Negaunee head coach Randy Carlson gives his daughter Morgan a big hug as they celebrate their first-ever win over the Escanaba Eskymos on Thursday at LaCombe Field in Negaunee. (Photo courtesy Daryl T. Jarvinen)

NEGAUNEE — Things didn’t go quite the way for the 26-0 Negaunee High School softball team as head coach Randy Carlson expected on Thursday.

Lucky for him.

“I really expected to be talking about how we had a nice start to the season, and how we hopefully stayed with Escanaba today,” he said.

Instead, the Miners ran their record to 27-0 with a 7-3 home victory over Escanaba, which won the MHSAA Division 2 state title in 2018 and 2019.

“This should give us the confidence that we can play with anybody,” Carlson said. “Even with some of the great wins we’ve had over the years, I don’t know if we’ve ever had a bigger win that this over the two-time defending state champs.”

Though it’s been two years since the Eskymos won a state title because of the coronavirus pandemic canceling spring sports a year ago, Carlson said Esky has the nucleus of its team intact.

“They don’t have Gabi (Salo) anymore pitching for them, and it’s huge that they don’t have a Division 1 (University of Wisconsin) player still there,” Carlson said. “But they’ve played a whole different class of teams than we have.

“I know they’ve already played the top team in the state in Division 3, Millington.

“I still don’t think we’re as good as they are, despite what some on social media have been saying.

“Escanaba undoubtedly has a great team, so I told the girls that we have nothing to lose. It doesn’t really matter, actually, since they’re in Division 2 and we’re in Division 3.

“I told the girls to play loose and enjoy it. And they really embraced that.

“Win or lose, I just wanted to be able to say we competed with them.”

On this day, though, Negaunee did more than just compete.

Regular Game 1 starter Josie Thomson went the distance on the rubber for the Miners in the day’s only varsity game — the schools’ JV teams also got a game in.

She allowed three runs on six hits and a walk while striking out three.

Esky starter Emily Moore went four innings, allowing all seven runs on seven hits and a walk while not fanning anyone. Mckayla Mott went the final two innings for the Eskymos.

Negaunee opened with a four-spot in the first inning before Esky got one back in the second. The Miners got it back to a four-run lead in the third, 5-1, before the visitors pulled within 5-3 in the top of the fourth.

But Negaunee once again answered in the bottom of the inning with the game’s final two runs.

Morgan Carlson hit a two-run double for NHS in the first-inning rally, while Ally Ennett had two hits and scored twice. Lilly Nelson and Larissa Anderson each had an RBI.

The Miners and Westwood will host the West PAC tourney today. The championship game is at LaCombe Field at 3 p.m.

Information compiled by Journal Sports Editor Steve Brownlee. His email address is sbrownlee@miningjournal.net.