Pouliot Outduels Jandron; Braves Win First District

GLADSTONE---This was the game that the boys had been planning for all season long.

The MHSAA Division Three District Semifinals on Friday pit the Gladstone Braves against the Negaunee Miners. A rivalry that has been bred by mutual respect, but also, a lot of trash-talking and gamesmanship over the past two seasons.

The Miners beat the Braves in last year's district championship game, and that bad blood carried over to this spring's regular season meetings.

On Friday, the two teams met again in the districts, and both teams brought their "A Games". It was a beauty.

Gladstone scored two runs in the fifth inning to break a 2-2 tie, and the Braves posted an emotional 4-2 win at Don Olsnen Field.

The Braves went on to mercy the Houghton Gremlins, 10-0, in the championship game.

But it was all about the Negaunee Miners, and ace pitcher Tyler Jandron, for the Braves on this warm, sunny day. Jandron, a hard-throwing lefty, hadn't thrown much against Gladstone this season. Just a few innings back in April, in fact.

Jake Peterson RBI vs Negaunee

Gladstone Manager Don Lauscher knew that his team had to get off to a good start against Jandron, and his boys responded with two runs in the top of the first inning.

Christian Tackman and Hunter Garling led off with singles, then Justin Jurek walked. A wild pitch scored one run, then Jake Peterson ripped a two-out single to make it 2-0.

The Miners scored a pair of unearned runs in the bottom of the inning as the Braves made two errors and Eric Lori had an RBI ground out. It stayed 2-2 until the fourth inning, when Tommy Bailey led off with an infield base hit.

One out later, Ben Schwalbach walked. Then senior Christian Groleau came through with an RBI single, and Pouliot followed with a sacrafice fly. That made it 4-2.

That was enough for Pouliot, who retired the final seven men he faced, five of them on strikeouts.

Pouliot tossed a complete-game three-hitter, fanning nine and walking just one. Jandron also threw a complete game, allowinng five hits and striking out 13.

In the second game, Houghton survived an upset bid from Superior Central. The Gremlins needed eight innings to turn back the Cougars, 5-4.

The championship game started well for Gladstone, as the Braves scored two runs in the first inning...one of them on a single by Bailey. Then in the second inning, Garling clubbed a very long two-run homer to right field, making it a 4-0- game.

Hunter Garling two-run homer vs Houghton

That was plenty of support for Jake Peterson, who tossed a three-hitter over six innings to post the shutout win.

He fanned seven and walked one. Houghton's Trent Keteri threw five innings, allowing six runs on eight hits. Houghton used four pitchers.

Bailey, who is rec0vering from cracked ribs suffered in a rundown play earlier this month, led the Gladstone offense with three base hits.

Gladstone won its first district championship in its second year of varsity baseball. The Braves (26-4) head downstate to the regionals in Traverse City next weekend.

All of the U.P. Baseball District Scores are posted below. Click the thumbnails in the ARTICLE HIGHLIGHTS box to see photos and videos taken by Lori Jurek and Nate Bellville, and to hear replays and interviews.

DIVISION THREE at Gladstone
Semifinal: Gladstone 4, Negaunee 2
Semifinal: Houghton 5, Superior Central 4 (8 Inn)
Final: Gladstone 10, Houghton 0 (6 Inn)

DIVISION FOUR at Ironwood
Semifinal: Ironwood 2, North Central 0
Semifinal: Norway 8, Stephenson 7
Final: Norway 3, Ironwood 0

DIVISION FOUR at Pickford
Semifinal: Rudyard 13, Brimley 3
Semfinal: Newberry 12, Pickford 6
Final: Rudyard 16, Newberry 0 (5 Inn)

Date	Time	Opponent	Score	Record

4/18	4:00 PM	at Reed City High School	12 - 2 (W)	1-0

4/18	6:00 PM	at Reed City High School	9 - 0 (W)	2-0

4/19	11:00 AM	at Kingsley Stags	5 - 1 (W)	3-0

4/19	1:30 PM	at Kingsley Stags	6 - 7 (L)	3-1

4/22	4:30 PM	Negaunee Miners	6 - 4 (W)	4-1

4/23	4:30 PM	Norway Knights	5 - 1 (W)	5-1

4/26	2:00 PM	at Charlevoix Rayders	8 - 4 (W)	6-1

4/26	4:00 PM	at Charlevoix Rayders	9 - 6 (W)	7-1

4/28	4:00 PM	Superior Central Cougars	22 - 4 (W)	8-1

4/28	6:00 PM	Superior Central Cougars	12 - 1 (W)	9-1

5/5	4:00 PM	at Norway Knights	13 - 0 (W)	10-1

5/5	6:00 PM	at Norway Knights	4 - 1 (W)	11-1

5/8	4:30 PM	Escanaba Eskymos	1 - 0 (W)	12-1

5/9	4:30 PM	at Oconto Falls Panthers	6 - 4 (W)	13-1

5/10	11:00 AM	Sault Ste. Marie (Ontario) Black Sox	7 - 3 (W)	14-1

5/14	4:00 PM	at Negaunee Miners	16 - 6 (W)	15-1

5/14	6:00 PM	at Negaunee Miners	4 - 2 (W)	16-1

5/15	5:30 PM	Stephenson Eagles	15 - 5 (W)	17-1

5/17	12:00 PM	at Green Bay Notre Dame	1 - 11 (L)	17-2

5/19	4:00 PM	at Superior Central Cougars	15 - 0 (W)	18-2

5/19	6:30 PM	at Superior Central Cougars	14 - 3 (W)	19-2

5/20	4:00 PM	Houghton Gremlins	11 - 3 (W)	20-2

5/20	6:30 PM	Houghton Gremlins	7 - 3 (W)	21-2

5/22	5:30 PM	at Stephenson Eagles	7 - 4 (W)	22-2

5/23	4:30 PM	Marquette Redmen	2 - 3 (L)	22-3

5/23	7:00 PM	Marquette Redmen	12 - 4 (W)	23-3

5/26	6:00 PM	at Escanaba Eskymos	3 - 1 (W)	24-3

5/27	6:30 PM	at Green Bay Preble	3 - 6 (L)	24-4

5/30	1:00 PM	Negaunee Miners	4 - 2 (W)	25-4

5/30	7:00 PM	Houghton Gremlins	10 - 0 (W)	26-4

6/7	10:00 AM	at Traverse City St. Francis	10 - 2 (W)	27-4

6/7	4:00 PM	Boyne City	5 - 2 (W)	28-4

6/10	12:00 PM	Muskegon Oakridge	3 - 2 (W)	29-4

6/13	2:30 PM	Decatur Raiders	1 - 2 (L)	29-5