Gladstone Wins Baseball Home-Opener In Blizzard

GLADSTONE---It was more like football weather, or hockey weather, Tuesday evening at the Gladstone Sports Park. But the Gladstone Braves and Negaunee Miners tried to play some baseball, and they managed to get into the fourth inning before heavy snow forced officials to call the game. Gladstone won its home-opener, 7-5.

"Snowy, cold, nasty," Gladstone Manager Don Lauscher said. "But for the most part, we swung the bats better, I thought. And we still continue to run the bases well. Under these conditions, Elliot (Danhoff) pitched just fine.

"All in all, we were pleased with today."

"The game started off pretty nice, but after about the third inning, she got cold, real quick," said Gladstone catcher Justin Jurek. "A couple of those balls (thrown by Danhoff), I couldn't even slide and get in front of because I couldn't see them until the last second."

"It wasn't very much fun catching."

Negaunee scored two runs in the first inning off of Danhoff, as Kenton Rajala hit one that took a bad hop over the head of third baseman A.J. Lundberg, making it a 2-0 game.

A.J. Lundberg smacks a two-run base hit.

Gladstone came right back with four runs in the bottom of the first inning as Miners pitcher Shane Ring had trouble throwing strikes. With the bases loaded and no outs, Lundberg smacked a two-run single to tie the game at 2-2.

Later, with Grant Johnson pitching for Negaunee, Owen Hanson had an infield hit to drive in one run, and then Jack Stephenson was hit by a pitch to drive in the fourth run.

Gladstone scored two more runs in the second inning when Hunter Garling singled and rode home on a home run to left field off of Jurek's bat.

"It's about time," Jurek said. "Not to sound cocky, but I was due for one. He threw me three straight curveballs, and then I finally got a fastball. It was a pretty good spot. He left it kind of low. But I just the barrel on it good enough."

"He's been working hard at his hitting," Lauscher said. "That was a line shot that carried out of here. Yeah, he got all of that one. It was not wind-aided at all, for sure."

Gladstone added another run in the third inning on a bloop RBI single by Jake Peterson, scoring Stephenson, who had a two-out single and advanced on a throwing error.

When the game went to the fourth inning, the snow started falling very hard, and Danhoff had trouble gripping the ball. He gave up a walk, a pop fly single, and a bunt single that happened because no one covered first base.

Justin Jurek throws out another runner.

A wild pitch scored a run, then another run scored when Danhoff threw it away trying to pick off a man at second base.

With two out, Jeff Mathews got his second hit of the game. This one drove in a run to make it a 7-5 game. Nick Trudeau came in to pitch, and he also had trouble dealing with the poor conditions. He walked Ring, and Ring stole second base.

With runners at second and third, Trudeau got Wideman on strikes to end the inning.

Before the Braves could come up to bat in the bottom of the fourth inning, the umpires and managers met, and decided to end the game. It will count as an official game.

"Steve (Rittenour) the umpire just said to us that it was 'sloppy conditions and we don't want to get anybody hurt this early in the season'," Lauscher said. "Negaunee didn't necessarily want to quit right away, but that's OK, it was a smart move to make."

Danhoff earned the win on the mound, his second win of the season. He allowed five runs on six hits and three walks in 3 2/3 innings.

Trudeau earned the save by getting the final out, with one walk and one strikeout. Ring took the loss for Negaunee.

Gladstone improved to 5-2 on the season. This was Negaunee's first game.

Owen Hanson gets the RBI single vs Negaunee

Gladstone travels to Norway for a single game on Thursday. Game time is 4:00 ET from Marion Park, weather permitting.

Negaunee comes back to Delta County on Thursday for a single game in Escanaba. Game time at Al Ness Field is 5:00. The Escanaba vs Negaunee game will be broadcast live on WCHT-AM (600), and on-line at www.rrnsports.com.

Click the thumbnails in the ARTICLE HIGHLIGHTS box to see photos taken by Lori Jurek, and videos taken by Laura Lamberg.

Date	Time	Opponent	Score	Record

4/11	1:00 PM	at Appleton North Lightning	1 - 9 (L)	0-1

4/11	3:30 PM	at Appleton North Lightning	0 - 16 (L)	0-2

4/17	4:00 PM	at Cadillac Vikings	7 - 4 (W)	1-2

4/17	6:00 PM	at Cadillac Vikings	6 - 3 (W)	2-2

4/18	11:00 AM	at Kingsley Stags	12 - 0 (W)	3-2

4/18	1:30 PM	at Kingsley Stags	6 - 3 (W)	4-2

4/20	4:30 PM	North Central Jets	ppd - rain (L)	ppd

4/21	4:30 PM	Negaunee Miners	7 - 5 (W)	5-2

4/23	4:00 PM	at Norway Knights	3 - 6 (L)	5-3

4/24	4:00 PM	at Grayling Vikings	2 - 0 (W)	6-3

4/24	6:30 PM	at Grayling Vikings	9 - 4 (W)	7-3

4/25	1:00 PM	at Charlevoix Rayders	2 - 7 (L)	7-4

4/25	3:00 PM	at Charlevoix Rayders	7 - 4 (W)	8-4

4/27	4:30 PM	Superior Central Cougars	19 - 4 (W)	9-4

4/27	6:30 PM	Superior Central Cougars	15 - 0 (W)	10-4

4/28	4:30 PM	Escanaba Eskymos	5 - 4 (W)	11-4

4/30	4:30 PM	Marquette Redmen	10 - 4 (W)	12-4

5/1	5:30 PM	at Peshtigo Bulldogs	6 - 7 (L)	12-5

5/2	12:00 PM	at D.C. Everest Evergreens	4 - 6 (L)	12-6

5/2	3:00 PM	at Wausau West Warriors	9 - 5 (W)	13-6

5/4	4:30 PM	Norway Knights	3 - 0 (W)	14-6

5/4	6:45 PM	Norway Knights	10 - 0 (W)	15-6

5/7	4:30 PM	at Escanaba Eskymos	4 - 5 (L)	15-7

5/9	10:00 AM	Hancock Bulldogs	10 - 2 (W)	16-7

5/9	12:30 PM	Hancock Bulldogs	19 - 0 (W)	17-7

5/11	5:30 PM	at Green Bay Preble	3 - 4 (L)	17-8

5/13	4:00 PM	at Negaunee Miners	10 - 0 (W)	18-8

5/13	6:00 PM	at Negaunee Miners	3 - 1 (W)	19-8

5/16	12:00 PM	at Green Bay Notre Dame	5 - 4 (W)	20-8

5/18	6:00 PM	at Crivitz, Wis.	4 - 3 (W)	21-8

5/19	4:30 PM	at Marinette Marines	7 - 1 (W)	22-8

5/22	5:00 PM	at Marquette Redmen	1 - 5 (L)	22-9

5/26	6:00 PM	Hancock Bulldogs	14 - 1 (W)	23-9

5/30	12:00 PM	at Negaunee Miners	8 - 3 (W)	24-9

5/30	5:00 PM	Houghton Gremlins	7 - 2 (W)	25-9

6/6	10:00 AM	at Tawas	3 - 2 (W)	26-9

6/6	4:00 PM	at Traverse City St. Francis	4 - 2 (W)	27-9

6/9	12:00 PM	Muskegon Oakridge	6 - 5 (W)	28-9

6/12	11:30 AM	at Buchanan Bucks	4 - 6 (L)	28-10