked hard for a pair of victories on Thursday, turning back the Negaunee Miners, 4-3 and 9-4, at Al Ness Field.

The Eskymos trailed in both games, but rallied to improve to 3-1 on the season.

"Hey, three wins out of four games in two days," Eskymo Manager Scott Hanson said. "It was a lot more enjoyable today. Yesterday's second game (13-3 loss to Marinette) was a tough one after the emotion of Game Two. But it's been positive. Different people stepping up at different times."

In the opener, the Eskymos were down, 3-2, after Jake Ennett hit a flare to right-center field to score Jake Hill with two out in the top of the sixth inning.

But in the bottom half, the Eskymos had the answer. Josh Bruntjens led off with a single amd stole second.

Aaron Young drew a walk, and then Johnny Schlenvogt was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Grant LaMarche smoked one to left-center field to score Bruntjens and Young, giving the Eskymos a walk-off win for the second straight day.

"I was very nervous," LaMarche sdmitted. "I waited on it and drove it out to deep center! It was just a fastball down the middle, so I took a swing at it, and it went out there! It was a great feeling."

"Bubs (Young) had about the worst jump you could have," Hanson laughed. "But he still got it done, though. Our senior leadership has been pretty darn good."

Bruntjens earned the win on the mound, despite allowing the go-ahead run in the top of the sixth. Noah Lancour tossed 5 2/3 innings, allowing three runs on four hits, walking six and striking out four. He got a no-decision.

For Negaunee, it was a heartbreaking loss, after the team was mercied twice the day before in Gladstone.

Tanner Peterson was the hard-luck loser on the mound, throwing a complete game, allowing four runs on six hits. He walked just one batter...at the end.

In the nightcap, Negaunee jumped to a 2-0 lead as Young struggled to throw strikes in the first two innings. He walked three batters and hit another, and was replaced by Bruntjens, who threw the final 4 1/3 innings to earn the victory.

The Eskymos scored in the second inning on an RBI single by Craig Kamin, but were robbed of another run when Hill dove in center field to catch a Jake LaFave gap shot.

Escanaba stranded the bases loaded in the fourth inning, and trailed, 3-1, when Hill put down a bunt and Carter Richardson scored all the way from second base.

But the Eskymos scored six runs in the bottom of the fourth inning to take control of the game. Bruntjens smoked an RBI double, then Krueger followed with an RBI single.

Young added an RBI double, and LaMarche drove in two runs with a Texas Leaguer.

Hill pitched the final two innings and took the loss.

Escanaba (3-1) hosts Peshtigo on Saturday in another doubleheader. First pitch is scheduled for 11 a.m. ET. The junior varsity game is set for Friday afternoon.

Click the thumbnails in the ARTICLE HIGHLIGHTS box above to see photos, videos taken by Sandi Young. Also click the AUDIO buttons to hear interviews with LaMarche, Kamin, and Coach Scott Hanson.

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