Jun 15, 2025
Escanaba softball’s 2025 senior class poses for a photo on May 21, 2025 at Abrahamson Field in Escanaba. From left to right: Katey Lamb, Maddy Mott, Grayson LaMarche, McKenzie Engebretson, Carly Bowden, Clara Braun. (“The Big Dog” Mitch Vosburg/Daily Press)
ESCANABA — While Escanaba softball fell short of a state championship there was a lot to be proud of.
The Eskymos 40-5 record is the best in the program’s 29-year history while reaching the state semifinal round for the first time since 2022. And through all 45 games there were countless great moments.
Here are the top five moments from Escanaba softball’s 2025 season.
Escanaba senior Carly Bowden (right) celebrates with senior Clara Braun (14) after she hit a home run during a game against Cass City as part of the Spring Swing tournament on March 21, 2025 at the Superior Dome in Marquette. (Mitch Vosburg/Daily Press)
The road to Esky’s historic 2025 campaign started in the U.P. in lat March. And because they played in late March in the U.P., there was only one place to play softball: Marquette’s Superior Dome. And it didn’t take long for the Eskymos to make an impact at the plate.
In the Eskymos opening game against Cass City senior Grayson LaMarche fouled off the first pitch of her at-bat. The second pitch was blasted over the makeshift left field fence for a home run. Seniors Clara Braun and Carly Bowden also cleared the outfield fence against Cass City. Across four games the Eskymos ripped five home runs to outscore their opponents 25-2 across the opening weekend action.
Escanaba senior Katey Lamb rounds third base after hitting a home run during a game against Millington on May 10, 2025 at Abrahamson Field in Escanaba. (“The Big Dog” Mitch Vosburg/Daily Press)
Senior Katy Lamb is no stranger to the long ball, and she’s no stranger to hitting two in one inning, accomplishing the feat during a win over Lowell in 2024. But during the 2025 Michigan Challenge something magical happened in the top of the fourth inning against Macomb Dakota.
With a 4-1 lead in hand and the bases loaded Lamb worked a 1-2 count before obliterating a pitch over the left field fence for a grand slam and an 8-1 lead. Esky’s lineup kept hitting, and Lamb had another opportunity from the plate with the bases loaded.
She worked a 2-1 count. Then came the next pitch.
She didn’t fly out to center. She didn’t ground out to second base. No no, she hit another grand slam.
Two grand slams and eight RBIs. Both of which are state records. And for the rest of the season, whenever Lamb came up to bat with runners on base, everyone leaned in a little closer in anticipation knowing what she was capable of.
Escanaba junior Cam Buckley (middle, wearing pink hat) walked back to the Eskymos’ dugout during a game against Marquette on May 19, 2025 at Abrahamson Field in Escanaba. Buckley, who begins basic training for the Army National Guard in June, earned the right to wear the hat after hitting her first career home run. (“The Big Dog” Mitch Vosburg/Daily Press)
In the back half of May 19’s doubleheader against Marquette junior Cam Buckley began throwing warm up pitches. Suddenly, she was mobbed inside the pitchers circle.
See, Buckley’s time with the Eskymos in 2025 was ending after districts (more on that later). She was set to begin basic training at Fort Leonard Wood as part of the Army National Guard in June. That moment belonged to her with a surprise recognition ceremony with hugs from teammates and posters to thank her for her service.
The game also belonged to her.
In the circle she earned the win, allowing five runs (two earned) off 10 hits with two walks and 12 strikeouts across seven innings. And after being hit by a pitch in her first at-bat of the game, she muscled her first career home run in the second at-bat. It was her lone hit of the game, but a hit of a lifetime for a game and a day of a lifetime for Buckley.
Escanaba senior Grayson LaMarche winds up to deliver a pitch during a game against Gladstone on May 13, 2025 at Gladstone High School. (“The Big Dog” Mitch Vosburg/Daily Press)
Big time players rise in big moments. And for Escanaba’s six seniors May 29’s district tournament was set to be their last games in an Escanaba jersey at Abrahamson Field. After earning a semifinal win over Sault Ste. Marie earlier in the day the Eskymos were set to collide with Petoskey in the district championship game. LaMarche was rested and rady to do damage.
The now Michigan Wolverine proved to everyone in attendance why she is indeed a big time player playing in a big moment. She struck out the side in the first, third and sixth innings. The game ended with LaMarche earning strikeout No. 16. Petoskey failed to get a base runner on LaMarche, let alone make solid contact. LaMarche’s final game on Abrahamson Field was a perfect game as the Eskymos won 3-0 to win a district championship.
Escanaba senior Carly Bowden lets out a ferocious yell to the Escanaba dugout after drawing a walk during a MHSAA Division 2 regional championship game against Gaylord on June 7, 2025 at Alma College. (“The Big Dog” Mitch Vosburg/Daily Press)
The road to East Lansing is treacherous. For Escanaba and Gaylord, it means colliding with one another in order for their respective seasons to survive. For the last two seasons it’s been Gaylord coming away with the wins, besting the Eskymos 13-1 in the district semifinal round in 2023 and 12-2 in the regional championship game in 2024. Neither game went into the sixth inning.
The Eskymos and Blue Devils collided for a regional championship once again on June 7. And once again, the game failed to reach the sixth inning. This time it was the Eskymos who dominated the matchup.
Esky got two runs in the first off a two-run double from Bowden before exploding for seven runs in the second inning. Then Lamb delivered the final blow in the bottom of the fifth to earn a walk-off 10-0 mercy win over Gaylord.
And in that moment everyone in the state of Michigan new that there would, in fact, be a new state champion in Division 2.
“The last two years I felt ended early,” Esky coach Andy Fields said after the win. “We’ve had so many good players the last two years, and I felt like I let them down the last two years as a coach. To get it done, finally, this year… it means a lot.”
“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).
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