Todd Rose | Daily Press Escanaba’s Carley Bowden is swarmed by her teammates as they congratulate her on her first career varsity softball homerun during a game against the Kingsford Flivvers Tuesday in Escanaba.

ESCANABA — The Escanaba Eskymos — bolstered by solid pitching from McKayla Mott and Grayson LaMarche, along with big bats — earned a doubleheader win (8-0, 17-0) over the Kingsford Flivvers Tuesday afternoon in their home opener in Escanaba.

While the first game went the distance with a score of 8-0, the Eskymos ended things early in the third inning 17-0 in game two.

“We played really well today,” said Escanaba coach Andy Fields. “The first game, 8-0, we were hitting the ball hard, but we were hitting right at their defense. And their defense played really well. … Give Kingsford credit, they played really good defense that first game.”

Game one featured nine hits by the Mos for eight runs.

In game two, however, Escanaba was hitting the ball wherever the Flivvers weren’t with a total of 16 hits, including home runs from Mott, Lizzy Sliva and Carley Bowden, along with her first career varsity home run on the heels of her first varsity hit.

“Carley did us a favor today. We were short a JV player, so she went and played the first game over at the JV field, and when those players returned for the second game, Carley came back over and got her first career home run,” said Fields. “She’s been a little snake-bitten so far, but she’s been working really hard. For a freshman to get a home run in her first home game is special.”

Fields added the pitching for the day for LaMarche and Mott was exceptional.

“They work really hard, and they work all year round,” he said. “And it shows.”

Mott had 16 strikeouts in the opener, giving up just two hits and two walks. LaMarche struck out six in three innings, allowing two hits with zero walks.

For the Flivvers, a tough two games against Escanaba gives the team an opportunity to learn and grow, said coach Cori Rice.

“It’s always good to see Escanaba,” Rice said. “They’re always challenging competition so we definitely learn things each time we play them.”

Abby Terrian pitched both games for the Flivvers.

“Abby did a great job that first game,” Rice said. “We were kind of a different team first game to second game, but I was pour of the way she pitched and the way our outfielders handled the shots out to them as well.”

Lexi DalSanto and Delaney Cram got the two hits for Kingsford in game two, while Terrian and Allie LaVarnaway had the two in the first.

Up next for both teams is Menominee as the Eskymos host the Maroons today, while the Flivvers take a trip to visit them on Thursday.