John Raffel photo Escanaba coach Andy Fields talks to his team after Saturday’s regional semifinal game loss to Gaylord.

CADILLAC — A slow start for Escanaba came back to haunt the Eskymos in a 6-5 loss to Gaylord in a Division 2 regional semifinal game at Cadillac on Saturday.

Gaylord, which has no seniors, four juniors and the rest sophomores and freshmen, defeated Big Rapids 12-2 in the title game in five innings.

Gaylord had beaten Escanaba 12-2 in a regular-season game on May 21.

“We let this one get away from us early,” Escanaba coach Andy Fields said. “We made too many mistakes early. I think if we played a cleaner game, we win this one going away.”

But this game went down to the wire, despite the Blue Devils getting off to a 4-0 start.

In the bottom of the seventh, the Eskymos were down 6-2, but McKayla Mott started them off with one on base after reaching on an error. A strikeout and a groundout then put the U.P. team behind the eightball.

It was Lizzy Sliva and Anna Boutilier who gave Escanaba some hope with back-to-back RBI singles — a line drive triple and a ground single — to make it 6-4 with a single out remaining.

Carney Salo was up next and doubled on a fly ball to center field, scoring Boutilier and cutting Esky’s deficit to 6-5.

“I just thought I can’t be the last out, and I have to keep it going,” Salo said. “We never gave up. We’re a grit team. We fight super hard. I knew I had to get it in play or get on base.”

Sitting at a full count, Nicole Kamin’s ground ball was scooped up at second and made it to first ahead of her to thwart the Eskymo comeback.

Alexis Kozlowski had a solo home run to the opposite field, Haylee DePew was hit by a pitch with the bases full and Braleigh Miller delivered an RBI groundout for a 3-0 Gaylord lead in the second inning. Addison Wangler’s RBI bounceout at the top of the fourth made it 4-0.

The Eskymos’ offense perked up in the fifth. Mott had a double, was sacrificed to third and scored on McKenna Bullen’s RBI bounceout. In the sixth, Kamin had an RBI double to make it 4-2.

Gaylord scored two more runs in the top of the seventh on a bounceout and an error for a 6-2 lead. Gaylord’s Jayden Jones, the team’s second pitcher of the day, seemed to be in control heading into the bottom of the seventh.

Escanaba had six hits led by Boutilier with two runs scored and an RBI. Sliva, Mott, Kamin and Salo all picked up a hit apiece. Salo, Bullen and Sliva finished with an RBI.

Mott had four strikeouts and allowed three hits and runs in five innings of pitching work.

“We’re a very tough team,” Salo said. “Obviously, we had a few errors. So did they. At the end of the day, that’s what got us.

“I think we had a good season personally. We had a lot of ups and downs. But it was a really good season in general.”

Escanaba finished the season at 21-10.

“We challenged the girls, and they dealt with the challenges at hand,” Fields said. “I thought coming into this game we were as prepared as any team in the past. But Gaylord is a good team, and you can’t make mistakes against good teams.

“Our girls never give up.”