Three Delta County varsity softball teams were on the road Saturday at daylong tournaments outside of the Upper Peninsula. And they had mixed success.
GLADSTONE BRAVES---The Gladstone Braves won the championship of the Howard City Tri-County Invitational by sweeping all three games on Saturday. The Braves opened with a win over Hesperia, 7-2, and then beat Fremont, 13-1. In the championship game, the Braves beat Grand Rapids Forest Hills Northern, 10-0.
Against Hesperia, Lexi Hongisto, Jenna Steinhoff, Tasi Martinez and Alyssa Polley all had two hits apiece to help put runs on the board. Hongisto and Anna Caramella both homered in that game. Sam Sailer and Morgan Kowalski also singled. Bre Winling earned the win in the circle, allowing eight hits, striking out four, and walking three.
Against Fremont, Jenna Steinhoff pitched five innings for the win, allowing three hits, striking out five and walking none.
Gladstone scored two runs in the second inning on RBI hits by Kaylin Holden and Polley. In the third inning, Hongisto blasted a double and was driven in on Kowalski's single to left. Six more runs scored in the 4th inning on several errors, a double by Caramella, Kowalski's suicide bunt, and a home run by Martinez.
In the championship game, Winling pitched the shutout, allowing just three hits in six innings. Caramella had an RBI triple in the second inning. Kowalski started the third with a triple and scored on Steinhoff's grounder. In the fifth, the Braves scored three more runs. Steinhoff singled to lead off the inning and was bunted to second by Martinez.
Paige Schwartz followed with a single. Then Holden's hard ground ball to the pitcher scored Steinhoff and Polley added an RBI single. Sailer added an RBI in that inning.
The Braves put it away in the sixth inning. Hongisto started the inning with a triple and she scored on Kowalski's single to right field. Steinhoff followed with another single, and Martinez drove in two more runs with a hard shot to short that was also bobbled.
Gladstone (5-6-2) had 33 total hits and won this tournament for a third straight year. The Braves travel to Marquette for a doubleheader Tuesday afternoon.
RAPID RIVER ROCKETS---The Rapid River Rockets finished third in the Boyne City Invitational on Saturday. The Rockets mercied the Kingsley Stags, 13-3, and then topped Manton, 12-9. In the third game, Rapid River lost a tight game to Cheboygan, 6-5.
The Chiefs ended up winning the tournament championship.
That loss was the first of the season for the Rockets, after eleven straight wins. Lindsay Knuth and Erika Schwartz were chosen to the All-Tournament Team in Boyne City.
Rapid River (11-1) hosts Manistique in a doubleheader Wednesday afternoon.
ESCANABA ESKYMOS---Escanaba went 1-2 at the Ashwaubenon Tournament in the Green Bay suburb on Saturday. The Eskymos lost to the host Jaguars, 4-1, and then beat Appleton East, 8-2, in the second game. In their final game against Green Bay Preble, Escanaba gave up nine runs in the first inning before the rally came up short, 12-8.
Jayme Frappier pitched all seven innings against Ashwaubenon, and ended up with the loss. Sam Connor threw five innings against Appleton East to earn the win, with Katie Ross tossing the final two innings. Against Preble, Frappier had a rough first inning, and Connor ended up pitching the final five innings as the Eskymos tried to rally.
It was Escanaba's first time playing in three weeks, and it was the first time the Eskymos played outdoors. Their only other games were in the NMU Superior Dome.
"We played decent," Escanaba Manager Jamie Segorski said. "It ws our first games of the year, and you could tell that we haven't played since April 4th. It's early in the season and it's gonna take time. Their pitchers have been throwing live pitches for four weeks."
Escanaba did hit five home runs during the tournament's three games: Michelle LaFave, Becca Piron, Ross, Kayla VanPortfleit, and Mackenzie Leisner all went deep.
Escanaba (3-3) travels to Kingsford for a doubleheader on Tuesday afternoon.
GLADSTONE BRAVES---The Gladstone Braves won the championship of the Howard City Tri-County Invitational by sweeping all three games on Saturday. The Braves opened with a win over Hesperia, 7-2, and then beat Fremont, 13-1. In the championship game, the Braves beat Grand Rapids Forest Hills Northern, 10-0.
Against Hesperia, Lexi Hongisto, Jenna Steinhoff, Tasi Martinez and Alyssa Polley all had two hits apiece to help put runs on the board. Hongisto and Anna Caramella both homered in that game. Sam Sailer and Morgan Kowalski also singled. Bre Winling earned the win in the circle, allowing eight hits, striking out four, and walking three.
Against Fremont, Jenna Steinhoff pitched five innings for the win, allowing three hits, striking out five and walking none.
Gladstone scored two runs in the second inning on RBI hits by Kaylin Holden and Polley. In the third inning, Hongisto blasted a double and was driven in on Kowalski's single to left. Six more runs scored in the 4th inning on several errors, a double by Caramella, Kowalski's suicide bunt, and a home run by Martinez.
In the championship game, Winling pitched the shutout, allowing just three hits in six innings. Caramella had an RBI triple in the second inning. Kowalski started the third with a triple and scored on Steinhoff's grounder. In the fifth, the Braves scored three more runs. Steinhoff singled to lead off the inning and was bunted to second by Martinez.
Paige Schwartz followed with a single. Then Holden's hard ground ball to the pitcher scored Steinhoff and Polley added an RBI single. Sailer added an RBI in that inning.
The Braves put it away in the sixth inning. Hongisto started the inning with a triple and she scored on Kowalski's single to right field. Steinhoff followed with another single, and Martinez drove in two more runs with a hard shot to short that was also bobbled.
Gladstone (5-6-2) had 33 total hits and won this tournament for a third straight year. The Braves travel to Marquette for a doubleheader Tuesday afternoon.
RAPID RIVER ROCKETS---The Rapid River Rockets finished third in the Boyne City Invitational on Saturday. The Rockets mercied the Kingsley Stags, 13-3, and then topped Manton, 12-9. In the third game, Rapid River lost a tight game to Cheboygan, 6-5.
The Chiefs ended up winning the tournament championship.
That loss was the first of the season for the Rockets, after eleven straight wins. Lindsay Knuth and Erika Schwartz were chosen to the All-Tournament Team in Boyne City.
Rapid River (11-1) hosts Manistique in a doubleheader Wednesday afternoon.
ESCANABA ESKYMOS---Escanaba went 1-2 at the Ashwaubenon Tournament in the Green Bay suburb on Saturday. The Eskymos lost to the host Jaguars, 4-1, and then beat Appleton East, 8-2, in the second game. In their final game against Green Bay Preble, Escanaba gave up nine runs in the first inning before the rally came up short, 12-8.
Jayme Frappier pitched all seven innings against Ashwaubenon, and ended up with the loss. Sam Connor threw five innings against Appleton East to earn the win, with Katie Ross tossing the final two innings. Against Preble, Frappier had a rough first inning, and Connor ended up pitching the final five innings as the Eskymos tried to rally.
It was Escanaba's first time playing in three weeks, and it was the first time the Eskymos played outdoors. Their only other games were in the NMU Superior Dome.
"We played decent," Escanaba Manager Jamie Segorski said. "It ws our first games of the year, and you could tell that we haven't played since April 4th. It's early in the season and it's gonna take time. Their pitchers have been throwing live pitches for four weeks."
Escanaba did hit five home runs during the tournament's three games: Michelle LaFave, Becca Piron, Ross, Kayla VanPortfleit, and Mackenzie Leisner all went deep.
Escanaba (3-3) travels to Kingsford for a doubleheader on Tuesday afternoon.
