Mistake-Prone Indians Lose To Niagara Legion, 7-6

GLADSTONE---The Gladstone Indians committed six errors and lost to Niagara, 7-6, Wednesday night at Don Olsen Field. Niagara scored twice in the seventh inning to win it.

Clay Cole pitched well for Gladstone, throwing six innings, striking out seven batters, and scattering seven hits. But the defensive mistakes behind him were costly, as four of the five runs he allowed were unearned. The two runs in the seventh inning came off of reliever Owen Hanson, who was pitching forthe first time since being sidelined by injury.

The Niagara team has kids from the Norway, North Central, and Niagara School Districts, and they had just eleven of their 18 kids available to play Wednesday night.

But the visitors took a 2-0 lead on an RBI single by Joe Murvich...and an error by Cole on a Micah Wilson sacrifice bunt.

Gladstone got to Niagara pitcher Bobby Kleiman, though, with four runs in the second inning. Hanson walked, Jack Stephenson smoked a double to the fence, and Quinn Downey was hit by a pitch to load the bases.

With one out, Jake Peterson hit a grounder to third that should have been a double play, but it went through third baseman Justin Bal's legs and two runs scored to tie the game. Then Lucas Weinert ripped an RBI double to bring Downey home, and Hunter Botruff drove in a run with a sacrifice fly to score Peterson with the fourth run.

Niagara got a run back in the third inning on errors by Downey at second and Ben Schwalbach at shortstop, and then they took the lead with two runs in the fifth inning.

Those Niagara runs were helped along by a bad throw from Weiinert at third base, and an RBI single by Kevin Evosevich to make it a 5-4 game.

Gladstone regained the lead in the bottom of the sixth inning against Wilson, who came on to pitch for Kleiman in the third inning.

Peterson and Botruff both walked, and they both scored on a shot into the left field corner off the bat of Tyson Seymour.

Indians Manager Justin Jurek turned to Hanson to get the final three outs for Cole, but he couldn't. With one out, Ethan Blagec singled, and Evosevich followed with a double. Connor Ortman's sharply-hit single to center field tied the game at 6-6, and after Trey Doda walked, Bal came through with a sacrifice fly.

In the bottom of the seventh, Hanson drew a one-out walk, but the Indians couldn't bring him around. Wilson threw five innings to earn the pitching win for Niagara.

GLADSTONE JOINS FIRECRACKER---The Indians were supposed to be off this weekend, but have been added to the eight-team Marinette Firecracker Tournament because another team dropped out. Gladstone will have a tough schedule, with three key players gone for a basketball camp. The Indians face DePere at 6:00 ET Friday; Pulaski at 11 a.m. ET Saturday, Green Bay Shockers at 4:00 ET Saturday, and Marinette at 2:00 ET on Sunday. The Gladstone Junior Indians are at a tournament in Pulaski (Wis.).

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