Justin St. Ours | Daily Press The Escanaba softball team poses with its MHSAA Division 2 District 33 championship trophy Saturday after beating Cheboygan in the title game in Kingsford.

KINGSFORD — If there was any doubt about the ability of the Escanaba softball team after a year off and the loss of Gabi Salo on the mound, they’ve assuredly been weakened — if not dispelled — after a dominant, five-inning win over Cheboygan, 19-0, to capture the MHSAA Division 2 District 33 championship Saturday in Kingsford.

The Eskymos kept their bats hot after a shut-out win over Kingsford in the district opener, and Carney Salo barreled a ball over the center-field fence to open with a homer and score the first run of the game at the top of the first.

“Last week with Norway, we hit the ball like crazy, and we kept that going today,” Esky coach Andy Fields said. “If we keep this going, I feel happy with the way things are going to go.”

Nicole Kamin scored the final Esky run of the top of the first after reaching on a bunt, advancing to third and crossing home plate on a passed ball.

“Right at first, (there) was a lot of nerves, but we calmed down after the first few at-bats,” Kamin said. “As a team, we got in a groove of hitting. We hit really well today. We’ve just been going really hard at hitting, and that’s working us for right now.”

After four-and-out from the Chiefs, McKenna Bullen drove one in with a ground single to left, and a batter later, Anna Boutilier’s fly triple scored Bullen and Carley McInerny to put the Eskymos ahead 5-0.

Esky added three more before exiting the inning, including a double from Salo that scored Boutilier, a stolen run from Salo and a Paxton Bullen single that scored Carsyn Segorski.

After, neither team had much success until the Eskymos were back at the plate in the top of the fourth.

Two walks and a single loaded the bases, and Paxton Bullen pushed one in when she was hit by a pitch.

McKayla Mott then earned herself a grand slam when her fly ball made it over the center-field fence, and the Esky advantage increased to 13-0.

“I started out a little rough,” Mott said. “Not bad, but not great, and I just kind of figured it out. I’m really excited. I think we have a really bright future ahead of us, and I’m excited to see where it goes.”

Mott earned two more RBIs in the top of fifth, with a fly double, and McKenna Bullen followed in her footsteps, driving in two more runs on a fly single to right.

“McKayla (Mott) at the plate with the grand slam today (was standout),” Fields said. “She had a rough go at it at the plate earlier this season, and she’s really starting to come on now. We’re going to need her down the stretch. She performed really well today.”

Esky added two more before giving up the plate to make it 19-0 entering the bottom of the fifth, and the Eskymos’ Emily Moore closed the game from the mound with three straight strikeouts.

Moore went the distance for the Eskymos’ win, allowing three hits and walking one while striking out 11.

“Both of my pitchers didn’t give up a run today,” Fields said. “They were both fantastic, and I’ve had a couple alumni players — Taylor Segorski and Gabi Salo — working with both my pitchers over the last couple weeks to get them fine-tuned. My pitchers work hard as it is, and they were both excellent today.”

Mott finished the title game with six RBIs and two hits. McKenna Bullen earned three RBIs over two hits, and Paxton Bullen, Boutilier and Salo all collected two RBIs. Kamin and McInerny both notched three hits.

Libby VanFleet took the loss for the Chiefs, allowing seven hits, six runs (4 ER) while striking out one over two innings. Pitching in relief were Amelia Johnson and Morgan Brandau.

Johnson allowed two hits, five runs and two walks. Brandau allowed seven hits, eight runs (7 ER) and one walk while striking out one.

Picking up a single hit apiece for the Chiefs was Brandau, Jenna Laway and Zoey Chamberlain.

Escanaba travels to Cadillac Saturday to face off against Gaylord.

“We’ve faced them in the regular season, and we didn’t fare too well with them,” Fields said.

“So, we know we have our hands full with them. We’re going to practice hard. We’ve got five solid practice days this week, and we’re just going to get ready to do what we do.”

Kamin was optimistic about the chance to see Gaylord again.

“I’m glad we get to face them again,” she said. “We weren’t playing our best, so if we play like this against them, it’ll be a good match-up.”