Kleiman Gem Helps Cubs Salvage Split In Marinette

MARINETTE, Wis.----The Escanaba Cubs played two completely different games on Saturday at the Firecracker Tournament in Marinette, Wis.

The boys made four errors and lost to the Green Bay Blue Jays, 7-6, but then played an errorless game and rode the pitching of Ben Kleiman to beat Watertown (Wis.), 1-0.

Escanaba catcher Dane Messersmith.

The only run of the game in against Watertown came in the fifth inning when Dane Messersmith got a one-out single, stole second, and scored on a clutch two-out base hit by Kleiman.

And on the hill, Kleiman made it stand up, even though he had to deal with baserunners in each of the final three innings of the game.

In the fifth inning, Watertown had a man on second base before Kleiman got one of his five strikeouts to end the threat.

In the sixth, Kleiman hit a batter and walked another to put two men on, but he got a strikeout and a flyout to end that inning.

Then in the seventh inning, Kleiman walked the lead-off man, but with the tying run at second base, he got Watertown's #2 hitter John Jonas to pop up to end the game.

Kleiman (picuted above) scattered four hits and walked only three to earn the victory. Earlier in the game, he took a wicked line drive off of his knee cap. But after a few practice throws, Kleiman stayed in the game. When the game was over, Kleiman was seen with ice packs on his arm and shoulder, with one on his knee still a possibility.

Final Out of 1-0 Win.

His win came two weeks after he also posted a shutout win over Marinette in the Green Bay Tournament. Watertown's Luke Kopfer took a tough loss, pitching a complete-game, allowing six hits and no walks.

Neither team made an error in the game.

Hunter LaMarch jumps up to make a throw as Tim Lueneburg (27) and the ump watch

Earlier in the day, Escanaba played the Green Bay Blue Jays, and the boys were not at their best. Two errors in the first inning led to three Green Bay runs.

Escanaba took a 4-3 lead in the third inningm, though, as Devin Olsen had a two-run double that almost made it out of the spacious Pedersen Ball Park for a home run. The other runs came in on an error and on a Tyler Skufca ground out.

Green Bay tied the game in the third inning on an RBI double by Dom Manzi, and then the Blue Jays took a 6-4 lead in the sixth inning when the Cubs made more mistakes.

One run came in because of a bad throw on a Green Bay bunt, and the other came in on a balk charged to Olsen with a runner on third base.

Escanaba tied the game in the bottom of the sixth when Brandon Punzel and Sean Bissell had back-to-back base hits, and Hunter LaMarch walked to load the bases.

Devin Olsen clutch RBI hit.

Tim Luneburg hit a grounder that turned into a double play, but a run scored. Olsen stepped up with a clutch RBI single with two out to tie the game at 6-6.

But Olsen was tapped as far as pitching is concerned. He is already dealing with taking blood thinners to deal with clots, and he crossed the 100-pitch mark.

So, in the seventh inning, Andrew Sedlar was brought in to throw.

Sean Bissell rounds first base as Jon Bintner coaches Saturday afternoon.

Sedlar gave up a base hit, two walks, and three wild pitches, with the go-ahead run coming home on a throw that got away from Bissell behind the dish.

Escanaba had a final scoring chance in the bottom of the seventh when Nick Vandermissen and Brandon Punzel each got base hits.

But Bissell, who was 3-for-3 in the game, hit a pop fly to short, and the Blue Jays escaped with the 7-6 win.

Green Bay lefty Mitch Egan pitched the whole way, allowing ten hits and six runs (five earned). He earned the win while Sedlar took the loss, allowing a run on a hit and two walks in relief.

Olsen got a no-decision for the Cubs, allowing six runs on six hits in six innings of pitching. Only two of the six runs against Olsen were earned.

Ben Kleiman RBI hit. 1-0 Cubs.

Escanaba (4-8) travels back to Marinette on Sunday for a game against Manitowoc. Game time is 11:30 a.m. ET.

The game will be broadcast live on WCHT-AM (600), and on-line at www.rrnsports.com, starting at about 11:50 when church broadcasts end.

Click the thumbnails in the ARTICLE HIGHLIGHTS box to see photos taken by Sheila Olsen. Also, listen to game highights, and interviews with Kleiman, Messersmith, and Cubs Manager Tom Ohman.

Escanaba Cubs and Watertown players shake hands after a 1-0 Cubs win on Saturday in Marinette, Wis.

Date	Time	Opponent	Score	Record

6/14	1:00 PM	at Green Bay Shockers	1 - 11 (L)	0-1

6/14	3:30 PM	at Marinette Marines	3 - 0 (W)	1-1

6/15	12:30 PM	at Ash-Port, Wis.	1 - 9 (L)	1-2

6/15	3:00 PM	at Green Bay Shockers	8 - 17 (L)	1-3

6/21	5:30 PM	Chief Pontiac	1 - 5 (L)	1-4

6/21	8:00 PM	Sault Ste. Marie (Ontario) Black Sox	10 - 2 (W)	2-4

6/22	4:45 PM	Marquette Blues	5 - 0 (W)	3-4

6/22	7:00 PM	Midland Berryhill	0 - 9 (L)	3-5

6/23	10:00 AM	Plover, Wis.	1 - 2 (L)	3-6

6/25	8:00 PM	Gladstone Indians	0 - 3 (L)	3-7

6/29	12:00 PM	Green Bay Blue Jays	6 - 7 (L)	3-8

6/29	6:30 PM	Watertown Legion	1 - 0 (W)	4-8

6/30	11:30 AM	Manitowoc Legion	1 - 11 (L)	4-9

7/3	6:00 PM	at Gladstone Indians	1 - 3 (L)	4-10

7/5	6:30 PM	at Marquette Blues	6 - 9 (L)	4-11

7/8	8:00 PM	Menominee Red Wave Legion	10 - 0 (W)	5-11

7/12	2:00 PM	Sudbury Ontario Legion	7 - 3 (W)	6-11

7/12	6:00 PM	at Eastern U.P. Travelers	2 - 8 (L)	6-12

7/13	10:00 AM	Alpena Wildcats	14 - 0 (W)	7-12

7/13	1:00 PM	Petoskey Legion	2 - 4 (L)	7-13

7/14	10:00 AM	at Eastern U.P. Travelers	1 - 9 (L)	7-14

7/20	2:00 PM	Kingsford Legion Blues	10 - 3 (W)	8-14

7/24	1:00 PM	Ishpeming Blue Storm	5 - 3 (W)	9-14

7/24	7:00 PM	at Menominee Red Wave Legion	1 - 2 (L)	9-15

7/25	2:00 PM	Eastern U.P. Travelers	2 - 1 (W)	10-15

7/27	11:00 AM	Marquette Blues	7 - 5 (W)	11-15

7/27	1:00 PM	Kingsford Legion Blues	4 - 1 (W)	12-15

7/27	5:00 PM	Hancock Legion	5 - 2 (W)	13-15

7/28	12:00 PM	Gladstone Indians	0 - 15 (L)	13-16

8/1	4:00 PM	Ida Legion	7 - 0 (W)	14-16

8/2	6:00 PM	at Hudson Legion	0 - 4 (L)	14-17

8/3	10:00 AM	at Gladstone Indians	1 - 0 (W)	15-17

8/3	12:00 PM	Hudson Legion	3 - 4 (L)	15-18