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Indians Win; Cubs Lose Heartbreaker At UP Finals
 MENOMINEE---For a while there, it looked like the Gladstone Indians and Escanaba Cubs would face each other in the winner's bracket final of the American Legion Baseball U.P. Zone Five Championships in Menominee. Gladstone beat Sault Ste. Marie, 6-4, and Escanaba topped Ishpeming, 5-3. Then Escanaba had a 1-0 lead over Menominee late in the game, so things were looking good for an all-Delta County matchup. But an untimely error allowed Menominee to force extra innings, and then the Red Wave beat the Cubs, 2-1, at Spies Field. So, it will be Gladstone against Menominee in the winner's bracket on Thursday, while Escanaba drops to the loser's bracket and will face Sault Ste. Marie. There are nine teams in this double-elimination tournament, and three of them will advance to the state finals in Adrian. Because there's an odd number of teams, there had to be an extra game to start the bracket, and the Cubs drew Ishpeming. Escanaba jumped to a 4-0 lead early and had to hang on as the Blue Storm mounted a late rally, scoring twice in the seventh inning before leaving the tying runs on base. Cubs Manager Tom Ohman, knowing that he had the "extra" game, decided to pitch by committee. Devin Olsen threw the first two innings, then Andrew Sedlar, then Brandon Punzel, and then finally, at the ened, Tyler Skufca. After a couple of hours of rest, the Cubs were back on the field again, and ace pitcher Ben Kleiman was on the hill. He pitched four scoreless innings, and he scored his team's first run in the fourth inning on a base hit by Hunter LaMarch. Ohman chose to go to the bullpen to preserve as many of Kleiman's innings as he could. Sedlar came in, and then, with Menominee threatening in the sixth inning, Olsen came in to out out the fire. It looked like it would happen, too, when Olsen caught a Menominee runner in a pickle between second and third base. But unfortunately, Nick Vandermissen's throw to third baseman Tim Lueneburg was wild, and the tying run scored. The Cubs could mount no offensive threat, and in the bottom of the eighth inning, Menominee scored the game-winning run. The news was better for the Gladstone Indians, although they had a rough defensive inning as well in their game against the Sault Travelers. After the Soo scored a run in the top of the first inning, the Indians got two in the bottom half to take the lead. Justin Jurek led off with a walk, then Christian Groleau put down a bunt that was thrown away for an error. Jurek scored the tying run on a passed ball, and then Groleau scored on an RBI single by Hayden Hardwick. Then in the third inning, the Indians scored two more runs. Jurek, again, led off with a walk, and Groleau, again, put down a perfect bunt. This time it was a base hit, right down the third base line. Cody Frazer brought home one run with a base hit to right field, and then Groleau scored on a bad relay throw on what would have been a double play grounder. So, Gladstone had a 4-1 lead after four innings of play. In the fifth inning, however, two errors by third baseman Lucas LaCosse, a couple of walks, a passed ball, and a wild pitch allowed the Travelers to tie the game. They scored three runs on no base hits in that inning. But Gladstone came back quickly. After Frazer was robbed of extra bases by a diving outfielder, Jake Pearson got a two-out double. Pearson scored on an opposite-field base hit by Hunter Garling. Then the Indians got an insurance run in the sixth inning with James Capolilupo ripped a double and then scored on a single by Groleau. Jurek threw the entire game for Gladstone, and he threw well. Only one of the four runs against him was earned. Jurek gave up just four base hits, and struck out nine batters. Tyler Kirkland took the loss for the Soo, allowing six runs on nine hits and two walks.
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| Date | Time | Opponent | Score | Record |
5/1 |
6:00 PM |
Marquette Redmen
|
9 - 7 (W)
|
1-0
|
5/8 |
6:30 PM |
at Marquette Blues
|
3 - 8 (L)
|
1-1
|
5/18 |
12:30 PM |
at Escanaba Eskymos
|
0 - 5 (L)
|
1-2
|
5/18 |
3:00 PM |
Negaunee Miners
|
14 - 3 (W)
|
2-2
|
5/19 |
12:00 PM |
at Kingsford Legion Blues
|
1 - 5 (L)
|
2-3
|
5/19 |
2:30 PM |
at Kingsford Legion Blues
|
4 - 16 (L)
|
2-4
|
5/23 |
6:30 PM |
Marquette Blues
|
4 - 15 (L)
|
2-5
|
5/28 |
6:30 PM |
at Channing Railroaders
|
1 - 5 (L)
|
2-6
|
5/31 |
6:30 PM |
at Marquette Blues
|
4 - 14 (L)
|
2-7
|
6/6 |
6:30 PM |
Ishpeming Blue Storm
|
12 - 0 (W)
|
3-7
|
6/8 |
1:00 PM |
at Hancock Legion
|
17 - 5 (W)
|
4-7
|
6/8 |
3:30 PM |
at Hancock Legion
|
15 - 7 (W)
|
5-7
|
6/10 |
6:30 PM |
at Mid County Mavericks
|
8 - 3 (W)
|
6-7
|
6/13 |
6:30 PM |
Kingsford Legion Blues
|
3 - 2 (W)
|
7-7
|
6/15 |
2:00 PM |
at Oconto Falls Legion
|
10 - 0 (W)
|
8-7
|
6/15 |
4:30 PM |
at Oconto Falls Legion
|
14 - 2 (W)
|
9-7
|
6/18 |
5:30 PM |
Channing Railroaders
|
7 - 4 (W)
|
10-7
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6/18 |
8:00 PM |
Channing Railroaders
|
10 - 0 (W)
|
11-7
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6/21 |
5:30 PM |
Eastern U.P. Travelers
|
3 - 2 (W)
|
12-7
|
6/21 |
8:00 PM |
Petoskey Legion
|
0 - 1 (L)
|
12-8
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6/22 |
4:45 PM |
DePere Panthers
|
4 - 5 (L)
|
12-9
|
6/22 |
7:00 PM |
Plover, Wis.
|
3 - 8 (L)
|
12-10
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6/25 |
8:00 PM |
at Escanaba Cubs
|
3 - 0 (W)
|
13-10
|
6/26 |
6:00 PM |
Newberry Warriors
|
4 - 3 (W)
|
14-10
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6/26 |
8:00 PM |
Newberry Warriors
|
2 - 2 (T)
|
14-10-1
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6/29 |
8:30 AM |
at Sault Ste. Marie (Ontario) Black Sox
|
3 - 2 (W)
|
15-10-1
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6/29 |
12:30 PM |
at Newberry Warriors
|
3 - 7 (L)
|
15-11-1
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6/30 |
1:00 PM |
Hancock Legion
|
2 - 3 (L)
|
15-12-1
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6/30 |
3:00 PM |
Onaway Cardinals
|
10 - 1 (W)
|
16-12-1
|
7/3 |
6:00 PM |
Escanaba Cubs
|
3 - 1 (W)
|
17-12-1
|
7/7 |
1:00 PM |
Hancock Legion
|
13 - 3 (W)
|
18-12-1
|
7/7 |
3:30 PM |
Hancock Legion
|
3 - 7 (L)
|
18-13-1
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7/9 |
5:30 PM |
Mid County Mavericks
|
11 - 0 (W)
|
19-13-1
|
7/11 |
6:30 PM |
Marquette Blues
|
6 - 0 (W)
|
20-13-1
|
7/20 |
4:00 PM |
Kingsford Legion Blues
|
1 - 5 (L)
|
20-14-1
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7/24 |
5:00 PM |
Eastern U.P. Travelers
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6 - 4 (W)
|
21-14-1
|
7/25 |
7:00 PM |
at Menominee Red Wave Legion
|
5 - 4 (W)
|
22-14-1
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7/27 |
6:00 PM |
Hancock Legion
|
10 - 0 (W)
|
23-14-1
|
7/28 |
12:00 PM |
at Escanaba Cubs
|
15 - 0 (W)
|
24-14-1
|
8/1 |
1:30 PM |
Hancock Legion
|
15 - 1 (W)
|
25-14-1
|
8/1 |
6:30 PM |
at Hudson Legion
|
0 - 2 (L)
|
25-15-1
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8/2 |
11:30 AM |
Gladwin
|
10 - 3 (W)
|
26-15-1
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8/2 |
3:00 PM |
Hancock Legion
|
5 - 0 (W)
|
27-15-1
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8/3 |
10:00 AM |
Escanaba Cubs
|
0 - 1 (L)
|
27-16-1
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