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BACK ON TOP: Braves Win Softball Regional Title
 CHARLEVOIX---The Gladstone High School girls softball team won a state championship in 2014, the first year that Ashley Hughes took the reigns of the Braves program. Then last year, the girls lost in the regional tournament. But on Saturday, the Braves regained their usual spot in the state quarterfinals by coming from behind to beat Kalkaska, 8-6, in the semifinals, and then shutting down Boyne City in the championship game, 6-1. The wins improved Gladstone's record to 25-14. Gladstone worked its way through an unprecedented nine-team district tournament last week, and continued to play with emotion in the wake of the death of Hughes' fiance last month. The girls, despite their youth at some positions, have pulled together as a team. And that continued on Saturday in Charlevoix. The Braves trailed Kalkaska, 3-1, in the fourth inning when Tasi Martinez stepped up and slugged a solo home run to spark the girls' spirits. That carried over to the fifth inning, when Gladstone took the lead. Alyssa Polley put down a squeeze bunt to score Taylor Hunter to tie the game at 3-3, then Morgan Kowalski's RBI single made it a 4-3 Braves lead. Gladstone put the game on ice, seemingly, in the sixth inning when Hunter and Kaylin Holden each had two-run doubles, making it an 8-3 Braves lead. But Kalkaska had a rally of its own in store in the seventh inning. Two singles started the inning against Braves pitcher Jenna Steinhoff. Then Kelsey Wilkinson slugged a three-run homer to bring the Blazers to within 8-6. But Steinhoff buckled down and got the final three outs, sending the Braves into the regional final. After Boyne City knocked off Traverse City St. Francis in the second semifinal, the Braves got the early jump on the Ramblers. In the first inning, Polley got a double down the left field line and scored on a bunt by Morgan Kowalski. Later in the ining, Martinez's pop fly was dropped, and a run scored. Martinez scored on an error, making it 3-0. Gladstone added a run in the second inning on an RBI single by Sam Sailer, and then in the fiurth inning, Polley smoked a triple and scored on a bunt by Sailer. After Boyne City scored a run in the fifth inning, Kowalski's RBI double closed the scoring at 6-1. Gladstone faces Manistee in the state quarterfinals Tuesday at 12:00 at Traverse City St. Francis High School. We will keep you updated on the girls game during our broadcast of the boys quarterfinal game at the same site on WUPF-FM (107.3). |
| Date | Time | Opponent | Score | Record |
3/25 |
4:00 PM |
at Escanaba Eskymos
|
2 - 5 (L)
|
0-1
|
3/25 |
6:00 PM |
at Marquette Redmen
|
2 - 8 (L)
|
0-2
|
3/26 |
9:00 AM |
Norway Knights
|
8 - 2 (W)
|
1-2
|
3/29 |
3:00 PM |
at Green Bay Preble
|
0 - 10 (L)
|
1-3
|
3/29 |
5:00 PM |
at Green Bay Preble
|
0 - 1 (L)
|
1-4
|
4/21 |
4:00 PM |
Kingsford Flivvers
|
1 - 0 (W)
|
2-4
|
4/21 |
6:00 PM |
Kingsford Flivvers
|
16 - 15 (W)
|
3-4
|
4/23 |
10:00 AM |
Hancock Bulldogs
|
16 - 0 (W)
|
4-4
|
4/23 |
11:00 AM |
Norway Knights
|
2 - 3 (L)
|
4-5
|
4/26 |
4:00 PM |
at Marquette Redmen
|
0 - 1 (L)
|
4-6
|
4/26 |
6:00 PM |
at Marquette Redmen
|
6 - 8 (L)
|
4-7
|
4/29 |
4:00 PM |
at Traverse City St. Francis
|
4 - 3 (W)
|
5-7
|
4/30 |
10:00 AM |
at Kalkaska High School
|
1 - 8 (L)
|
5-8
|
4/30 |
1:00 PM |
at Petoskey Northmen
|
1 - 3 (L)
|
5-9
|
5/2 |
4:45 PM |
at Kingsford Flivvers
|
1--- - 0 (W)
|
6-9
|
5/2 |
6:30 PM |
at Kingsford Flivvers
|
1--- - 0 (W)
|
7-9
|
5/3 |
4:00 PM |
Marquette Redmen
|
0 - 8 (L)
|
7-10
|
5/3 |
6:00 PM |
Marquette Redmen
|
- (T)
|
RAIN
|
5/5 |
4:00 PM |
Sault Ste. Marie Blue Devils
|
6 - 5 (W)
|
8-10
|
5/5 |
6:00 PM |
Sault Ste. Marie Blue Devils
|
9 - 1 (W)
|
9-10
|
5/10 |
4:00 PM |
Rapid River Rockets
|
5 - 3 (W)
|
10-10
|
5/10 |
6:00 PM |
Rapid River Rockets
|
14 - 0 (W)
|
11-10
|
5/12 |
4:00 PM |
Negaunee Miners
|
9 - 1 (W)
|
12-10
|
5/12 |
6:00 PM |
Negaunee Miners
|
9 - 2 (W)
|
13-10
|
5/14 |
9:30 AM |
Neenah, Wis.
|
5 - 4 (W)
|
14-10
|
5/14 |
1:30 PM |
Marquette Redmen
|
3 - 2 (W)
|
15-10
|
5/14 |
3:30 PM |
at Escanaba Eskymos
|
0 - 10 (L)
|
15-11
|
5/17 |
4:00 PM |
at Escanaba Eskymos
|
0 - 10 (L)
|
15-12
|
5/17 |
6:00 PM |
at Escanaba Eskymos
|
0 - 6 (L)
|
15-13
|
5/20 |
4:00 PM |
at Sault Ste. Marie Blue Devils
|
22 - 6 (W)
|
16-13
|
5/20 |
6:00 PM |
at Sault Ste. Marie Blue Devils
|
18 - 8 (W)
|
17-13
|
5/21 |
10:00 AM |
Lincoln-Alcona
|
7 - 0 (W)
|
18-13
|
5/21 |
12:00 PM |
St. Louis High School
|
1 - 6 (L)
|
18-14
|
5/21 |
2:00 PM |
Boyne City
|
11 - 2 (W)
|
19-14
|
5/24 |
4:00 PM |
Escanaba Eskymos
|
- (T)
|
RAIN
|
5/24 |
6:00 PM |
Escanaba Eskymos
|
- (T)
|
RAIN
|
5/26 |
4:00 PM |
Manistique Emeralds
|
16 - 2 (W)
|
20-14
|
5/31 |
4:00 PM |
Calumet Copper Kings
|
5 - 0 (W)
|
21-14
|
6/4 |
9:30 AM |
Iron Mountain Mountaineers
|
14 - 1 (W)
|
22-14
|
6/4 |
11:45 AM |
Westwood Patriots
|
10 - 0 (W)
|
23-14
|
6/11 |
10:00 AM |
Kalkaska High School
|
8 - 6 (W)
|
24-14
|
6/11 |
2:00 PM |
Boyne City
|
6 - 1 (W)
|
25-14
|
