The 2025 Escanaba softball team poses for a photo with its district championship trophy on May 29, 2025 at Abrahamson Field in Escanaba. (“The Big Dog” Mitch Vosburg/Daily Press).

ESCANABA — There’s a reason why Escanaba senior Grayson LaMarche will play for the University of Michigan in the near future.

If you don’t know what that reason is, well, look no further than what she did to Petoskey in Thursday’s Division 2 district championship game. The Norsemen struggled mightily to do any damage off LaMarche, let alone make contact against the two-time First Team All-State selection.

LaMarche faced 21 batters. All 21 batters fell in order. LaMarche needed 73 pitches to strike out 16 batters and toss a perfect game as the No. 1 Eskymos claimed their second-straight district championship, this time on their home field.

“I was so happy,” LaMarche said of the win. “To celebrate with my team is really fun. It means a lot to us, especially the seniors.”

The Eskymos now advance to regional action at Alma College on June 7. They will play the winner of Belding’s district which will be played on Saturday and features Belding, Big Rapids, Shepherd and Howard Tri-Unity Christian. The game between the Eskymos and the Belding district winner will be played at noon.

LaMarche, who went a combined 5-for-6 with four doubles on the day, struck out the side in the first, third and sixth innings. In reality, the Eskymos eight other fielders weren’t asked to do much, as is typical when LaMarche is on point.

But when the Eskymos needed to make a great play on defense, they made them. Primarily, there were two plays by senior catcher Carly Bowden that kept LaMarche’s perfect game in tact.

In the bottom of the fifth Mia Owens attempted to drop a bunt on the first pitch. She connected, but the ball shot straight up in the air near home plate.

And like Batman when his emblem is illuminated on a cloudless night sky in Gotham City there was Bowden, who popped up, tracked the ball and used her throwing hand to trap the ball as it landed safely in her glove for the first out in the frame. LaMarche earned swinging strike three calls against Cora Howard and Kristen Shaw to end the fifth inning.

Then came the bottom of the seventh. This time it was Alexis Cadarette at the plate, who popped up the first pitch LaMarche offered her between home plate, third base and the Eskymos’ dugout.

Bowden dove to make the catch, record the inning’s pivotal first out and make yet another play which could crack Sportscenter’s Top 10.

“That was just pure determination,” Bowden said. “We really needed those (outs). We were all ready to move on. We were really looking to make those outs.”

And as she emerged covered in dirt, and possibly a shell from a sunflower seed, the Esky faithful erupted in an absolute frenzy. Bowden’s second spectacular snag kept momentum firmly with the orange and black as the venture to get on base continued to morph into a much scarier nightmare for Petoskey.

“She is the best catcher I’ve ever seen in my life,” LaMarche said of Bowden, a four-year varsity starter behind the plate. “She’s my best friend. Nothing could ever come between us.”

LaMarche got Bre VerCautren to narrowly ground out to first base and for Addisynn Segraves to swing and miss at strike three to end the game.

“Amazing game today out of her,” Eskymos skipper Andy Fields said of LaMarche. “Big time pitchers pitch in big moments. She did that today, and it was pretty impressive.”

While runs were at a premium in Thursday’s finale the Esky senior Katey Lamb, who blasted two grand slams in one inning in a 16-1 four-inning mercy win over Macomb Dakota on May 18, found ways to scratch across runs off VerCautren without using the long ball.

Lamb came up with an RBI sacrifice fly in the first to score LaMarche for a 1-0 lead out of the chutes in the first. Lamb struck again in the third with a two-out RBI double in the sixth pitch of the at-bat for a 2-0 cushion and added an RBI groundout in the sixth for a 3-0 advantage.

She finished 1-for-3 on the day while driving in all three Escanaba runs while VerCautren allowed three runs (two earned) off five hits with a strikeout in a complete game effort.

Dubord, along with LaMarche, earned a multi-hit game over the Norsemen. But that wasn’t even her best performance of the day.

Her best outing came in the Eskymos’ 10-3 semifinal win over Sault Ste. Marie.

Dubord, known for her speed and ability to get on base, kickstarted a three-run first inning with something she’s done only one time in her career — she belted a two-run home run on the third pitch she saw.

With the lead swelled to 8-3 in the bottom of the fifth, an inning which featured a two-run home run from junior Breleigh Reinhart, Dubord was locked into a 1-2 count. The next pitch she saw landed when it struck the tippy top of the scoreboard at Abrahamson Field for her second home run of the game.

“It felt so good. Our dugout was amazing,” Dubord said. “Our connection with everybody was great. Everybody’s energy was the best.”

Dubord finished 2-for-2 with a pair of home runs, four RBIs, two runs scored and a walk.

Escanaba junior Chloe Dubord rounds second base after hitting a home run during a MHSAA Division 2 district semifinal game against Sault Ste. Marie on May 29, 2025 at Abrahamson Field in Escanaba. Dubord, who had one career home run entering this game, hit two home runs in a 10-3 win over the Blue Devils. (“The Big Dog” Mitch Vosburg/Daily Press).

“I’m really not sure what she ate today, but she’s been hitting the ball hard,” Fields said of Dubord’s day at the plate. “When we took our trip down to Canton (for the Michigan Challenge) she hit a couple balls really hard that almost went over the fence. I’m glad she got a couple today.”

Lamb went 3-for-4 with two doubles, a run scored and an RBI. Senior McKenzie Engebretson finished 2-for-3. Senior Maddy Mott added a double.

Junior Landry Bray earned the win against the Blue Devils, allowing three runs (one earned) off three hits with a walk and 13 strikeouts.

Petoskey defeated Houghton 10-0 in six innings in its semifinal game. The Norsemen rattled off seven of their eight hits consecutively in the sixth inning.

“The Big Dog” Mitch Vosburg is a multi-time award-winning sports writer and photographer who proudly serves as sports editor for The Daily Press (Escanaba). He can be reached at mvosburg@dailypress.net. Follow him on Instagram (@themantheycallmitch) and on X (@realmitchvburg).