ESCANABA---Mackenzie Leisner is becoming good at ending softball games.
The Escanaba Eskymo center fielder ripped a three-run homer on Saturday to help the Eskymos beat Marshfield, 13-2, at the Eskymo Softball Challenge.
Well, on Tuesday, Leisner found herself at the plate at the end of both games against the Gladstone Braves.
In the first game, Leisner ripped a two-run home run in the bottom of the sixth inning to cap a 13-2 mercy-shortened win over the Braves.
And in Tuesday's second game against Gladstone, Leisner was at the plate with the bases loaded in the seventh inning with the rivalry game locked up in a 5-5 tie.
Leisner was told to put down a suicide sacrafice bunt to bring home the winning run, and she did, pushing it up the first base line to cap a five-run Eskymo rally and an improbable 6-5 victory.
Now, it was three years ago, at the Little League Central Regional Tournament in Ohio, that Eskymo Coach Jamie Segorski asked Leisner to put down a suicide bunt...and that was with two outs (Tuesday's bunt against Gladstone was with one out).
Leisner got the bunt down back then, as did Segorski's daughter, Taylor, on another play, and Escanaba won the regional tournament to earn a trip to the Junior Little League World Series.
The stakes this time weren't as big in Tuesday's high school game, but Leisner's bunt brought home a run that ended a stirring Eskymo rally that completed the sweep.
Escanaba trailed, 5-1, entering the final inning of Tuesday's nightcap. That's because a few defensive errors gave the Braves a couple of runs, and Lexi Hongisto was a monster at the plate. Hongisto had ripped a solo home run in the opener, and in the second game, Hongisto smoked a two-run homer on a windy evening to give the Braves a 2-0 lead.
Gladstone pitcher Bre Winling threw a great game in the nightcap, holding the Eskymos to just three base hits through six innings, and the Braves had that 5-1 lead.
But in the final inning, things fell apart quickly for Gladstone. Jayme Frappier led off with a double, then Kayla Van Portfliet hit a high fly ball to center field. Gladstone center fielder Anna Caramella appeared to catch the ball, then dropped it as she exchanged the ball from her catching hand to her throwing hand. But it was ruled that Caramella did not catch the ball, and Van Portfliet was safe.
The Braves protested, but to no avail.
That opened the floodgates for the Eskymo offense. Callie Heller followed with an RBI single. Then J.J. Laviolette smoked an RBI double. Becca Piron was safe on an error. Michelle LaFave hit a sacrafice fly to make it 5-4. Katie Ross ripped an RBI double to the fence, tying the game at 5-5. That brought up Leisner, and her bunt won it.
In the first game, the long ball was big on a blustery afternoon. Hongisto's home run in the third inning brought the Braves to within 3-2 in the third inning. In the bottom of the third inning, the Eskymos scored four times.
Becca Piron smacked a two-run home run to center field, and LaFave followed with a long home run to left to make it 6-2.
VanPortfliet's RBI single capped that inning, giving Escanaba a 7-2 lead. Escanaba added three runs in the fourth inningas Piron, Leisner, and Frappier had RBI singles.
The game ended in the sixth inning with Anna Burch getting a hit and Leisner going deep.
Escanaba had 13 hits in the first game, with Piron having a single, double, and home run. LaFave had a single and home run and three runs batted in, and Leisner had a single, walk, and home run. Heller had a triple an scored a run.
Gladstone had six hits in the opener. Hongisto had three of those hits, getting two singles to go along her home run. Morgan Kowalski, Lauren Parrett, and Paige Schwartz also had base hits. Winling, Jenna Steinhoff, and Maddie Kowalski all pitched for Gladstone.
Escanaba used three pitchers in the opener. Frappier threw the first three innings, allowing two runs (one earned) on five hits. Sam Connor threw the fourth and fifth innings, giving up no runs on one hit. Ross threw the final inning.
In the second game, Frappier threw the first three innings for Escanaba, giving up four runs (two earned) on three hits. Connor allowed one run in her two innings of work, and Ross earned the win after giving up one base hit in her two innings in the circle.
Offensively, Hongisto had a home run, two doubles, and a walk, scoring two runs, in the second game. That means that Hongisto was 6-for-6 in the doubleheader, with two home runs, two doubles, and two singles, with three runs scored.
Also in the second game, Caramella had two hits and scored three runs.
In the second game, Escanaba got two doubles from Laviolette, and Ross earned the pitching win, throwing the final two innings.
Escanaba improved to 22-7-0 on the season. Gladstone is now 20-13-2.
The Escanaba Eskymo center fielder ripped a three-run homer on Saturday to help the Eskymos beat Marshfield, 13-2, at the Eskymo Softball Challenge.
In the first game, Leisner ripped a two-run home run in the bottom of the sixth inning to cap a 13-2 mercy-shortened win over the Braves.
And in Tuesday's second game against Gladstone, Leisner was at the plate with the bases loaded in the seventh inning with the rivalry game locked up in a 5-5 tie.
Leisner was told to put down a suicide sacrafice bunt to bring home the winning run, and she did, pushing it up the first base line to cap a five-run Eskymo rally and an improbable 6-5 victory.
Now, it was three years ago, at the Little League Central Regional Tournament in Ohio, that Eskymo Coach Jamie Segorski asked Leisner to put down a suicide bunt...and that was with two outs (Tuesday's bunt against Gladstone was with one out).
Mackenzie Leisner wins game with squeeze.
The stakes this time weren't as big in Tuesday's high school game, but Leisner's bunt brought home a run that ended a stirring Eskymo rally that completed the sweep.
Gladstone pitcher Bre Winling threw a great game in the nightcap, holding the Eskymos to just three base hits through six innings, and the Braves had that 5-1 lead.
But in the final inning, things fell apart quickly for Gladstone. Jayme Frappier led off with a double, then Kayla Van Portfliet hit a high fly ball to center field. Gladstone center fielder Anna Caramella appeared to catch the ball, then dropped it as she exchanged the ball from her catching hand to her throwing hand. But it was ruled that Caramella did not catch the ball, and Van Portfliet was safe.
Gladstone's Lexi Hongisto hits a home run
That opened the floodgates for the Eskymo offense. Callie Heller followed with an RBI single. Then J.J. Laviolette smoked an RBI double. Becca Piron was safe on an error. Michelle LaFave hit a sacrafice fly to make it 5-4. Katie Ross ripped an RBI double to the fence, tying the game at 5-5. That brought up Leisner, and her bunt won it.
Becca Piron smacked a two-run home run to center field, and LaFave followed with a long home run to left to make it 6-2.
VanPortfliet's RBI single capped that inning, giving Escanaba a 7-2 lead. Escanaba added three runs in the fourth inningas Piron, Leisner, and Frappier had RBI singles.
The game ended in the sixth inning with Anna Burch getting a hit and Leisner going deep.
Escanaba had 13 hits in the first game, with Piron having a single, double, and home run. LaFave had a single and home run and three runs batted in, and Leisner had a single, walk, and home run. Heller had a triple an scored a run.
Michelle LaFave long home run to left
Escanaba used three pitchers in the opener. Frappier threw the first three innings, allowing two runs (one earned) on five hits. Sam Connor threw the fourth and fifth innings, giving up no runs on one hit. Ross threw the final inning.
Offensively, Hongisto had a home run, two doubles, and a walk, scoring two runs, in the second game. That means that Hongisto was 6-for-6 in the doubleheader, with two home runs, two doubles, and two singles, with three runs scored.
Also in the second game, Caramella had two hits and scored three runs.
In the second game, Escanaba got two doubles from Laviolette, and Ross earned the pitching win, throwing the final two innings.
Escanaba improved to 22-7-0 on the season. Gladstone is now 20-13-2.
