Two Big Innings Lead Braves To Sweep of Black Sox

GLADSTONE---The Gladstone Braves have had a tough time scoring runs during the first week of their inaugural season. But on Saturday, the boys took advantage of the mistakes of their opponents and posted two mercy-rule victories at Don Olsen Field.

Gladstone scored six runs in the fourth inning to beat the Sault Ste. Marie (Ontario) Black Sox, 11-1, in the first game of a doubleheader.

Braves shortstop Blake Ballard Saturday.

Then, in the nightcap, the Braves led just 1-0 in the fifth inning before scoring nine times to also win that game by the mercy rule.

The sweep gave the Braves four wins in less than 24 hours, after a pair of victories Friday night over Negaunee. The team's eight-game homestand continues with doubleheaders on Monday against Superior Central and Thursday against Marquette.

And while the offense has struggled at times to plate runs in this early season, the pitching has been nothing less than stellar.

Sophomore Justin Jurek threw a three-hitter in Saturday's opener, striking out 12 batters in five innings. And freshman Hunter Garling tossed a one-hitter in the nightcap, striking out ten batters, also in five innings.

"The pitchers have been doing absolutely awesome," said Braves Assistant Coach Kurt Lauscher, who was one of the Upper Peninsula's best Little League, American Legion, and high school pitchers in the late 1990's. "They've been hitting their spots. They've been keeping the ball down. And the defense has been playing great, too."

Braves pitcher Justin Jurek with the win.

Jurek says that his arm was sore, but overall, he felt good on the hill Saturday.

"I just kind of got into the groove and the adrenaline kind of took over," Jurek said. "I'm sure I'll feel it tonight and tomorrow, but it felt good out there. I went after the fourth inning, and he (coach) said I was at like 63 pitches, and I was like 'holy crap'. I couldn't believe it. I didn't think I was that high (on the pitch count)."

The Canadian team was playing for the first time outdoors this season, but its starting pitchers did well. In the opener, Cody Yardanoff yielded just two runs on four hits in his three innings of work.

In the nightcap, Scott Morphet gave up just one run on one base hit in his four innings. When the relievers came in, things went bad for the Black Sox.

In the opener, Beau Nolan was tagged for nine runs (six earned) in 1 1/3 innings of relief. In the nightcap, Dana LaSage had trouble throwing strikes and had leaky defense behind him. The Braves scored nine runs in that fifth inning against LaSage, with only one of the runs earned. There were four walks and two defensive errors in that inning.

Justin Jurek post-game interview.

Gladstone had ten hits in the opener, three of them by Christian Groleau. Sam Pouliot contributed a two-run double that gave the Braves a 2-0 lead in the third inning.

And Tom Bailey had two solid hits, including one to the right field fence.

In the second game, the Braves had just one run on the board entering the fifth inning. That one came in when Blake Ballard was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded. But in the fifth inning, Gladstone got RBI hits from Bailey and James Capodilupo, an RBI ground out by Brad Crawford, and a bases-loaded walk to Jake Peterson.

James Capidolupo at the plate for Braves.

Later in that inning, Jurek had an RBI double and Garling had an RBI single.

The game ended when Bailey hit one to right field and the Soo outfielder lost his footing and couldn't make the catch. Garling scored the tenth and final run on that play.

But the boys, not knowing that the game was over on the ten-run mercy rule, kept on playing. Jurek also came in to score, and Bailey, a heavyweight wrestler for the Braves in the winter, chugged his way into third base. A triple? Unfortunately, no.

Bailey, however, was happy to be making contact with the ball on this day."

"I've made a lot of progress since the Chip Hills (Tournament last week) and Negaunee last night," Bailey said. "It felt good. I saw a lot of fastballs."

And on that last play that ended the second game of the doubleheader?

"I didn't think I was gonna make it to third," Bailey said. And what about the fact that it was only a single because the game had already ended? "That's okay," he said.

Hunter Garling (14) is safe at second.

The second game was played in "hurry-up" mode, because the Gladstone Junior/Senior Prom was being held Saturday night, and five of the Braves players needed to leave the field to get ready for all of those associated activities.

But Blake Ballard and Lucas LaCosse stayed with the younger kids for a couple of extra innings. Otherwise, the Braves would not have had the minimum nine players needed to continue.

The Braves coaching staff liked a lot of what the kids did this weekend, although there are some basic things that they need to improve on.

"I think it's the mental part of the game," Kurt Lauscher said. "Knowing where to throw the ball, knowing where everybody's going on all of the plays. The physical part will take care of itself. It's just the mental part that I think that we need to work on."

Gladstone (4-2) hosts Superior Central in a doubleheader on Monday at 4:00. The games will not be broadcast on the radio. The doubleheader against Marquette on Thurdsay will be broadcast on WCHT-AM (600), and on-line at www.rrnsports.com.

Click the thumbnails in the ARTICLE HIGHLIGHTS box to see three dozen photos taken by Ron Jurek. Also, listen to interviews with Assistant Coach Kurt Lauscher, and players Justin Jurek and Tommy Bailey.

Braves Coach Don Lauscher gives instruction during Saturday's game against the Black Sox.

Date	Time	Opponent	Score	Record

4/20	12:45 PM	at Remus Chippewa Hills	0 - 4 (L)	0-1

4/20	3:00 PM	at Whitehall Vikings	4 - 6 (L)	0-2

4/26	4:00 PM	Negaunee Miners	4 - 3 (W)	1-2

4/26	6:30 PM	Negaunee Miners	5 - 0 (W)	2-2

4/27	12:00 PM	Sault Ste. Marie (Ontario) Black Sox	11 - 1 (W)	3-2

4/27	2:30 PM	Sault Ste. Marie (Ontario) Black Sox	10 - 1 (W)	4-2

4/29	4:00 PM	Superior Central Cougars	4 - 2 (W)	5-2

4/29	6:00 PM	Superior Central Cougars	12 - 1 (W)	6-2

5/2	4:00 PM	Marquette Redmen	10 - 2 (W)	7-2

5/4	10:00 AM	Negaunee Miners	4 - 2 (W)	8-2

5/4	5:45 PM	at Escanaba Eskymos	1 - 5 (L)	8-3

5/6	4:30 PM	Norway Knights	4 - 3 (W)	9-3

5/6	6:45 PM	Norway Knights	7 - 1 (W)	10-3

5/9	6:00 PM	at Escanaba Eskymos	8 - 14 (L)	10-4

5/10	5:00 PM	Sault Ste. Marie Blue Devils	5 - 10 (L)	10-5

5/10	7:30 PM	Sault Ste. Marie Blue Devils	13 - 3 (W)	11-5

5/15	4:00 PM	at Negaunee Miners	5 - 7 (L)	11-6

5/15	6:00 PM	at Negaunee Miners	4 - 2 (W)	12-6

5/18	10:00 AM	Cheboygan Chiefs	2 - 3 (L)	12-7

5/18	12:00 PM	at Sault Ste. Marie Blue Devils	6 - 7 (L)	12-8

5/18	2:00 PM	at Sault Ste. Marie (Ontario) Black Sox	13 - 3 (W)	13-8

5/20	4:00 PM	at Superior Central Cougars	9 - 4 (W)	14-8

5/20	6:00 PM	at Superior Central Cougars	8 - 0 (W)	15-8

5/24	4:00 PM	at Marquette Redmen	10 - 4 (W)	16-8

5/24	6:00 PM	at Marquette Redmen	7 - 0 (W)	17-8

5/27	6:30 PM	Kingsford Legion Blues	1 - 5 (L)	17-9

5/28	6:30 PM	Escanaba Eskymos	3 - 3 (T)	17-9-1

5/31	4:00 PM	Superior Central Cougars	8 - 0 (W)	18-9-1

6/1	1:00 PM	Negaunee Miners	2 - 3 (L)	18-10-1