Members of the 2025 Escanaba softball team rush toward head coach Andy Fields after winning a MHSAA Division 2 regional championship on June 7, 2025 at Alma College. The Eskymos earned a 10-0 mercy win over Gaylord to claim their first regional title since 2022. ("The Big Dog" Mitch Vosburg/Daily Press)

ALMA — There will be a new state champion in Division 2.

Behind a seven-run second inning, three RBIs from senior Katey Lamb and yet another strong showing in the circle from senior Grayson LaMarche the No. 1 Eskymos earned a 10-0 five-inning mercy win over No. 3 Gaylord, the reigning back-to-back state champs, on Saturday at Alma College.

“It feels amazing,” Lamb said. “They’re a great team. Obviously we have the rivalry every year. But it felt great to come out on top and finish it.”

The Eskymos advance to face No. 2 Hudsonville Unity Christian at 1 p.m. Tuesday at Central Michigan University’s Margo Jonker Stadium in Mount Pleasant.

The Crusaders (35-4) fell in the state quarterfinal round last season with a 7-1 loss to Vicksburg, who later fell to Gaylord in the state title game.

Lamb had the opportunity of a lifetime in the bottom of the fifth.

All the reigning First Team All-State third baseman had to do was find a gap with freshman Abby Derkos, who was courtesy running for senior Grayson LaMarche, who led off the frame with a double, standing 60 feet away from home plate after a sacrifice bunt from junior Chloe Dubord.

With a 9-0 lead in hand the No. 1 Eskymos needed one more run to earn a mercy win over Gaylord, who earned five-inning mercy wins over the Eskymos the last two seasons. 

Lamb needed to come up with her biggest base hit to date. Which is saying something since she blasted not one, but two grand slams in one inning against Macomb Dakota last month.

Lamb swung mightily at the first pitch. It was a gentle floater in the shallow right field grass, right in a spot where second baseman Nora Bethuy and right fielder Lilly Lauer both appeared to have a quality read on the ball.

Bethuy, who started the game in the pitcher’s circle for the Blue Devils, appeared to secure an over the shoulder catch. But as she fell to the ground the ball squirted out of her glove. And once it became apparent that the ball was on the outfield grass nearly every soul wearing orange and/or black screamed “RUN” or “GO” from the top of their lungs. Derkos sprinted 60 feet, beating any throw to the plate for the Eskymo’s 10th and final run of the contest.

Lamb’s third and final RBI of the game sealed the win. But as the team poured onto the field in celebration she was initially confused. 

“I thought we were the visitors actually, so I thought we had to go back. I was like ‘why is everyone running out here?'” Lamb admitted while laughing. “But it was great. I knew we needed one more (run). We were trying for one more (run) for a few innings. That felt good.”

For the first time since 2022 the Eskymos are regional champions. And simultaneously, they melted away two years of anger, fury, frustration, heartache and disappointment.

“I felt like I’ve let (the team) down the last two years as a coach,” Esky skipper Andy Fields revealed as his sunglasses shielded his eyes. “To get it done, finally, this year… it means a lot. 

The Eskymos, who conquered Shepherd 9-1 in their semifinal game, drew first blood against Gaylord when senior catcher Carly Bowden came through with a two-run double to score Dubord and Lamb while taking a firm, powerful stranglehold on momentum.

Then came the second inning.

With senior Maddy Mott grounding out and junior Addison Noblet striking out, all eyes were on senior Clara Braun to ignite a two-out rally. She came through, connecting on a 3-2 pitch for a two-out single.

It was the first push of the snowball at the top of the mountain. And this particular snowball was on a mission to wreak havoc on everything in its path. 

LaMarche earned a single. Dubord drew a five-pitch walk to load the bases with Lamb up to bat.

The first pitch of her at bat squirted to the back stop, Braun scored safely for a 3-0 lead. And with the runners moving up a base Lamb connected with an opposite-field single to extend the lead to 5-0.

The snowball began to move faster as it grew larger.

Bowden drew a seven-pitch walk to put runners on first and second. After RBI pokes from senior McKenzie Engebretson and Harlee Coolman and a two-run single from Mott.

By the time the Blue Devils finally recorded the inning’s final out, the snowball finally came to a stop at the bottom of the mountain. Esky, who plated a total of three runs in the previous two matchups against the Blue Devils, possessed a 9-0 after two innings, ending Bethuy’s day in the circle. She allowed nine earned runs off nine hits with two walks and a strikeout in two innings of work. Bethuy threw 47 of her 57 pitches in the second frame.

“We exploded today,” Fields said. “That was pretty awesome to watch.”

Escanaba senior Carly Bowden screams from the top of her lungs after belting a two-run double during the first inning of a MHSAA Division 2 regional championship game against Gaylord on June 7, 2025 at Alma College. This two-run double proved to be the go ahead hit as the Eskymos earned a 10-0 win in five innings over the Blue Devils. (“The Big Dog” Mitch Vosburg/Daily Press)

Entering Saturday’s regional championship game LaMarche had been dominant. The soon to be Michigan Wolverine hadn’t allowed a hit in postseason play and hurled a perfect game with 16 strikeouts in the Eskymos 3-0 win over Petoskey in the district championship game nine days prior. She became the program’s all-time strikeout leader and, after Saturday’s win over the Blue Devil’s, its all-time wins leader to add the finishing touches on her already legendary resume. 

But one program has made LaMarche mortal the last two seasons: Gaylord.

And as expected the Blue Devils forced her to throw stressful pitches. But LaMarche refused to break. 

The Blue Devils had runners on second and third with one out in the first inning. LaMarche stayed composed, getting Lily Ryckman Hall and Makayla Kozlowski out via strikeout to end the threat.

Bethuy earned a lead-off double to start the double to start the third and appeared to advance to third base off a Kennedy Wangler fly out to center. But Bethuy never tagged up to take third base. Coolman tagged second base with the ball in her glove for the double play. Aubrey Jones, who will take her talents to Oklahoma State University and is arguably the best high school shortstop in the nation, grounded out to end the inning.

The Blue Devils had runners on first and second with two outs in the fourth, but LaMarche earned three consecutive looking strikes to extinguish the threat.

Gaylord has one last gasp in the fifth after Bethuy earned a one-out single with Wangler and Jones later reaching after being hit by a pitch. But LaMarche stood her ground, getting Ryckman and Kozlowski to strikeout to end the top of the fifth.

In the end LaMarche, who finished 3-for-4 with a double, surrendered three hits, hit three batters and walked a pair. She also struckout 10 across five shutout innings, making her case for Player of the Year even more compelling.

The 2025 Escanaba softball team poses for a photo with its MHSAA Division 2 regional championship trophy on June 7, 2025 at Alma College. The Eskymos earned a 10-0 mercy win over Gaylord to claim their first regional title since 2022. (“The Big Dog” Mitch Vosburg/Daily Press)

“I was definitely more prepared this year, especially with all the practicing I’ve been doing,” LaMarche said on what was different in 2025. “Last year I was coming off an illness. I was a lot more prepared this year.”

Lamb was 3-for-4 with a double, three RBIs and two runs scored. Braun finished 2-for-3 while Mott and Engebretson each had multi-hit games and combined to drive in three runs.

LaMarche ultimately earned the win in the Eskymos semifinal victory over the Blue Jays, walking two and punching out nine in 3 2/3 innings of relief. Noblet went 3-for-4 with a triple and three RBIs. Coolman ripped a pair of doubles. Braun went 2-for-4 with a two-bagger and two RBIs. Dubord had two hits and drove in two. Lamb and Engebretson also had multi-hit games.

Gaylord bested Muskegon Oakridge in Saturday’s first semifinal matchup. Jones surrendered three hits and fanned nine in a complete game shutout. Ryckman Hall scored Jones on a one-out single in the fourth for the game’s lone run.

“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 and the Upper Peninsula sports scene. He can be reached at mvosburg@dailypress.net. Follow him on Instagram (@themantheycallmitch) and on X (@realmitchvburg).