First Braves Baseball Season Ends With 1-Run Loss
GLADSTONE---When the Gladstone High School baseball team launched its first season since 1959 this spring, there was a lot of excitement. It was evident to everyone that there was a lot of raw talent available for veteran Coach Don Lauscher to mold into a winning team. But the operative word there is "raw". On Opening Day, the Braves gave up only one hit but lost to Whitehall at a tournament in downstate Remus. The same thing happened on Saturday as the Braves lost to Negaunee, 3-2, in the Division Three District Final. Blake Ballard threw a strong game, but could not overcome six errors behind him, inlcuding one of his own doing. And the Braves could not master Negaunee lefty Tyler Jandron, who pitched the entire game to earn his second straight district trophy. "It's been the same old story all year," Lauscher said. "The pitching is good, but the defense and hitting are lackluster at best. We didn't come to play today. We made six or seven errors on easy, easy plays. I was surprised because I thought we prepared well in warm-ups." Gladstone trailed, 2-1, in the fifth inning when Lauscher decided to steal a run. "Jandron has the big wind-up, and I told Blake that on the next pitch, 'you're stealing home'," Lauscher said. "So when he set his hands, Blake took off." Lauscher successfully called the same play two years ago when he was the coach of the Escanaba Eskymos. That time, it was Austin Young who made it home safely. But Negaunee would score an unearned run to break the tie, making a loser out of Ballard on a day where he deserved better. Gladstone Pitching Coach Kurt Lauscher. "He pitched unreal," the former Central Michigan University pitcher said of Ballard. "I couldn't ask for any more from him. His fastball was working good. His curveball was working good. I was confident in calling them both." The Braves end their season with an 18-10-1 overall record. "I guess we have a long way to go to be a contender," Lauscher said. "We as coaches will take the next year to see what we can do differently to help these kids get better. But I really do think that it was a good inaugural season for our program." |
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
|