BACK ON TRACK: Gladstone Smacks Menominee

MENOMINEE---Kelly Shea was not very happy with his team's performance last weekend at a tournament in downstate Rockford. The first-year Gladstone Braves manager wanted to see better pitching and defense as his team faced the Menominee Maroons in a doubleheader Friday afternoon in Menominee. He got both.

Gladstone ripped Menominee in both ends of the twinbill, 12-0 and 11-1, with the first game counting in the standings of the new Great Northern Conference. Both games ended after the five-inning mercy rule as the Maroons made numerous errors on defense.

Menominee was playing just its second game of the season, and it showed, as the outfielders had trouble judging fly balls. The Maroons also had trouble hitting the ball, as Carson Shea threw four no-hit innings in the opener and Drake Forrest threw a scoreless fifth inning, allowing only a single by Carter Berger to lead off that final inning.

By that time, the Braves were up by a dozen, after scoring at least two runs in every inning except for the second inning. Gladstone scored two in the first inning on an Ian Schwalbach fly ball that sailed over the center fielder's head with the bases loaded.

In the third inning, Gladstone scored three runs without hitting the ball out of the infield. Then in the fourth inning, the Braves put four more runs on the board, with Dan Martin, Cody Frappier, and Schwalbach all getting run-scoring singles.

The Braves scored three more runs in the top of the fifth with Frappier getting his third hit of the game, Schwalbach grounding out for his fourth RBI, and Forrest contributing a sharply-hit single.

Gladstone, in all, collected ten base hits and the Maroons were charged with five errors.

Zach Starzynski took the loss on the mound for Menominee. Owen Calhoun and Berger also pitched in relief for the Maroons.

In the second game, the Braves jumped on Maroons starting pitcher Keagan Monore for four runs in the top of the first inning.

Martin had an RBI single, Frappier smacked an RBI double, Schwalbach had a sacrafice fly, and Christian Creten followed with a run-scoring double. In the second inning, Gladstone scored four more runs, with Zach Hanson and Schwalbach both getting RBI singles, and Creten coming through with a two-run hit during an eleven-pitch at-bat.

Gladstone made it 10-0 in the third inning with two walks, a hit batsmen, an error, and a wild pitch. But Menominee got a run back in the bottom of the third when Monroe was safe on an error and sxored on a ground ball by Billy Bailey.

The Braves went back up by ten in the top of the fourth when Doby Gillis goyt an infield hit and scored on a sacrafice fly by Cooper Cavadeas.

It looked like the Maroons might keep the game going past the fifth inning when Dante Sartorelli was safe on a dropped gly ball and Bailey got a base hit up the middle, putting runners on second and third.

Buddy Beyer smoked one toward left field, but Forrest, now playing shortdtop, made a great defensive play to get to the ball and throw it to first to end the game.

Caden Alworden pitched the first four innings for the win, allowing one run on four hits (two on the infield). Riley Baldovski threw the fifth inning to end the game.

Monroe pitched the two innings for Menominee and took the loss, yielding eight runs on nine hits. Hunter Goldschmidt tossed the final three innings for the Maroons (0-3).

Gladstone (5-2) will have its home opener on Monday against North Central. The first game starts at 4:00 ET. The first game will be roadcast on WCHT-AM (NewsTalk 600) and the nightcap will be carried on WUPF-FM (Eagle 107.3).

Click the thumbnails in the ARTICLE HIGHLIGHTS above to see photos and videos taken by the Braves players! Also, listen to post-game comments from Carson Shea, Drake Forrest, and Christian Creten.