MENOMINEE — Menominee’s six-game winning streak ground to a halt at the hands of the Escanaba High School softball team, as the Eskymos hammered the Maroons in a Tuesday twinbill.
Both games unfolded in similar fashion, with the Eskymos jumping out to a massive lead in the first inning before turning matters over to its pitching staff, who proceeded to make a red-hot Maroon offense appear wholly average.
That recipe proved successful for the Eskymos, as Escanaba took game one 16-0 in four innings before breaking out the brooms with an 18-0, three-inning decision in game two.
Menominee’s winning streak was fueled largely by bats that clobbered anything and everything in sight, as the Maroons belted out 68 hits, 13 of which went for extra bases, and eight home runs over the six-game span.
However, pitching is the great equalizer in softball, and Escanaba (26-7) possesses one of the best hurlers in the entire state of Michigan in the form of Grayson LaMarche.
The University of Michigan commit carved up the Maroons’ lineup in game one, tossing an 11-strikeout perfect game with only Mady Barker able to make contact, albeit a weak popout to third base.
Menominee (17-17) was slightly more successful in the nightcap, with Kadyn Olsen and Barker socking consecutive one-out singles to give the Maroons their lone runner in scoring position all afternoon.
Despite Lamarche not pitching in game two, the Maroons were still kept under wraps by Maddy Mott, who recorded back-to-back punchouts of Kam Olson and Addy Johnson to get Esky out of danger.
Menominee never threatened again, as Mott retired the Maroons in order in both the second and third innings, while Esky’s offense provided plenty of run support.
Escanaba clubbed its way to 18 hits in game two, with Carly Bowden and Landry Bray both collecting two-RBI doubles to help Esky race out to an 11-0 lead in the top of the first.
Anna Boutilier, Carley McInerney and Katey Lamb tacked on ribbies as the Eskymos’ cushion swelled to 14-0 in the top of the second before Bray mashed a three-run homer to make it a 17-0 game in the top of the third.
Addison Noblet followed Bray’s moonshot with a dinger of her own for Esky’s final run of the game.
Esky’s offense spun like a carousel to kick off game one, with the first five batters reaching base, while McInerney, LaMarche, Lamb and Bowden all notched RBIs to make it a 4-0 affair.
McKenzie Engebretson chipped in a solo home run to give the Eskymos a 5-0 edge.
Escanaba plated four more runs in the top of the second and another five in the top of the third before LaMarche added an exclamation point in the form of a two-run home run that put the Eskymos on top 16-0 in the top of the fourth.
Olson was the losing pitcher in game one after allowing 12 hits, eight walks and 16 runs, 15 of which were earned, in four innings of work.
Ella Barker got tagged with the loss in game two, with four hits, four walks and 10 earned runs in two-thirds innings pitched.
Due upMenominee: The Maroons begin District playoffs on Friday at home against Manistique at 11 a.m.
Escanaba 16 — Menominee 0 (game one)Escanaba 545 2xx x — 16
Menominee 000 0xx x — 0
WP: LaMarche 4IP, 11K
LP: Olson 4IP, 12H, 16R, 15ER, 8BB, K, 2HR
Leading hitters (Escanaba): LaMarche 3x3, R, 2B, BB, HR, 4RBI; McInerney 2x2, 4R, 2B, BB, HBP, SB, RBI; Lamb 2x4, 2R, 2 2B, 2RBI; Engebretson 3x3, R, 2B, HR, 3RBI
Escanaba 18 — Menominee 0 (game two)Escanaba 1134 xxx x — 18
Menominee 000 xxx x — 0
WP: Mott 3IP, 2H, 5K
LP: E. Barker 2/3IP, 4H, 10R, 10ER, 4BB
Leading hitters (Menominee): Olsen 1x2; M. Barker 1x1
Leading hitters (Escanaba): Bray 2x3, 2R, 2B, HR, 5RBI; Noblet 3x3, 3R, 2B, HR, RBI; Boutilier 1x3, R, 3B, BB, 2RBI; Coolman 2x2, 2R, BB, 2RBI
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