ESCANABA — Momentum played a major role in the second game of a softball doubleheader here Thursday as the Escanaba Eskymos rode that to a 10-5 triumph over the Negaunee Miners

The Miners hung on for a 3-2 victory in the opener.

Negaunee led 4-2 in the fifth inning of the nightcap before Esky scored four times to take a 6-4 lead.

Esky’s Breleigh Reinhart tied the score on a fielding error and went ahead on a delayed steal by Abby Derkos.

The Eskymos then added four additional runs in the sixth.

Mara Anderson’s double to straight-way centerfield gave them a 7-4 cushion.

Anderson gave the Eskymos an 8-4 advantage on a fielder’s choice prior to scoring their last two runs on Harlee Coolman’s single to right.

“Taking a lot of pitches and putting the ball in play are our strengths,” Esky coach Andy Fields said. “In the first game we weren’t very patient. It was nice to play a game with pressure in the middle of the week. Negaunee has a solid team and now they’re a (Division 2) district opponent which makes it more interesting.”

Negaunee’s Olivia Richards ended the scoring on a fielder’s choice in the seventh.

“I was really happy with the second game even though we didn’t win,” Negaunee coach Andy Carlson said. “Yes, you’d rather win, but we can learn from this. Now we know what we need to work on. I was happy to see the girls scratch out a run rather than go down in order in the seventh, which is one of the things I love about this team. They keep battling. We’re a solid team, but we always have to come ready to play.”

The Miners scored twice in the opening frame.

Esky sliced its deficit in half on Mary Kate Tourangeau’s single to center and tied the score on Chloe Dubord’s single to center in the second.

Negaunee regained the lead when Ally Robar scored on Megan Marker’s double to right-center in the third.

Marker then gave the Miners a 4-2 cushion on Natalie Pantti’s sacrifice bunt.

Esky collected 10 hits, led by Claire Jacobson who went 3-for-3. Dubord and Anderson finished 2-for-2 and Coolman had two hits.

Senior Landry Bray, who tossed a three-hitter, took the win. She struck out eight and walked six.

Richards also went the distance and took the loss. She fanned two and walked three.

“Our pitcher got a little tired, but I’m pleased with the way she kept battling,” Carlson said. “We had baserunnners in every inning except the third and Ally Robar pitched a good first game. Escanaba has a very good team. They had a couple hits drop for them (in the fifth).”

The Eskymos trailed 3-1 in the sixth inning of the opener.

Dubord led off the sixth with a double which bounced off the centerfield fence prior to scoring on a bunt by Derkos.

Bray led off the seventh with an infield single, but the Eskymos were unable to get her around the bases.

“Cam Buckley pitched real well,” Fields said. “I wish we could have won it for her.”

Esky (7-3) has doubleheaders at Kingsford and Menominee, Tuesday and Wednesday, respectively.

Negaunee (7-3), which was scheduled to host Gwinn in a twinbill Friday, resumes with a pair of games at Manistique Tuesday.