One Ugly, One Nice: Braves Sweep Doubleheader

MARQUETTE---When you have a baseball game where more errors were committed than runs scored, you know that it's been a rough performance on the diamond.

That's exactly what happened Friday night as the Gladstone Braves beat the Marquette Redmen, 10-4, in the first game of a doubleheader at Haley Field. The teams combined to commit 15 errors, while getting a combined 14 runs and a combined nine hits.

Gladstone senior Lucas LaCosse on base.

Marquette made nine of the errors, leading to eight unearned Braves runs.

Fortunately for the sanity of the Gladstone coaching staff, the Braves played much better in the second game, posting a 7-0 victory.

Christian Groleau threw a complete-game three-hitter, and Gladstone did not make an error for the first time this season.

"Sometimes, we have a hard time getting it going right away," Gladstone Assistant Coach Kurt Lauscher said. "We have to come out every single game like it's our last game, because in the tournament, it's 'one and done'."

"I mean, we had a few guys picked off today if we'd just catch the ball (at the bases)," Lauscher continued. "We've got to catch the ball and make the routine plays. I thought they picked it up a lot in the second game, and we played a lot better."

Justin Jurek RBI single in Game One.

The first game was about as sloppy as it can get in high school baseball.

Amongst the 15 errors were quite a few on plays that would be considered to be routine, and it seemed to be contagious.

Braves' Christian Groleau (8) leads off as Marquette's Gabe Apple (21) plays defense.

Gladstone made three errors in the third inning alone as the Redmen scored once. Marquette made four errors in the fourth inning as the Braves scored three times.

The errors in the fourth inning helped Gladstone expand a 4-2 lead into a 7-2 advantage. Marquette got two of those runs back in the fifth inning as the Braves made two more errors.

Gladstone put the game away with three more runs in the sixth inning, with Sam Pouliot and Hunter Garling each driving home runs with groundouts.

Gladstone had seven hits in the game, with Christian Groleau getting two of them.

Groleau also walked twice. Justin Jurek was on base three times with a hit and two walks. Blake Ballard did the job on the mound, throwing all six innings, giving up four base hits and no earned runs. Ballard struck out five batters, but he walked seven.

Ast. Coach Kurt Lauscher comments.

Marquette's Gabe Apple took the loss on the mound, allowing seven runs (only one of them earned) in three innings. He struck out five and walked six batters.

Jay Oberg threw the last three innings, allowing the final three runs (one earned).

In the second game, things were better for the Braves as Groleau had command of the Redmen hitters. Groleau yielded only three base hits, and Marquette got only one baserunner to third base against him in the game.

Gladstone pitcher Blake Ballard on Friday.

Groleau walked just one batter, and seemed to get stronger as the game went on. The junior lefty struck out eight Marquette batters, six of them in the final three innings.

"I was keeping my elbow too high on pretty much off-speed, so it was pretty much all fastballs for strikes," Groleau said. "I really wasn't getting it with off-speed stuff."

"He was throwing strikes," Lauscher said. "Lots of strikes. He was throwing the fastball, hitting his spots, mixing the pitches in good. When he does that, he's tough to beat."

Gladstone took a 2-0 lead in the second inning as Tom Bailey singled, Groleau walked, and Hunter Garling got a bunt single. The runs scored on an error.

Gladstone added a run in the third inning on a Ballard sacrafice fly, and then put the game away with four runs in the fourth inning.

Only one of those runs was earned as Marquette made three more errors on defense. Jurek's RBI single, and hits by Elliott Danhoff and Ballard were the only base hits in that inning. The Braves had eight hits in the nightcap, with Garling and Bailey each getting two. It was Bailey's first action in more than a week as he nurses a lingering quad injury.

Gladstone's Tommy Bailey returns!

"I've been doing a lot of physical therapy," Bailey said. "Ultrasounds and stemuli. I like the stemuli! I felt good tonight, a little sore."

Brandon Lotterman took the loss on the mound for Marquette, working 3 1/3 innings. He was charged with seven runs (four earned) on six hits.

Jack Kochevar finished the game on the mound for the Redmen. Marquette's record is now 7-14.

Gladstone (17-8) closes the regular season with two home games. The Braves will host Kingsford Monday night at 6:30, and then Gladstone hosts Escanaba Tuesday night, also at 6:30.

Both games will be broadcast on WCHT-AM (600), and rrnsports.com.

Click the thumbnails in the ARTICLE HIGHLIGHTS box to see photos, videos, and listen to post-game interviews.

Gladstone freshman Hunter Garling gets the bunt down Friday night against Marquette.

Gladstone's Christian Groleau makes the throw in the second game of the doubleheader in Marquette.

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