Escanaba Cubs Win Tournament In Sault Ste. Marie
SAULT STE. MARIE---The Escanaba Cubs American Legion Baseball team won the championship of the Wood Ducks tournament Sunday in Sault Ste. Marie, beating the Soo Canada Black Sox, 8-0, and then topping the host EUP Wood Ducks, 11-5.
Escanaba made the semifinals despite losing on Saturday to the Northern Michigan Patriots, and tying the Soo Canada Black Sox after blowing a six-run lead in the final inning.
SEMIFINAL: EUP WOOD DUCKS 13, ISHPEMING 3---The first semifinal saw the EUP Wood Ducks eliminate the Ishpeming Blue Storm, 13-3, in five innings. Ishpeming's Ben Rubick had a two-run single to put the Blue Storm ahead, 2-0, but the Wood Ducks scored six runs in the bottom of that second inning to take control. Odin Medrick, Avery Wilson, Matt Lumsden, and Brent Maurer all had two runs batted in for the EUP. Ethan Chambers pitched all five innings to earn the win, striking out six batters, allowing five hits, and not walking anyone.
SEMIFINAL: ESCANABA 8, SAULT CANADA 0---The second semifinal saw the Escanaba Cubs shut out the Sault Canada Black Sox, 8-0, as Bon LaChance and Bryce Blixt combined to throw a three-hit shutout, with LaChance throwing the first 4 2/3 innings.
LaChance added two hits and three runs batted in at the plate, and Matt Kaven contributed two hits and two RBI. Eli Gardner also had two hits, as the Cubs jumped to a 7-0 lead in the first two innings. Black Sox pitcher Cole Massie was hit hard, for eight runs on eleven hits, in five innings. Kolton Tremblay had two of the Black Sox hits.
It was the 48th game of the season for the Black Sox, as their record falls to 25-23.
CHAMPIONSHIP: ESCANABA 11, EUP WOOD DUCKS 5---The Cubs jumped on the Wood Ducks for six runs in the top of the first inning and never had that lead in danger, as the teams exchanged scoring runs the rest of the way.
The EUP defense sprung a leak in that first inning, with three errors leading to all six runs being unearned against EUP pitcher Michael Bontrager. He also walked three batters in that inning, and all of them scored, before Josh Lumsden came in to pitch. Escanaba had seven different batters get base hits, and eight batters had at least one RBI.
Ashton Rymkos pitched all seven inning for the Cubs to earn the win. He allowed all five runs on nine base hits. Carter Samuelson had three hits for the Wood Ducks, who fell to 5-6-2 on the season. Escanaba's record improved to 11-5-1 after an 0-3 start.
