Mikey D’s Beer Cave pitcher Elliot Danhoff winds up to deliver a pitch against the Marquette County Mavericks on July 29, 2024 at Al Ness Field in Escanaba. ("The Big Dog" Mitch Vosburg/Daily Press)

ESCANABA — Mikey D’s Beer Cave appeared to be well on its way to victory after six innings in a Superiorland League baseball game here Monday night.

The Escanaba-based team, behind the no-hit pitching by Elliot Danhoff, was cruising along with a seemingly safe 8-1 advantage going into the seventh frame in its match-up with the Marquette County Mavericks.

Not so fast.

The Mavericks’ bats suddenly came alive in the seventh, pushing five runs across the plate before Mikey D’s finally put the finishing touches on an 8-6 triumph.

Reliever Kaleb Schroeder retired Keith Juidici on a flyball to centerfielder Tyler Lawson, enabling Mikey D’s to preserve its second straight victory and improve to 3-3.

“We like to make it exciting,” Mikey D’s manager Ben Snyder said. “Elliot did a great job. Fifteen strikeouts and one walk is usually a good combination for a win, but all of a sudden their bats came to life which I knew they would. They’re a good team.”

Mikey D’s scored three times in the fifth, gaining a 6-1 advantage on Nick Javurek’s sacrifice fly to center and raising the count to 8-1 on Collin Arnt’s two-run single to left.

The Mavericks (3-3) shaved their deficit to 8-3 on a two-run double to left by Sam Prentice.

Jack Siik then scored on a fielder’s choice to make it 8-4 before a two-run double along the leftfield line by Tyler Delmont ended the scoring.

“In the first six innings, Elliot was fantastic,” Mavericks’ manager James Larsen said. “It was good to see our guys make a showing in the end. We have a good team. We’re just shaking off the rust, playing once a week. We enjoy coming here. It seems like I’ve been coming here for decades.”

Sam Hall opened the scoring on Jake LaFave’s ground out to short in the second frame.

Lawson scored Mikey D’s second run on an error before Matt Richer’s single to center made it 3-0 in the third.

Larsen got Marquette County on the board on a wild pitch in the fourth.

Javurek then scored on an error and Collin Arnt added Mikey D’s fifth run on Snyder’s sacrifice fly to center in its half of the fourth.

Mikey D’s collected nine hits. Richer led the way with three and Arnt had two.

“I was seeing the ball pretty well,” Richer said. “All year I’ve been hitting the ball, but at people. It felt good to be able to find the holes tonight. Elliot really pitched well and Kaleb did a good job. Kaleb closed the game for us last week (in an 8-7 triumph over Negaunee Hubbard’s Marsh) and got the save tonight.”

Justin Kirby, who worked four innings, absorbed the loss. He fanned five, walked one and gave up five runs on six hits.

“Justin pitched well,” Larsen said. “He did his job. Only, they got the timely hits.”

Mikey D’s, which committed one error, travels to league-leading Channing for its regular-season finale.

Marquette County, which had two miscues, meets Hubbard’s Marsh in its final regular-season game at Negaunee Monday.

The league tournament begins Aug. 12.