U.P. CHAMPIONS! Indians Outlast Copper Country

HANCOCK---For three innings, the Gladstone Indians had nothing going their way.

The Indians were handcuffed Saturday by the curveball of Copper Country pitcher Carter Nettell, and they had made a couple of errors on defense. And Gladstone's usually-stout pitcher Brandon Cooper was getting hit all over the ballpark.

But things can change quickly in baseball, and things turned around in a flash for the Indians as they rallied from a 4-0 deficit to post a 16-8 win over Copper Country.

The win gave the Indians a 3-0 record in the Zone Five Tournament, good enough for an Upper Peninsula championship and a spot in next week's state tournament in Gladwin.

Owen Hanson's bases-loaded triple with two out and two strikes on him in the fourth inning was the turning point, tying the game at 4-4.

Braeden Lamberg singled home a run after that to put the Indians in front.

Copper Country's Hans Stimac stroked a two-run homer in the fifth inning to put the home team back in the lead, but the Indians turned to "small ball" to give them the edge down the stretch, as Ian Schwalbach and Noah Olsen each bunted home runs. And then Lamberg crushed a long solo home run to right field.

Gladstone's 10-6 lead was in jeopardy in the bottom of the sixth inning when Nettell hit a sinking line drive to right field that would have scored two runs, and brought up the top of the order. But Olsen made a diving catch to end the inning with no runs.

The Indians then scored six runs in the top of the seventh inning on a bunch of walks.

Olsen ended up with three runs batted in for the Indians. Cooper earned the pitching victory, despite giving up six runs (four earned) on eight hits in five innings. Hanson tossed the final two innings, giving up two runs on four base hits.

Nettell took the loss, with three other pitchers finishing up for Post 186.

Gladstone will play in the six-team state tournament next weekend in Gladwin. The first opponent is Menominee, which lost to Copper Country in a placement game on Sunday, 6-4.

The Gladstone-Menominee game starts at noon Thursday and will be broadcast live on WCHT-AM (NewsTalk 600), and at www.rrnsports.com. Copper Country will also be there, as the U.P. runners-up. The Flames will play defending state champion Hudson Thursday morning at 9 a.m.

Click the thumbnails in the ARTICLE HIGHLIGHTS box above to see photos and video highlights taken by Laura Lamberg.