Todd Rose | Daily Press Escanaba’s Bryant Maki begins a headfirst slide into third base as Braden Sundquist of Gladstone looks for the throw and the out Saturday morning in the first half of a doubleheader in Escanaba.

ESCANABA — Junior shortstop Cam Kelly came through in the clutch here Saturday as the Gladstone Braves hung on for a 7-6 baseball victory over the Escanaba Eskymos in the second game of a doubleheader.

The first game was also a nail-biter as the Eskymos edged the Braves 4-3.

With a baserunner on third with two out in the sixth inning of the nightcap, it appeared Tyler Lawson would tie the game on a short line drive by Jared Hanson.

Kelly then went deep into the hole and rifled the ball to first for the final out, enabling the Braves to beat the Eskymos for the first time in three games this season.

“Cam made a great play,” said Braves coach Lucas LaCosse. “It’s nice to end the season series, especially for our seniors, with a win against Esky. This is one of the best, if not the best, match-up in the U.P. Both teams kept fighting.”

Esky scored four times in the fourth to take a 5-3 lead.

Gladstone regained the upper hand in the fifth, scoring four runs on no hits.

A bases-loaded walk to Tyler Darmogray brought Gladstone within 5-4. The Braves then pushed three runs across on Owen Trombley’s suicide squeeze bunt and a wild throw to the plate for a 7-5 lead.

“Owen did a great job on that,” said LaCosse. “That was a huge momentum boost. I think our chemistry to starting to click.”

Esky got within 7-6 on Nick Kolich’s single to right-center in its half of the fifth, setting the stage for a nail-biting finish.

“We won two of three,” said Esky coach Scott Hanson. “We had a chance to tie it and didn’t do it. Overall, we’re very happy.”

Gladstone scored first on Kelly’s field to centerfield in the opening frame. Kelly then scored on a wild pitch to make it 2-0 in the first, and Dylan Pepin gave the Braves a three-run cushion on a balk in the second.

Senior Collin Arnt scored on an error to bring the Eskymos with 3-1 in their half of the second.

Bryant Maki brought Esky within 3-2 on Arnt’s bunt in the fourth.

The Eskymos then took the lead for the first time on a two-run triple to right by Nick Kolich and made it 5-3 on Ben Johnson’s sacrifice fly to center.

Gladstone (11-7) collected five hits, including two each by Kelly and Pepin.

Lawson had five hits in the twinbill, including three in the second game. Esky (16-5) finished with seven in the nightcap.

“Tyler had a great day,” said Hanson.

Mason LaChance, who got the complete-game victory, struck out one, walked three and hit a batter.

“That was Mason’s game to win, and he got the job done,” said LaCosse. “We were right there on the edge in the other two games this season, but it just didn’t work out.”

Ben Johnson, who pitched five innings in relief of Riley Lamb, took the loss. He fanned five, walked three and hit a batter.

Lawson gave the Eskymos an early 1-0 lead on a wild pitch in the opener.

The Braves took a 2-1 lead in the fourth when Blake Krouth and Trevor Hanson scored on separate errors during the same play.

Esky responded three runs in its half of the fourth. The Eskymos tied the game on a sacrifice bunt by Brett Schlenvogt and gained a 4-2 lead on RBI singles by Lawson and Hunter Lancour.

Gladstone scored its third run on Trombley’s two-out single in the sixth but was unable to get the equalizer.

Arnt went the distance for the victory, striking out five and walking none. Hanson, who also pitched the entire game, absorbed the loss. He fanned six and allowed four hits.

Esky hosts Kingsford in a doubleheader Tuesday. Gladstone travels to Menominee for a twinbill Tuesday.