Fun for the Cubs

Escanaba Legion rolls

By Tom Kaeser

MENOMINEE - Escanaba is back to having fun at the ball park. Menominee took the field Wednesday night like it was punching a time clock.

The Cubs feasted on the Red Wave like they were at a Wednesday night buffet in a 12-0 win over Menominee at Spies Field.

With his team struggling through the usual post-high school season doldrums, Escanaba coach Tom Ohman let his players get away from the game for a while.

"We're doing something different. We haven't had a practice in a week," Ohman explained. "I want to give them a rest."

The Cubs responded to the hiatus by hitting for the cycle in the first two innings, while blasting out to a 10-0 lead.

Menominee, which was playing its sixth game in six days, saved its front-line pitchers for Saturday's rematch with Marinette.

Mark Bruce delivered the opening salvo for the Cubs by ripping a lead-off triple to right-center and Troy Rodman drove him in with a grounder to short.

After Doug Beattie stung a single, back-to-back walks jammed the bases. Tony Peacock drilled a sac fly to deep center, and Kirk Millette lined a two-run single down the third-base line to give Esky a 4-0 lead.

Kevin Bugay 5-ironed a pitch at his ankles for a single to ignite a six-run barrage in the second inning. Bruce drew a walk, and Rodman picked up his second RBI with a double to the gap in the left. Two more walks loaded the bases, and Chris Hillesheim cleared the bases with a grand slam to the power alley in left, just the second home run at Spies Field this season, to hike the lead to 10-0.

The Cubs were lethal at the plate from top to bottom as six different players contributed hits in the first two innings.

"We hit the ball well," said Ohman. "That just started the other night against Kingsford. I know Davey (Boye) is down in his rotation."

Ryan Way legged out an infield single in the fourth, Alex DeHaan poked an RBI single, and Millette drove in his third run of the game with a double to cap the Escanaba scoring binge.

The victory gave the Cubs' (5-3) their first back-to-back wins of the season.

The loss was the fourth straight for the Red Wave (10-10) and seventh in its last nine games.

"What surprises me is they're all baseball players," Boye said. "This is what they live for. Coming off the Firecracker tournament is always hard. It's done and gone now. We have to start putting it together."

Way allowed just three singles and two walks while picking up the five-inning win. Just two runners advanced to second. The biggest threat the Wave mounted off Way was when a scorching foul ball off the bat of Jordan Rasner chased Ohman off his perch near the Esky dugout.

"(Way) pounds the strike zone," Ohman said. "He doesn't throw hard. He makes you hit it."

Cully Falkenberg worked the first 1 innings and gave up eight runs on five hits, while walking four. Josh Barker inherited a bases-loaded, one-out mess in the second. After Hillesheim's grand slam, Barker checked the Cubs on four hits while fanning four.

Menominee issued seven walks, and six of the walks turned into runs.

Millette went 2 for 3, and Way and Hillesheim each reached base three times and scored three runs to pace Esky's nine-hit attack.

Rasner, Zach Anderla and Mark Dault accounted for Menominee's hits.

The Cubs host Gladstone tonight at 7:30 for a nine-inning game.