Todd Rose | Daily Press Escanaba’s Scott Hiller takes a swing as Manistique’s Bryce Blixt readies to catch a pitch Friday evening in Escanaba.

ESCANABA — Under the lights of Al Ness Field in Escanaba, the Escanaba Eskymos earned a 10-3 win Friday night over the Manistique Emeralds.

The game entered the bottom of the fifth with the Eskymos ahead 3-2 and the Emeralds challenging.

However, Escanaba — bolstered by big bats and 15 total hits — put up seven runs across the fifth and sixth to take the win.

“Give Manistique credit,” said Escanaba coach Scott Hanson. “I thought they came in here and battled, and I think they have a nice team. We’ve tried to do the Friday night thing two years in a row, and I thought it was a nice atmosphere and a great crowd. John (Bintner) does a super job with them. But, gosh, we put up 15 hits. What can you say?”

Among the hits was a near homerun shot from Scott Hiller that landed him on third in the fifth that drove in Trent Lawson. Hunter Lancour brought Hiller home on a bunt on the next pitch.

Hiller, Lancour, Bon LaChance, Ben Johnson and Matt Zimmerman all got two hits, while Chase Cloutier went 3-3 at the plate.

Jared Hanson (six strikeouts and two walks for no hits) started the game for the Eskymos atop the mound and went three innings. Cloutier replaced him in the fourth and went just over one inning before Trent Lawson came in to finish.

Cloutier had three strikeouts and gave up two hits for two earned runs. Lawson had seven strikeouts giving up one unearned walk with two walks.

For Escanaba, extra work from players has begun to pay off at the plate.

“Just a lot of real good approaches,” said Hanson of the Eskymos’ bats. “Some of our kids have spent extra time in the cage this week. We kind of gave some kids a day off and brought in five or six kids to get some extra time. So, we just got to keep getting better.”

Parker Graphos, Jack McEvers and Jude Way — who also scored a run — each tallied a hit for the Emeralds. Runs from Bryce Blixt and Cooper Curtis were also scored by Manistique.

Carson Sprader toed the rubber through the first five innings, with Curtis closing the game.

Sprader fanned four and had three walks while giving up 12 hits for six earned runs. Curtis, in his one inning, allowed four hits four total runs, three earned, with one walk.

“We continue to get better,” said Manistique coach John Bintner. “Our bad thing now is we have eight seniors, so we’re going to have a complete turnaround next year, again.

“But, we’re competitive, and that says a lot about the character of these guys, especially with how often they find themselves getting behind. Then they battle, and they come back.”

New to the catcher position is Bryce Blixt who made two great plays from behind the plate to throw out runners at second.

“He threw a guy out at third, and those were his first two throw outs at second,” said Binter. “He is starting to become a really nice catcher, and that is a boost of confidence for him.”

While Manistique goes into a bit of a holding pattern until midweek when they face Newberry on Wednesday, the Eskymos prepare for a hectic week starting with trips to play Kingsford in Quinnesec on Tuesday and Norway on Thursday before heading downstate to play in Gaylord and Cheboygan Friday and Saturday.