The 2024 Escanaba Minor All-Star softball team poses for a photo with its district championship banner on July 17, 2024 at Abrahamson Field in Escanaba. Escanaba defeated Gladstone 12-5 in a winner-take-all matchup. ("The Big Dog" Mitch Vosburg Daily Press)

ESCANABA –Winner takes all.

It’s a scenario which Escanaba and Gladstone minor Little League softball teams faced at Lemerand Park’s Abrahamson Field on Wednesday.

Gladstone spoiled Escanaba’s chance at a district title a day earlier with a 5-3 win, setting up a winner-take-all matchup for the District 10 title.

Escanaba came up with a six-run second inning, 15 total hits and a 12 strikeout performance from pitcher Amaya Humbert proved to be the difference in a 12-5 win to claim the 2024 District 10 crown.

“It’s so much fun,” Esky coach Danicia Humbert said. “All their hard work is paying off. It’s always a good game when Esky and Gladstone play each other. It’s fun to be a part of it.”

With a 2-0 lead in hand after one inning, Escanaba broke the floodgates open in the second stanza.

Amaya Humbert pushed the advantage to 4-0 with a two-run single which snuck past Isabell Kidd’s glove at second base. Then Harper Adiska, Maci Engebretson, Haylee Trombley and Barlow Bosk came through with RBI knocks to push the advantage to 8-0.

Gladstone scratched across its first run of the game when Nora Nastoff capitalized on an Esky throwing miscue. The lead shrunk to 8-2 in the bottom of the third when Gianna Briere capitalized on another Esky miscue.

Esky added a run in the top of the fourth off an RBI poke from Adiska to push the lead to 9-2. Gladstone clapped back with a two out, two run double to pull the purple in white to 9-4 after four.

Haddee Mokszycke added a RBI groundout to push the lead to 10-4 midway through five frames. Esky’s lead ballooned to 12-4 off a two-run single from Gen Fields. Gladstone scratched across its final run in the bottom of the sixth when Emmersyn Whitney’s groundout scored Paisley Branstrom from third.

Evie Young and Ruby Johnson each earned three-hit performances.

Escanaba now advances to the state tournament in Sparta starting July 26.

“I’m excited for them to be part of it, to see how a state tournament is run and to see some different teams,” Danicia Humbert said. “There’s a lot of time that the kids get to bond and create friendships and lifelong memories.”