COMEBACK COMPLETE: Escanaba Wins District

ESCANABA---It was just over a week ago that the Escanaba Major Little League (age 11-12) boys baseball team was nearly mercied by the Gladstone All-Stars.

That loss dropped Escanaba into the loser's bracket, and in a seven-team tournament, it's a long way back to the championship.

On Sunday, the Esky boys completed their big comeback, beating Iron Mountain North for the second straight night, this time, 9-4, at Dickson Field.

In all, Escanaba won six games to earn an improbable trip to the state tournament in downstate St. Clair, with pool play starting next Friday morning.

On Sunday, Escanaba scored three runs in the first inning, with Ben Johnson ripping a triple past the right fielder, scoring Eli Gardner, who got things going with a hit.

Gavin Sommers smacked a base hit to bring Johnson home with the second run, and Mattie Kaven followed with a base hit to keep the rally going.

Iron Mountain got one run back in the bottom of the first on an RBI single by Fulton Straud to make it 3-1, but in the second inning, Escanaba had the top of the order up again. Johnson smoked another RBI triple to make it 4-1, then Bon LaChance came through with a run-scoring hit, and Escanaba was looking good, with a 5-1 lead.

But Iron Mountain came back. With the bases loaded, Straud hit one to left field. It was caught by a diving Nolan Bink, and Straud had to settle for a sacrifice fly on the play.

The next two plays were rough for Escanaba, as they tried to get the force at the plate, but runs scored for Iron Mountain both times on bad throws.

With the score 5-4, reliever Bryson Lancour got a grounder to Johnson at third. He threw to Gardner at the plate, then back to Kaven at first, for a double play.

In the top of the fourth inning, Escanaba broke the game open when Kaven smoked a bases loaded double to the outfield fence.

It made it 8-4, and the Escanaba boys cruised to the win from there.

Escanaba plays Taylor in the first state tournament game Friday morning at 9:30. The broadcast on WCHT-AM (NewsTalk 600) and rrnsports.com, starts at 9:05.

Escanaba will face fellow Upper Peninsula team Portage Lake from Houghton-Hancok Saturday at 2:30, and Ash-Carleton from southern Michigan Sunday at 11:30 a.m.

Click the thumbnails in the ARTICLE HIGHLIGHTS box above to see photos and video highlights. Also, listen to interviews with Gavin Sommers, Ben Johnson, and Escanaba Manager Paul LaChance.