Escanaba vs. Stevensville Lakeshore – – MHSAA Division 2 Softball Semifinal – – The Bleacher Denizen – – June 16, 2022 – – by Chuck Krafft
In the second softball semifinal of the afternoon, the Escanaba Eskymos will play the Lancers from Stevensville Lakeshore.
Escanaba is 30-5 entering the game and is ranked Number 7. They were the Division 2 Champions in 2019 and 2018. Here are links to the two championship games for those who want to remember what happened then.
2018
https://thebleacherdenizen.blogspot.com/2018/06/south-haven-vs-escanaba-division-2.html
2019
https://thebleacherdenizen.blogspot.com/2019/06/stevensville-lakeshore-vs-escanaba.html
As we yank ourselves back to the present, here are some of the best players for the Eskymos. Anna Boutilier hits .511 and has stolen 17 bases. Lizzy Sliva is batting .495 with ten couples, 10 home runs and 45 RBI. McKayla Mott is batting .433 with 11 doubles, 10 homers and 33 RBI. On the mound, McKayla Mott is 14-2 with a 1.16 ERA as well as 130 strikeouts. Carsyn Segorski is batting .379 with 30 stolen bases. There are five other hitters in the lineup batting over .400 as well. Grayson LaMarche has a 10-2 pitching record with 135 strikeouts and a 1.73 ERA.
Stevensville Lakeshore has a 38-4 record and is an honorable mention team. Coach Denny Dock has 1054 wins coming into the game. Some of their top hitters include Gianna Kerschbaum, who is batting .387 with 12 home runs and 34 RBIs. When she pitches, she has a 1.94 ERA. Olivia DenDooven hits .363. Pallas Domion is batting .356 with 46 runs and 14 stolen bases. Anna Chellman is batting .394 with 32 RBI. Ava Mullen has won 14 games as a pitcher and Avery Arwood has 11 wins. Both of them have ERAs less than 2.00.
For those of you who may be interested, here is a link to the semifinal between Garber and Trenton! https://thebleacherdenizen.com/2022/06/16/essexville-garber-vs-trenton-mhsaa-division-2-softball-semifinal-the-bleacher-denizen-june-15-2022-by-chuck-krafft/
While we are waiting for the teams to warm up, perhaps we can listen to this original tune from my “Chuck Krafft” You Tube Channel!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ol3R-ZL9568
Here are the starting lineups. Escanaba will bat first and Lakeshore will be the home team.
ESCANABA:
Carson Segorski ss
Paxton Bullen 2b
Carney Salo c
Lizzy Silva lf
McKayla Mott dp
Anna Boutilier 3b
Erica Moore 1b
Emily Moore p
Carley McInerney rf
Delaney McIntyre will play center field, but will not bat.
LAKESHORE:
Gianna Kerschbaum cf
Gabby Solloway ss
Anna Chellman 3b
Eden Gray dp
Pallas Dominion 2b
Ava Mullen p
Olivia DenDooven 1b
Natalia Najera c
Eva Kerschbaum lf
Anna Prosser will play right field, but will not bat.
It is now time to look through the results of this game through the sleepy eyes of an Aging Bleacher Denizen who was not a successful baseball or softball career in the ancient days when he attempted to play. Alas, he was never able to swing the iron ore bats that we used in the days of yore very well.
Lancer Pitcher Ava Mullen struck out all three Eskymo hitters in the top of the first inning.
Lakeshore leadoff batter Gianna Kerschbaum drew a walk to start the bottom of the first inning. Gianna Kerschbaum went to second base on a wild pitch and to third on a passed ball. With a 2-1 count on the next batter, Gabby Solloway, McKayla Mott came in to pitch for Escanaba. Gabby Solloway walked. Everyone was safe on Anna Chellman’s RBI grounder to first base. The throw went home, but it was not in time to catch Gianna Kerschbaum, who scored. Gabby Solloway advanced to second base.
Gabby Solloway went to third bas and Anna Chellman to second base on a wild pitch. Escanaba Catcher Carney Salo picked the Lakeshore runner off third base. Pallas Dominion was hit by a pitch. McKayla Mott struck out the next batter to end the inning.
Stevensville Lakeshore scored one run in the bottom of the first inning to take a 1-0 lead.
Lakeshore Pitcher Ava Mullen struck out the Escanaba leadoff batter to start out the top of the second inning. McKayla Mott walked. Clara Braun came in as a courtesy runner for McKayla Mott. Ava Mullen retired the next two Eskymo batters on a strikeout and a groundout to third base.
Eskymo Pitcher McKayla Mott retired the three Lancer hitters in the bottom of the second inning on a strikeout, a one hopper to third base and another strikeout.
Grayson LaMarche, who replaced the original seventh batter in the lineup led off the top of the third inning by ripping a single to centerfield. Grayson LaMarche advanced to second base when Carley McInerney was hit by a pitch. Ava Mullen fielded a bunt from Carson Segorski and quickly threw to third base to force the runner. Carley McInerney advanced to second base and Carson Segorski was safe at first.
In a deja’ vu moment, Ava Mullen fielded another bunt, this time by Paxton Bullen and fired to third base to force the runner. Carson Segorski went to second base and Paxton Bullen was safe at first. Ava Mullen struck out the next batter to end the inning.
Gianna Kerschbaum bounced a sharp single down the third base line to open the bottom of the third inning for Lakeshore. She advanced to second base on a sacrifice bunt by Gabby Solloway and took third base on a groundout to third base by Anna Chellman. Escanaba first baseman Erica Moore made a great stretch on a throw from a grounder third base to get the third out.
After three innings, Stevensville Lakeshore’s lead remained at 1-0.
Ava Mullen retired the three Eskymo batters in the top of fourth inning on a strikeout, a foul fly to third base and a grounder to second base.
Pallas Dominion was out at second base and Ava Mullen safe at first on a fielder’s choice grounder to third base. Jossalyn Schmaltz entered the game as a courtesy runner for Ava Mullen. After McKayla Mott struck out the next batter, Eskymo Catcher Carney Salo fired the ball to second base to catch the runner stealing to end the inning.
Ava Mullen retired the three Escanaba batters in the top of the fifth inning on a strikeout, a soft foul fly to first base and another strikeout.
McKayla Mott retired the first two Lancer hitters in the bottom of the fifth inning on a grounder to first base and a grounder to third base. Grayson LaMarche came in to pitch for the Eskymos and struck out the next hitter to end the inning.
After five innings, the Lancer lead remained at 1-0.
Ava Mullen struck out the Eskymo leadoff batter in the top of the sixth inning. Paxton Bullen drew a walk. Lancer Third Baseman Anna Chellman dove to snag a bunt off the bat of the next batter. Paxton Bullen tagged up and went to second base on the play. Lizzy Silva singled to right field to drive in Paxton Bullen to tie the game.
Clara Braun entered the game as a pinch runner for Lizzy Silva. Clara Braun advanced to second base when McKayla Mott beat out an infield single.
Avery Arwood entered the game to pitch for Lakeshore. Escanaba made the final out of the inning on a foul popup to the catcher.
Escanaba scored one run in the top of the sixth inning to tie the game at 1-1.
Gabby Solloway singled to right field to lead off the bottom of the sixth inning for Lakeshore. Gabby Solloway advanced to second when Anna Chellman was safe at first on an error. Gabby Solloway moved to third base and Anna Chellman to second base on a sacrifice bunt by Eden Gray. Pallas Dominion was hit by a pitch to load the bases.
On a wild pitch, Gabby Solloway scored, Anna Chellman took third base and Pallas Dominion went to second base. Grayson LaMarche struck out the next two Lancer hitters to end the inning.
Stevensville Lakeshore scored one run in the bottom of the sixth inning to take a 2-1 lead.
Avery Arwood struck out the three Eskymo hitters in the top of the seventh inning to end the game.
Stevensville Lakeshore won the game 2-1 and will advance to Saturday’s final against Trenton.
Lizzy Silva had a single and one RBI for Escanaba. McKayla Mott and Grayson LaMarche also had singles.
Gianna Kerschbaum and Gabby Solloway each had a single for Lakeshore. In the pitcher’s circle, Anna Mullen had ten strikeouts and Avery Arwood had three strikeouts.