Todd Rose | Daily Press Escanaba’s McKayla Mott pitches against Gladstone Tuesday in Gladstone.

GLADSTONE — Sun and blue skies set the stage for a rivalry game between the Escanaba Eskymos and Gladstone Braves Tuesday afternoon in Gladstone.

After five innings of play, the dust settled, and the Eskymos were victorious, 13-0.

“It was a good team win for us today,” said Escanaba coach Andy Fields. “They have a good pitcher (Montgomery Pepin). She’s a freshman. She’s young, (but) she throws real nice. It took us a couple innings to get on her, but once we started going, we got going.”

Pepin — with eight strikeouts, five walks, 11 hits for 13 runs (8 ER) — pitched the whole game for the Braves while McKayla Mott was on the mound for Escanaba for the entire contest.

Mott — who was credited with the win — had eight strikeouts with one walk and allowed only one hit in the victory.

“McKayla has been really steady for us all year,” said Fields. “She is really starting to throw really well. She got a lot of innings in downstate with some of these bigger Division 1 teams, and she’s handled them real well. Today, she handled Gladstone real well.”

The early innings were close between the two teams with the score remaining tied at zero until the top of the third.

That’s when the Eskymos opened up their assault, scoring seven runs in the inning.

The first run in for Escanaba was from Nicole Kamin who scored on McKenna Bullen’s single to centerfield. On the throw home, Bullen advanced to second.

Bullen had two hits in the game for three RBIs. Other Eskymos with multiple RBIs were Carney Salo (1-2) with three and Maddy Monkevich (1-2) who had two.

In the fourth, Salo hit her first career varsity home run with a two-run shot that also brought in Carsyn Segorski.

“Overall, we did a good job,” said Fields. “We got bunts down when we needed to. We got key hits when we needed to. Our base running was fantastic, so, overall, I’m good with the win today.”

The victory against Gladstone, as can be expected, had extra meaning for the Eskymos.

“We always want to beat Gladstone,” Fields said. “Every year, we mark these two dates on our calendar, for sure. Every year.

“It’s just nice to get outside with the beautiful weather. This is a great day for the two communities to come together with tons of people here. This is what softball is all about.”

The lone hit for the Braves was a fly ball to left field from Maggie Buckley in the bottom of the third.

Aliana Martinez — with a bunt in the third — and Pepin — with a ground ball in the fourth — both reached first on errors for Gladstone.

“I love the energy that we brought and the focus that we brought right away to start the game,” said Braves coach Rick Pepin. “We were dialed in. Mongomery was dialed in. We brought it, and that’s what we wanted us to see is for our girls to control the controllables.

“But (Escanaba) is a tough team to keep down. They just keep coming with quality hitter after quality hitter.”

Coach Pepin added that the Braves need to, “come to the plate with more of a hitter’s mentality. That’s something that we’re working on, and that’s something we need to improve as we get to the final stretch of the season, here.”

Pepin also noted the building chemistry between pitcher Montgomery Pepin and catcher Addie Trombley.

“(They’re) still working on that chemistry. They’re getting better. They’re working together really well, and that’s really important down the stretch.”

Up next for the Braves is a trip to Menominee to face the Maroons Thursday.

Escanaba, on the other hand, is up for a challenge against the still undefeated Negaunee Miners on Thursday.

“Apparently, they’re the number one team in the U.P.,” said Fields. “The girls are excited to get up there and face that test.”

The Eskymos and Braves meet again for a varsity doubleheader May 25 in Escanaba.