Eskymos Hold Off Braves In Marathon Game, 14-8

ESCANABA---Last week, the Gladstone High School baseball team played a game that went three hours and 19 minutes against the Negaunee Miners.

That game went 12 innings. On Thursday night, the Braves and the Escanaba Eskymos played for three hours and three minutes. That game went 6 1/2 innings.

Braves senior Blake Ballard digs in.

Pitchers on both teams struggled with a tight strike zone and cold, windy conditions that led to numerous walks and long at-bats.

When it was finally over, the Eskymos emerged with a 14-8 win over the Braves at Al Ness Field.

The word "frustrating" came up a lot after the game. And on both sides of the field.

Escanaba scored twice in the first inning without a base hit as Gladstone pitcher Sam Pouliot became visibly upset with the calls on balls-and-strikes He walked three batters and hit two others with pitches.

The Braves tied the game in the second inning, however, as Eskymo starter Brandon Punzel also became upset with the balls-and-strikes.

Hunter Garling and Jake Peterson each had run-scoring hits, and the Braves tied the game at 2-2. But things did not improve for Pouliot in the bottom of the second inning as his frustration grew and he gave up hits to Jeff Lyle and Ben Kleiman and then walked Sean Bissell. Lauscher went to the bullpen and brought in sophomore Justin Jurek.

Eskymo catcher Sean Bissell on Thursday.

Jurek walked Nick Vandermissen and then gave up a two-run single to Punzel. A wild pitch also plated a run, and Escanaba had a 5-2 lead.

With the cold wind howling, Gladstone loaded the bases in the third inning as Punzel walked three straight batters.

But the Eskymo freshman got Tom Bailey to fly out and Blake Ballard to ground out, keeping his team in the lead.

In the fourth inning, however, Gladstone scored five runs to take the lead. Christian Groleau had a two-run single during that inning, and Tom Bailey and Christian Tackman also had run-scoring hits.

It was a 7-5 Braves lead.

Escanaba got a run back in the bottom of the fourth as Nick Vandermissen led off with a double and scored on a double by Bailey Lamb. Then, in the fifth inning, Escanaba took the lead as Kleiman was safe on an error and rode home on a home run by Bissell.

Bailey Lamb post-game comments.

That put Escanaba ahead, 8-7. Lamb would drive home a run later in the inning with a sacrafice fly, making it a 9-7 game.

But despite their adversity, the Braves did not fold the tent. Eskymo ace Devin Olsen had relieved the freshman Punzel in the top of the fifth inning and did not allow a run in that inning. In the sixth inning, though, the Braves rallied again.

Gladstone's Justin Jurek pitches in relief.

With one out, Groleau ripped a double to the fence. Bailey walked, and then Ballard smacked an RBI single to left to bring the Braves to within 9-8. Gladstone had the tying and go-ahead runs on base with one out, but Garling struck out and Jake Peterson popped up to the third baseman.

The Eskymos managed to keep that 9-8 lead.

In the bottom of the sixth inning, the Eskymos were looking for an insurance run. It turned out that they would get plenty of insurance: five runs.

Jurek gave up a double to pinch-hitter Tyler Skufca and a single to Olsen, with an error attached to that play.

Tackman came in to pitch, and things did not go well for him. After Jeff Lyle put down his second bunt of the game (this time for a sacrafice), Tackman walked Kleiman. Bissell followed with an RBI single, and then Vandermissen got his third straight base hit.

Sean Bissell two-run home run.

Punzel then hit a two-run double to the fence, giving him four RBI for the game. Then Lamb ripped an RBI double of his own, his second two-bagger and third RBI.

All of a sudden, it was 14-8, and the Eskymos had a "comfortable" victory.

Escanaba had 15 hits in the game. Punzel and Vandermissen each had three of them while Bissell and Lamb both had two. For the Braves, Groleau, Bailey and Garling all had two hits. All three boys had doubles in the game as Gladstone got ten base hits.

Eskymo Bailey Lamb takes a big swing.

Olsen earned the pitching win in relief for Escanaba, throwing the final three innings. he gave up one run on two hits and two walks, striking out four. Earlier, Punzel tossed four innings, allowing seven runs on seven hits and six walks. He fanned four batters.

For Gladstone, Jurek took the loss in relief, going four innings and allowing six runs on nine hits and two walks. He fanned five.

Starter Pouliot did not survive the second inning, yielding five runs on two hits and four walks. Pouliot also hit two batters.

Tackman finished up on the mound, allowing three runs on four hits in one inning.

Escanaba improved to 11-2, beating the Braves for the second time in five days. The Eskymos host the Sault Ste. Marie Blue Devils Saturday afternoon at 12:00. The double header will be broadcast live on WCHT-AM (600), and on-line at www.rrnsports.com.

Don Lauscher post-game comments.

Gladstone fell to 10-4 with the loss. The Braves will also play the Sault Blue Devils in a twinbill, Friday afternoon at 5:00. The double header will be broadcast live on WCHT-AM (600), and on-line at www.rrnsports.com.

Click the thumbnails in the ARTICLE HIGHLIGHTS box to see photos and listen to audio highlights and interviews from the game.

Gladstone's Christian Groleau leads off as Escanaba's Ben Kleiman plays behind him Thursday night.

Date	Time	Opponent	Score	Record

4/20	12:45 PM	at Remus Chippewa Hills	0 - 4 (L)	0-1

4/20	3:00 PM	at Whitehall Vikings	4 - 6 (L)	0-2

4/26	4:00 PM	Negaunee Miners	4 - 3 (W)	1-2

4/26	6:30 PM	Negaunee Miners	5 - 0 (W)	2-2

4/27	12:00 PM	Sault Ste. Marie (Ontario) Black Sox	11 - 1 (W)	3-2

4/27	2:30 PM	Sault Ste. Marie (Ontario) Black Sox	10 - 1 (W)	4-2

4/29	4:00 PM	Superior Central Cougars	4 - 2 (W)	5-2

4/29	6:00 PM	Superior Central Cougars	12 - 1 (W)	6-2

5/2	4:00 PM	Marquette Redmen	10 - 2 (W)	7-2

5/4	10:00 AM	Negaunee Miners	4 - 2 (W)	8-2

5/4	5:45 PM	at Escanaba Eskymos	1 - 5 (L)	8-3

5/6	4:30 PM	Norway Knights	4 - 3 (W)	9-3

5/6	6:45 PM	Norway Knights	7 - 1 (W)	10-3

5/9	6:00 PM	at Escanaba Eskymos	8 - 14 (L)	10-4

5/10	5:00 PM	Sault Ste. Marie Blue Devils	5 - 10 (L)	10-5

5/10	7:30 PM	Sault Ste. Marie Blue Devils	13 - 3 (W)	11-5

5/15	4:00 PM	at Negaunee Miners	5 - 7 (L)	11-6

5/15	6:00 PM	at Negaunee Miners	4 - 2 (W)	12-6

5/18	10:00 AM	Cheboygan Chiefs	2 - 3 (L)	12-7

5/18	12:00 PM	at Sault Ste. Marie Blue Devils	6 - 7 (L)	12-8

5/18	2:00 PM	at Sault Ste. Marie (Ontario) Black Sox	13 - 3 (W)	13-8

5/20	4:00 PM	at Superior Central Cougars	9 - 4 (W)	14-8

5/20	6:00 PM	at Superior Central Cougars	8 - 0 (W)	15-8

5/24	4:00 PM	at Marquette Redmen	10 - 4 (W)	16-8

5/24	6:00 PM	at Marquette Redmen	7 - 0 (W)	17-8

5/27	6:30 PM	Kingsford Legion Blues	1 - 5 (L)	17-9

5/28	6:30 PM	Escanaba Eskymos	3 - 3 (T)	17-9-1

5/31	4:00 PM	Superior Central Cougars	8 - 0 (W)	18-9-1

6/1	1:00 PM	Negaunee Miners	2 - 3 (L)	18-10-1