DOUBLE DIP: Cubs, Junior Cubs Win Tight Games
ESCANABA---The Escanaba Cubs and Bark River Bucs played two games that went down to the wire Friday night, with Escanaba winning both. The Junior Cubs won, 10-9, and the senior Cubs eeked out a 1-0 win at Al Ness Field. In the senior game, a pitcher's dual broke out between Escanaba's Collin Arnt and Bark River's Zach Englund. There was only one walk in the entire game, and there were no earned runs in the game. The defense was strong on both sides, except for one rough inning for the Bucs that led to what turned out to be the game's only run. In the fourth inning, Nick Kolich reached base when catcher Johnnie Robinette was called for catcher's interference. Two more Cubs batters reached base on defensive errors, and with the bases loaded, Riley Lamb lifted a fly ball to center field to bring home the only run. Bark River got a one-out single from Travis Mack, but the next two men made outs. Then in the seventh inning, Robinette smacked a two-out double to out the tying run on base. But Arnt got Mack to fly out to Grant LaMarche in center field, and the Cubs had a 1-0 win. "It (the double) scared me a little bit, but I knew I had a good defense behind me, so we were sitting good," Arnt said. "Englund hit my curveball the first time he was up, so I just stuck with fastballs (in the seventh inning). And (Nick) Javurek, I threw him a lot of curves." Arnt struck out six batters and had flawess defense behind him, in particular from Lamb at first base, who had four catches, including one in foul ground after a long sprint down the right field line. "My fastball and my curveball, that's all I really used," Arnt said. "Jusr throwing strikes. The team was playing good defense. He (Lamb) chased down some foul balls and did a good job." Englund took a tough loss. The run against him was an unearned one, he struck out six, and the only hit (a sixth inning single by Arnt) did not factor in the scoring. The game took just 59 minutes to play. Escanaba (3-1) is off until Monday when both the junior and senior teams travel to Coleman, Wis. Bark River (2-6) is home Saturday afternoon at 5:00, facing Sault Ste. Marie in a doubleheader. Click the above headline to see videos from both games, photos from the junior game, and hear post-game comments from Arnt. |