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Esky pitchers star in sweep of Rockets

Austin Hemmingson | Daily Press Escanaba’s Emily Moore winds up to throw a pitch during the second game of Wednesday’s doubleheader against Rapid River. Moore pitched a complete game one-hitter in her first varsity start. Looking on are Esky first baseman Gabi Salo (center) and Rockets’ coach Tim Belanger (right).

ESCANABA — Brilliance on the mound was on full display for the Escanaba softball team here Wednesday in a sweep of Rapid River. Gabi Salo and freshman Emily Moore each threw a complete game one-hitter in 10-0 and 11-0 wins.

Salo gave up the lone hit to Rapid River’s Kristen Goodacre, but struck out every other batter she faced through six innings for 18 strikeouts.

“I think everything was really working today. I mainly threw fastballs, not many change-ups. I tried to throw inside-outside .. it was all working,” Salo said.

The lone hit she gave up was on a change-up, and she didn’t go back to that pitch afterwards.

“No, I didn’t agree with my dad’s call,” she joked.

Moore, making her first varsity start, was every bit as dominant in the nightcap. She also gave up just one hit while striking out seven.

“She threw so good. For a freshman to come in and throw a varsity game .. she came in and threw lights out,” Salo said of Moore’s performance.

Coach Gary Salo said the performances of his pitchers is what Esky softball is all about.

“We’re blessed. We have developed pitching and we have three starting-caliber pitchers,” he said. “For Emly Moore to come in tonight and throw a complete game at the varsity level as a ninth-grader is exactly what you want within your program. We’re trying to build around our pitchers and we’re young defensively, but they’re getting getting the job done on the mound.”

Despite Salo’s dominant pitching, Esky held just a 2-0 advantage entering the bottom of the fifth in the opener. The bats came to life in that inning, as Esky tallied six runs to gain an 8-0 cushion.

“It took us a little while to adjust and hit the ball hard. It seems like it takes us a good time or two through the order,” coach Salo said. “We were a little tight early on. It’s good to have a kid like that (Salo) on the mound to keep us in these games.”

Dakota Cloutier and Lexi Chaillier each went deep for Esky. Chaillier finished with three hits and three runs scored. Georgia Lehto added two hits, including a triple. Salo added two hits and two RBIs, and Nicole Kamin chipped in with two RBIs.

Natalie Belanger took the loss for the Rockets (6-4), giving up 10 hits and eight runs through five innings. She struck out five and walked two. Cecilia Pilon came on in the sixth and surrendered two runs on three hits while walking one.

“The first four innings we came out pretty solid,” Rockets’ coach Tim Belanger said.

“We were pretty evenly-matched with them. Escanaba is a solid team — there’s not many chinks in the armor. Their pitching is outstanding. It’s hard to string together a good inning when you can’t hit the ball.”

The Eskymos (5-0) started faster offensively in the nightcap. Chaillier led off the bottom of the first with another home run and a RBI double by Salo made it 2-0. They tacked on another run on an error, then added three more in the second to make it 6-0.

After adding a single run in the third, they tacked on four in the fourth to push the game out of reach. Kamin had a two-run single and Maddy Block had a RBI double. The other run scored on an error, then Moore retired the side in the top of the fifth to end the game.

Chaillier finished with two hits, two RBIs and two runs. Salo and Lehto each doubled.

“We’re scrappy. Today we kinda had a huge curve ball — we had sports physicals,” coach Salo said. “I knew if I changed our games next week they’d be hard to make up so we just decided to roll with it. We had half the kids out in one game and half the kids out in the other. I just told them to go out there and play like an Eskymo.”

Riley Edwardsen had the lone hit for the Rockets. Pilon and Goodacre shared pitching duties, with Pilon getting the start. She gave up seven runs on nine hits while walking one. Goodacre gave up three runs on two hits while walking four and striking out one.

After dropping a home doubleheader to Negaunee Monday, coach Belanger thought his team played much better today.

“The way I saw it, they bounced back from the Negaunee game. We came out pretty flat against Negaunee,” he said. “I saw more intensity the first four innings there. We made a few little mistakes, but I was happy with the overall effort today.”

Esky is scheduled to go Ashwaubenon, Wis. for three games Saturday, but due to a bad weather forecast, it’s trying to schedule those games Friday. The Rockets host a doubleheader against Hancock Friday.

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