Sharon, Gladstone Girls Return To State Quarters

TRAVERSE CITY---Tinner Sharon was exhausted. She was dripping wet with sweat.

And that was before the Gladstone senior pitcher threw in the MHSAA Division Three regional championship game on Saturday against Boyne City. Sharon had just tossed seven innings in the circle as the Braves beat Traverse City St. Francis, 3-1.

After a short break, Sharon was at it again as Gladstone faced the Ramblers in the title game. She withstood the elements for another complete game win, 4-1.

"I was more drained after the first game than the second," Sharon said. "I was excited for the second game and I was ready to go. I can always count on any hit that's going anywhere, someone will track it down and make an awesome play (defensively)."

In the first game against St. Francis, Sharon struck out six batters and yielded five base hits. But she made the big pitches when she needed to, and the only run Sharon gave up was in the fifth inning on an RBI single by Julia Hardy.

Gladstone got those runs back in the bottom of the inning as Sharon singled, Lexi Hongisto walked, and Jess Beaudry came through with a two-run single to make it 3-1.

That's the way it stayed the rest of the way, even though Sharon gave up singles in the fifth, sixth, and seventh innings.

Jess Beaudry drives home two runs

The Gladiators (33-4) could never get those runners past first.

In the championship game, Boyne City scored in the first inning on an RBI double by Paige Hornbeck. But the Braves tied it in the third inning on an RBI hit by Sharon, and then broke that 1-1 tie with three runs in the sixth inning.

Sharon took care of things from there, including a double play turned by Beaudry at first base as the Ramblers could not get the bunt down.

"That's actually happened a lot this year," Sharon said. "I throw a lot of rise-balls when they bunt. So, thety naturally pop up, and it happened at a perfect time."

So, does grabbing the regional championship trophy ever get old?

"Well, seeing as this is the fourth year that it has happened, it's still an awesome feeling," Sharon said. "Being a senior, it actually doesn't get old."

Gladstone (26-2) will play in the state quarterfinals on Tuesday, also in Traverse City, but this time at T.C. West High School. The Braves will fave Muskegon Oakridge at 12:00 noon. The winner of that game will advance to the semifinals in East Lansing.

Click the thumbnails in the ARTICLE HIGHLIGHTS box to see photos and videos taken by Jared Hunter, and listen to radio highlights.

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