Click the thumbnails to see videos taken by Brad Landis, and to hear post-game comments from Harlee Coolman, Abby Derkos, Camryn Buckley, along with Eskymo Manager Andy Fields and Braves Manager Scott Herioux.
GLADSTONE---Escanaba and Gladstone met in a softball doubleheader for a second straight week on Thursday, this time at the Gladstone High School. And for a second straight week, the Eskymos swept the Braves, 13-0 and 17-6.
The first game was scoreless until the fourth inning when the Escanaba bats woke up. They scored two runs in the fourth inning on RBI singles by Landry Bray and Mara Anderson, then in the fifth inning, Harlee Coolman smacked a double to score two more runs, making it a 4-0 Escanaba lead.
Escanaba then put the game away with nine runs in the top of the sixth inning. Chloe Dubord got it going with a two-run double that made it 6-0, and when she came up later that inning, Dubord singled home another run.
Bray pitched all six innings for the Eskymos, striking out ten batters and allowing just two hits. For the Braves, Maddy Sundquist and Emma Trombley got base hits, and Lauren Pare took the loss in the circle.
The second game got off to a wild start. The Eskymos scored three runs in the top of the first inning on a three-run homer by Camryn Buckley.
Gladstone tied it with three runs in the bottom of the inning, with Addy Sanville doubling home two of them. Escanaba took a 5-3 lead in the top of the second inning, with Dubord bringing one home with a single and Addison Noblet driving in the other run with a sacrifice fly. But Gladstone came right back again in the bottom of the second inning with two runs of its own. And it was Sanville who came through again with another two-run base hit, giving her four RBI for the game and tying the game at 5-5.
Escanaba, though, blew the game open with eight runs in the third inning against a tiring Pare. Dubord, Noblet, Coolman, Breleigh Reinhart, and Bray all had run-scoring hits in that inning. And then, the highlight of the day for the Eskymos happened in the fourth inning when Coolman launched a grand slam home run to center field. She ended up with six RBI in the game.
Escanaba improved to 23-8-1 on the season, with two regular season games remaining next Tuesday at home against Menominee.
Gladstone's record fell to 25-10 on the season, with the Braves' next game coming in the district tournament in Menominee next Friday afternoon.
