Cubs-Marinette Game Suspended By Heavy Rain

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MARINETTE, Wis.---The Escanaba Cubs American Legion Baseball team scored six runs in the third inning to take a 6-2 lead over the Marinette Legion squad late Friday night at the Marinette Firecracker Tournament. The game was called in the top of the fifth inning because of continued heavy rain. It will be completed on Saturday at 10:30 a.m. ET/9:30 a.m. CT.

Marinette scored two runs in the second inning as Cubs pitcher Eli Gardner walked the leadoff man, and when J.J. Brand bunted, Gardner threw the ball away, putting two men on base. The host team scored on back-to-back sacrifice flies to the deep reaches of the Pedersen Ballpark off the bats of Braeden Huston and Kolton Goldsmith.

The Cubs, however, took advantage of the wildness of Marinette pitcher Justin Kruse in the third inning. Kruse struggled with the hazardous wet conditons, with four walks and six wild pitched in the third inning alone, when Escanaba sent ten batters to the plate and scored six times to grab the lead.

Bon LaChance smoked a shot past the Marinette third baseman to bring home two runs, and lefty Bryce Blixt added a two-run hit to right field diring the rally. Two other Escanaba runs scored on back-to-back wild pitches with runners on third base.

Gardner dealt well with the lousy weather, allowed only two baserunners in the third and fourth innings (one walk, one error). Garder struck out five batters and allowed only two Marinettr base hits in four innings of work.

All day long, Marinette umpires and tournament officials allowed games to continue despite sometimes-heavy rains. The grounds crew came out multiple times in the foru games that were played to dump absorbant sand on the mound.

Finally, when LaChance led off the top of the fifth inning during a heavy downpour, he took a big swing and the bat flew out of his hands. The bat went some 40 feet away toward the Escanaba third base dugout, nearly hitting on-deck batter Ashton Rymkos.

Umpires then delayed the game, and a few moments later, suspended it until Saturday.

The Cubs now have to play against three opponents on Saturday. They'll play the final three innings against Marinette first, and then take on Menominee at 12:30 ET/11:30 CT, before battling with Watertown at 6:30 ET/5:30 CT. The Cubs games against Menominee and Watertown will be broadcast live on WCHT-FM/AM (93.5/600) and on-line at www.rrnsports.com.