Escanaba senior Bon LaChance fires a pitch during a game against Marquette on April 30, 2024 at Al Ness Field in Escanaba. ("The Big Dog" Mitch Vosburg/Daily Press)

ESCANABA– Bon LaChance’s last start at Al Ness Field was one he wishes to forget.

The Escanaba senior was charged with allowing seven runs (two earned) with four walks and was pulled after the first inning. The Eskymos didn’t provide much help, committing three errors in the opening frame which turned into a 9-1 loss to Kingsford on April 24.

Fast forward six days and LaChance took the mound again. This time around the young man dubbed “The Bambino” was sharper than Wolverine’s vibranium claws.

LaChance carried a no-hitter through 4 1/3 innings and allowed one earned run off four hits with four walks and eight strikeouts in a 13-1 win over Marquette on Wednesday.

“I haven’t thrown strikes like that since 12U baseball,” LaChance said. “It feels good to be on the mound and control myself.”

LaChance wasted little time establishing himself on the mound, striking out the side in 15 pitches in the first inning. He then got Marquette hitters to make soft contact, resulting in three groundouts despite allowing a one-out walk.

LaChance allowed another walk to kick-off the third, but was left unphased. He struckout the next three batters to end the inning.

With one out in the fourth MSHS’s Isaac Sarles appeared to have placed a base hit into a gap near second base. Esky senior Eli Gardner had other plans, reaching out to make a dazzling snag for the second out and preserve LaChance’s bid at a no-hitter. LaChance issued a walk and got a groundout to end the fourth.

With the Eskymos continually jumping on Marquette pitching like a kangaroo on a trampoline, LaChance took the mound for the fifth with a 13-0 lead. One more sharp inning and the game was over off the 10-run rule and LaChance’s name etched one again in Esky baseball’s record book.

His 3-2 pitch to the inning’s first batter missed the strike zone for ball four. He then got Chase Niemi to hit into a fielder’s choice. The lead runner was out, Niemi stood at first. Two outs away from history.

LaChance’s first pitch to Jan Van den ende was a snot rocket in the dirt at first baseman Lennox Peacock. The ball took one hop and squirted past Peacock’s glove for a base hit.

The no-hitter was over. The Sentinels added a run to avoid the shutout. But behind a sharp curveball and a fastball he admittedly couldn’t locate with pinpoint accuracy but still got strikes with, LaChance turned in his best start of the season for the Eskymos.

“This is as good as I’ve seen Bon pitch,” Esky skipper Scott Hanson said. “If he can continue to pitch that way it’ll be a big bonus for us. I was really proud of his effort today.”

LaChance’s performance on the mound wasn’t the only performance that left the orange and black faithful happy. In fact, the Eskymos didn’t have an inning where they laid a goose egg on the scoreboard.

With the bases loaded and one out in the bottom of the first, Mikaiden Hughes had the opportunity to do damage from the batters box. Chase Cloutier scored when ball two went wild, and Hughes found himself on first taking ball four.

Two pitches later freshman Brody Ison smacked a pitch to right field. Van den ende couldn’t secure the fly ball, committing the first of four Sentinel errors to allow two Esky runs for a 3-0 home team lead.

An error in the second allowed Peacock to score for a 4-0 lead. LaChance added a bases loaded walks and Hughes came through with an RBI single for a 6-0 lead after two.

It didn’t stop there.

Gardner added a RBI single in the fourth, Ben Johnson’s ground ball for the inning’s second out scored Cloutier. Hughes connected with another RBI hit for a 9-0 lead after three.

A passed ball and RBI single from Nolan Bink made it 11-0 Esky. Johnson reached on an error, which also allowed two Esky runs for a 13-0 advantage.

Hughes finished 2-for-2 with two RBI and a run scored. Gardner finished 2-for-4 with three runs scores and an RBI. Bink finished 2-for-3, scoring three times, stole three bases and added an RBI.

Nick Chiu finished 1-for-3 with a run scored.

With a doubleheader against Negaunee Wednesday and a doubleheader against Southgate Anderson on Saturday, Tuesday proved to be the start Esky needed to its week.

“This is what we asked for,” Hanson said. “When we take those trips to Wisconsin and play those tough teams or when we play a (team like) Southgate Anderson, that’s taking our game to another level. We have to step up to play that level of competition. I think it’s paying dividends for us. I hope it does long term when we get into the playoffs.”