Escanaba junior Landry Bray winds up to deliver a pitch during game two of a doubleheader against Negaunee on April 22, 2025 at Abrahamson Field in Escanaba. (“The Big Dog” Mitch Vosburg/Daily Press)

ESCANABA — Last season’s home opener was spoiled for Escanaba softball.

The Eskymos dropped two games to the Miners at Abrahamson Field on a dreary, cold, windy day. But a lot can happen in a year. And in this case, a lot did, indeed, happen in a year.

The Eskymos (10-1) earned two redemption wins in a doubleheader sweep over Negaunee on Tuesday, claiming game one 6-0 and game two 11-1 in five innings.

“Our focus all year has been to get ahead early,” Esky skipper Andy Fields said. “We want to jump on teams early, and we did it in both games early. That’s been the key in all of the games we’ve won this year. We’ve jumped on teams right away, and it worked today.”

Game one

With a 2-0 lead in hand and two ducks on the pond in the bottom of the third, senior catcher Carly Bowden stepped into the batter’s box. It didn’t take long for her to make an impact.

She swung at the first pitch of her at-bat and cranked the ball over the fence in right-center field for a three-home run and a 5-0 Eskymo lead.

Escanaba senior Carly Bowden pops up after securing strike three during game two of a doubleheader against Negaunee on April 22, 2025 at Abrahamson Field in Escanaba. (“The Big Dog” Mitch Vosburg/Daily Press)

“She’s been seeing the ball really well this season,” Fields said of Bowden, a four-year varsity player. “She’s a senior, and the game is slowing down for her. She’s one of the leaders on this team, and she’s been big for us behind the plate.”

Senior McKenzie Engebretson then cranked an 0-2 pitch to right field. Miners right fielder Miya Hendrickson attempted a dazzling diving catch which would’ve been worthy of making SportsCenter’s Top 10 plays, but her dive attempt was unsuccessful. Engebretson wound up with a triple and later scored for a 6-0 advantage.

In the circle it was the same ole’ song and dance for senior Grayson LaMarche. The senior carried a perfect game into the fifth inning before surrendering a single to Alyse Robar. Negaunee ultimately put two runners on base after Esky senior Maddy Mott misjudged a line drive at shortstop. Bowden earned the third out, throwing out Rebecca Lammi by multiple steps trying to steal second.

The Miners put a pair of runners on base with two outs in the sixth, but LaMarche stayed cooler than the other side of the pillow in the circle. She got Rheana Nelson to swing and miss at  3-2 pitch to end the frame.

LaMarche, who finished 2-for-3 from the plate, allowed two hits and walked to batters with 14 strikeouts in a complete game shutout, refusing to crack under the slightest bit of pressure.

“She’s been in this a long time,” Fields said of LaMarche. “She’s played against some of the best softball players in the nation. She’s cool under fire, and she’s a competitor. We’re lucky to have her on her side.”

Engebretson finished 2-for-3 with two runs scored. Seniors Katey Lamb and Clara Braun each earned a hit and RBI. The Eskimos combined to earn seven hits and four walks while striking out twice.

Game two

Tuesday’s finale saw junior Landry Bray assume duties in the circle. The only damage the Miners could master on her was a two-out RBI fielder’s choice which ended with Fredrickson committing the inning’s final out attempting to swipe third base to conclude a series of wild events.

Bray earned an RBI single which scored junior Harlee Coolman for a 5-0 lead in the third. But her biggest at-bat came in the bottom of the fourth with the bases loaded, two outs and a 7-1 lead.

And similar to Bowden’s three run blast in game one, Bray turned on the first pitch she saw. But this wasn’t any ordinary hit. This hit sounded eerily familiar to a 12-gauge shotgun being fired in an empty forest on the first day of hunting season.

It was a grand slam. The Eskymos led 11-1.

“I knew (Negaunee pitcher Ainsley Brunette) was throwing inside, so I stepped back a little bit,” Bray recalled. “I was waiting for that perfect pitch. It came. And I was happy it did.”

Behind a fly out and a double play in the top of the fifth the Eskymos walked away with a five-inning run rule win, earning the doubleheader sweep over a Miners squad which handed Esky not two, but three losses in 2024.

Bray finished the game 2-for-3 with five RBIs from the plate and allowed one earned run off two hits with a walk and three strikeouts from the circle in 56 pitches across five innings.

“She’s done really well for us,” Fields said of Bray in 2025. “Every outing she’s had has been really, really good. She didn’t get the run support in her first start (against Homer). She’s going to get better as the season goes on. That’s what I ask out of all of the girls.”

Engebretson and junior Chloe Dubord each earned multi-hit games with the former ripping a two-run double into the gap in right-center field in the fourth and a two-run single to get the party started in the first frame. Lamb added a two-run two-bagger in the second.

What’s next

The Eskymos stay home to host Kingsford for a doubleheader beginning at 4 p.m. on April 29.