Escanaba senior Carly Bowden (right) celebrates with senior Clara Braun (14) after she hit a home run during a game against Cass City as prt of the Spring Swing tournament on March 21, 2025 at the Superior Dome in Marquette. (Mitch Vosburg/Daily Press)

MARQUETTE –Spring officially arrived, you know what that means.

Escanaba’s 2025 softball season officially kicked off this weekend as part of the Spring Swing tournament at Northern Michigan University’s Superior Dome.

Here’s what went down this weekend for the Eskymos.

Escanaba 9, Cass City 0

Senior Grayson LaMarche didn’t hesitate to make an impact. The future University of Michigan Wolverine cranked the second pitch of her first at bat over the makeshift left field fence for a home run.

Senior catcher Carly Bowden later followed suit, obliterating a 1-2 pitch over the left field fence for an early 2-0 lead. Senior Clara Braun also got in on the home run parade, hitting a two-run shot in the second for a 4-0 lead.

Junior Harlee Coolman blasted a three-run triple as part of a five-run fifth inning with featured RBI pokes from seniors Katey Lamb and McKenzie Engebretson.

LaMarche was also dominant in the circle, allowing one hit and striking out 11 in five innings of work.

Homer 2 Escanaba 0

The Eskymos were bottled to four hits in their first loss of the season. The Trojans scratched across two runs in the first inning and never looked back.

Junior Landry Bray was tagged with the loss, surrendering two earned runs off seven hits with one walk and 10 strikeouts.

Escanaba 6, Lakeville 0

LaMarche stayed hot to start Saturday’s action. She cranked her second home run of the weekend in the top of the third for a 1-0 lead and earned a RBI single in the fourth for a 3-0 lead. She also hurled a no-hitter, walking two and striking out 15 across five innings of work in the circle while finishing 3-for-3 from the plate.

Lamb added a RBI single and Braun blasted another two-run home run in the win.

Escanaba 10, Hancock 1

Cam Buckley proved to be too much in the circle for the Bulldogs, allowing on earned run off one hit with six strikeouts.

In the batter’s box, Saturday’s finale was Engebretson’s time to shine. The senior first baseman ripped a two-run single for a 5-1 lead in the fourth and another two-run poke in the fifth. She finished 3-for-4 with five RBI. Maddy Mott and Bray went 2-for-3 with a RBI each. Braun added two hits and scored three times.