Click the AUDIO button to hear Emma Parlato's post-game interview, and the VIDEO button to see it. Also listen to part of the game's radio broadcast.
ESCANABA---The Escanaba Major Little League girls (12u) softball team stayed alive in the All-Star district tournament Tuesday night with a 6-1 win over Gladstone, setting up a winner-take-all game Wednesday night for a trip to the state tournament.
Emma Parlato threw a complete-game four-hitter in the circle, and she had a pair of RBI base hits at the plate. Parlato took advantage of the mild, sunny weather, after struggling with her pitching in the rain and wind in Monday night's 6-3 loss to Gladstone.
Parlato also had excellent defense behind her, especially against the top four batters in Gladstone's order, all of whom hit the ball hard every time they came up. But with roster-batting now in effect (all 12 players bat in the order, not nine), the Gladstone top of the order never got up to bat for a third time through the order.
The great defense included an outstanding stop by third baseman Kinsley Williams of a shot off the bat of Briella Runne. Williams then made an accurate throw to first base for the second out of the third inning. Catcher Koeller Hayes made an outstanding catch of Bailee Dawley's foul pop up in the fifth inning, Abby Derkos lunged for a ball at shortstop in the fourth inning and caught it just above the dirt. And Bella Noblet made a catch in the right-center field gap to rob Aubrey Gereau of extra bases in the fifth inning.
Gladstone appeared to take a 1-0 lead in the first inning when Molly Matthews put down a bunt single, Addy Sanville walked, and Tiahna Reynolds laced a base hit to center field. After an Escanaba appeal, the umpire ruled that Matthews had not tagged home plate, so she was out, and the score went back to 0-0.
Gereau followed with an RBI single to give Gladstone the lead, but Dawley hit a pop-up with the runner moving and it was caught on the infield for an inning-ending double play.
While Escanaba's defense was stellar, Gladstone's was not. The Purple and White made five errors, and Escanaba cashed in for three unearned runs, scoring at least one run in all five innings that they batted.
Parlato helped her own cause with an RBI single in the first inning to tie the game, then Taylor Williams' ground ball to second base scored the go-ahead run in the second inning for Escanaba. Parlato then got her second hit of the game in the third inning, a blooper over the pitcher's head. The ball was charged by Reynolds at short and she threw to first and Parlato was ruled safe on a very close play. Two runs scored, making it 4-1.
Gabby Parlato had an RBI single in the fourth inning to make it 5-1, and two Gladstone errors plated another run in the fifth inning.
Gladstone had a little excitement in the sixth inning when Ruby Tuljus and Briella Runne both got base hits, ending a string where Emma Parlato retired 12 of the 13 Gladstone batters she faced. Then Brooklyn Lueneburg drew a walk on a 3-2 pitch, loading the bases with two outs. The Gladstone #12 hitter in the order, Londyn Koski, worked the count to 2-2, but took a called third strike to end the ballgame.
So, it's another “if-game” in the long softball rivalry for the Escanaba and Gladstone Little League programs. Game time at Escanaba's Lemmerand Park is set for 6:00 Wednesday night and it will be broadcast live on the radio on FM-93.5 and AM-600, and on-line at www.rrnsports.com.
