Gladstone Sweeps Houghton To Begin Homestand
GLADSTONE---The Gladstone High School baseball team opened a five-game season ending homestand Monday with a pair of victories over the Houghton Gremlins, 4-0 and 8-3, at Don Olsen Field. Both games were six-inning contests. Olsen threw the first two and two-thirds innings, giving up three runs (two earned). Trudeau threw the final three and one third innings, allowing no runs on two hits, and earning the pitching victory. It was quite a doubleheader for Owen Hanson. In the first game, he jump-started the offensively-challenged Braves by using his speed to put his team in front. Hanson got a leadoff single, and as he stole second, he went to third when the throw went into the outfield. After the next two batters went out, Braves Manager Don Lauscher decided to make something happen on the bases. He told Hanson to steal home, and he did. "I just saw that he (pitcher Alan Jurmu) had a slow windup, so I just had to measure it up to see if I could get enough jump to get home," Hanson said. "He (Lauscher) just told me to get the good jump, and 'if you get it, go for it'. I just had to make sure that I got down on the first part of the plate (in his slide) So he didn't have a chance to tag me." In the fifth inning, Gladstone still led, 1-0, when Dan Martin got a leadoff single. Hanson drew a walk, and after Hunter Botruff popped up a bunt attempt, Brandon Cooper came through with a two-run single from the #9 hole to make it a 3-0 Gladstone game. Then in the sixth inning, Hanson had an RBI single to make it a 4-0 game, which was plenty for Lundberg, who allowed only one hit until the sixth inning, when the Gremlins got two hits. Justin Norkol led off that inning with a Houghton single, but Lundberg was helped by his defense when Alan Jurmu hit into a 6-4-3 double play. That twin-killing was started by Ben Schwalbach at short, who tossed it to Cooper at second, who relayed it to Elliot Danhoff at first. That became big because Houghton's Cole Jepsen smoked a double to the fence on the next play. But even that didn't matter in the end, as Schwalbach made another nice play at shortstop to end the game. Clay Cole followed with a sacrafice fly to make it 2-0, then Lucas Weinert came through with a sharply-hit base hit that scored two runs, and it was a 4-0 Braves lead. In the second inning, Hanson was at it again, smacking an RBI single to bring home Hunter Botruff, who led off the inning with a walk and went to second on a wild pitch. Later in the inning, Schwalbach's RBI single made it 6-0, and the Braves nearly scored two more but Weinert was robbed of a base hit and two runs batted in on a lunging catch by Jurmu in right field. That catch was made just above the grass. Houghton scored its three runs in the top of the third inning, chasing Olsen from the mound. There were three walks in the inning, and Reid Pietila smoked a two-run double to center field. He eventually scored on a wild pitch, making it a 6-3 game. That hit was the second of the game for Stephensnon, along with a pinch-hit bunt single. As for Hanson, in the doubleheader, he was 4-for-4, with a walk. He drove in two runs, and he scored four runs...including that one on the stolen plate. Gladstone (16-12) is off until Friday, when the homestand continues with a doubleheader against the better-than-their-record-indicates Marquette Redmen. Game time for the opener is 4:30. The games will be broadcast live on WCHT-AM (600), and on-line at www.rrnsports.com. The Gladstone junior varsity Braves will play at Bark River-Harris on Tuesday. Click the thumbnails in the ARTICLE HIGHLIGHTS box above to see photos and videos taken by Nate Bellville, and listen to post-game interviews. |
Date | Time | Opponent | Score | Record |
4/15 |
4:00 PM |
Ladysmith, Wis.
|
5 - 6 (L)
|
0-1
|
4/16 |
2:00 PM |
Goodhue, Minn.
|
13 - 11 (W)
|
1-1
|
4/16 |
5:00 PM |
Prentice, Wis.
|
11 - 7 (W)
|
2-1
|
4/23 |
1:00 PM |
at Appleton North Lightning
|
2 - 3 (L)
|
2-2
|
4/23 |
3:00 PM |
at Appleton North Lightning
|
3 - 9 (L)
|
2-3
|
4/26 |
4:30 PM |
Negaunee Miners
|
14 - 6 (W)
|
3-3
|
4/28 |
4:30 PM |
Norway Knights
|
3 - 4 (L)
|
3-4
|
4/29 |
5:30 PM |
at Green Bay Preble
|
0 - 3 (L)
|
3-5
|
4/30 |
12:00 PM |
at Wausau West Warriors
|
0 - 4 (L)
|
3-6
|
4/30 |
3:00 PM |
at D.C. Everest Evergreens
|
5 - 10 (L)
|
3-7
|
5/2 |
4:00 PM |
at Superior Central Cougars
|
14 - 0 (W)
|
4-7
|
5/2 |
6:00 PM |
at Superior Central Cougars
|
20 - 0 (W)
|
5-7
|
5/3 |
5:00 PM |
at Escanaba Eskymos
|
3 - 3 (T)
|
RAIN
|
5/5 |
4:00 PM |
at Marquette Redmen
|
1 - 0 (W)
|
6-7
|
5/5 |
6:00 PM |
at Marquette Redmen
|
5 - 2 (W)
|
7-7
|
5/6 |
4:30 PM |
Peshtigo Bulldogs
|
0 - 2 (L)
|
7-8
|
5/9 |
4:00 PM |
at Norway Knights
|
0 - 1 (L)
|
7-9
|
5/9 |
6:00 PM |
at Norway Knights
|
0 - 2 (L)
|
7-10
|
5/12 |
4:30 PM |
Escanaba Eskymos
|
2 - 1 (W)
|
8-10
|
5/13 |
4:30 PM |
Sault Ste. Marie Blue Devils
|
4 - 0 (W)
|
9-10
|
5/13 |
6:45 PM |
Sault Ste. Marie Blue Devils
|
5 - 3 (W)
|
10-10
|
5/14 |
12:00 PM |
at Southern Door H.S., Wis.
|
6 - 4 (W)
|
11-10
|
5/18 |
4:00 PM |
at Negaunee Miners
|
5 - 0 (W)
|
12-10
|
5/18 |
6:00 PM |
at Negaunee Miners
|
4 - 2 (W)
|
13-10
|
5/20 |
5:00 PM |
at Traverse City St. Francis
|
3 - 5 (L)
|
13-11
|
5/21 |
11:00 AM |
at Beaverton
|
1 - 2 (L)
|
13-12
|
5/21 |
1:00 PM |
Big Rapids
|
4 - 0 (W)
|
14-12
|
5/23 |
4:30 PM |
Houghton Gremlins
|
4 - 0 (W)
|
15-12
|
5/23 |
6:30 PM |
Houghton Gremlins
|
8 - 3 (W)
|
16-12
|
5/27 |
4:30 PM |
Marquette Redmen
|
3 - 2 (W)
|
17-12
|
5/27 |
6:30 PM |
Marquette Redmen
|
- (T)
|
RAIN
|
5/30 |
6:30 PM |
Escanaba Eskymos
|
4 - 3 (W)
|
18-12
|
6/4 |
11:30 AM |
Superior Central Cougars
|
15 - 0 (W)
|
19-12
|
6/4 |
2:45 PM |
Negaunee Miners
|
13 - 1 (W)
|
20-12
|
6/11 |
12:00 PM |
Kalkaska High School
|
5 - 3 (W)
|
21-12
|
6/11 |
2:00 PM |
Boyne City
|
7 - 2 (W)
|
22-12
|