GLADSTONE---The Gladstone High School baseball team opened a five-game season ending homestand Monday with a pair of victories over the Houghton Gremlins, 4-0 and 8-3, at Don Olsen Field. Both games were six-inning contests.
A.J. Lundberg threw a complete game three-hitter in the opener, while Noah Olsen and Nick Trudeau split the pitching duties in the second game.
Olsen threw the first two and two-thirds innings, giving up three runs (two earned). Trudeau threw the final three and one third innings, allowing no runs on two hits, and earning the pitching victory.
It was quite a doubleheader for Owen Hanson.
In the first game, he jump-started the offensively-challenged Braves by using his speed to put his team in front.
Hanson got a leadoff single, and as he stole second, he went to third when the throw went into the outfield. After the next two batters went out, Braves Manager Don Lauscher decided to make something happen on the bases.
He told Hanson to steal home, and he did.
"I just saw that he (pitcher Alan Jurmu) had a slow windup, so I just had to measure it up to see if I could get enough jump to get home," Hanson said. "He (Lauscher) just told me to get the good jump, and 'if you get it, go for it'. I just had to make sure that I got down on the first part of the plate (in his slide) So he didn't have a chance to tag me."
"He's just such a gamer," Lauscher said. "He's so aggressive. That's why Owen is moving up in the batting order. everything you ask him to do, you can just count on him to get all those small little things done. He's definitely doing that for us right now."
In the fifth inning, Gladstone still led, 1-0, when Dan Martin got a leadoff single.
Hanson drew a walk, and after Hunter Botruff popped up a bunt attempt, Brandon Cooper came through with a two-run single from the #9 hole to make it a 3-0 Gladstone game.
Then in the sixth inning, Hanson had an RBI single to make it a 4-0 game, which was plenty for Lundberg, who allowed only one hit until the sixth inning, when the Gremlins got two hits. Justin Norkol led off that inning with a Houghton single, but Lundberg was helped by his defense when Alan Jurmu hit into a 6-4-3 double play.
That twin-killing was started by Ben Schwalbach at short, who tossed it to Cooper at second, who relayed it to Elliot Danhoff at first. That became big because Houghton's Cole Jepsen smoked a double to the fence on the next play.
But even that didn't matter in the end, as Schwalbach made another nice play at shortstop to end the game.
In the second game, the Braves got off a quick start, with four runs in the first inning against Gremlins potcher Zach Jordan. And Hanson was huge in that rally too, starting things off with a bunt single up the third place line. He eventually scored when Tyson Seymour walked, and Martin and Schwalbach were both hit by pitches.
Clay Cole followed with a sacrafice fly to make it 2-0, then Lucas Weinert came through with a sharply-hit base hit that scored two runs, and it was a 4-0 Braves lead.
In the second inning, Hanson was at it again, smacking an RBI single to bring home Hunter Botruff, who led off the inning with a walk and went to second on a wild pitch.
Later in the inning, Schwalbach's RBI single made it 6-0, and the Braves nearly scored two more but Weinert was robbed of a base hit and two runs batted in on a lunging catch by Jurmu in right field. That catch was made just above the grass.
Houghton scored its three runs in the top of the third inning, chasing Olsen from the mound. There were three walks in the inning, and Reid Pietila smoked a two-run double to center field. He eventually scored on a wild pitch, making it a 6-3 game.
But Houghton (10-13) would get no closer against Trudeau, as he allowed just two hits and a walk over the final three innings. Gladstone's final two runs of the nightcap came in the fifth inning on an RBI double by Botruff and an RBI single by Jack Stephenson.
That hit was the second of the game for Stephensnon, along with a pinch-hit bunt single.
As for Hanson, in the doubleheader, he was 4-for-4, with a walk. He drove in two runs, and he scored four runs...including that one on the stolen plate.
Gladstone (16-12) is off until Friday, when the homestand continues with a doubleheader against the better-than-their-record-indicates Marquette Redmen.
Game time for the opener is 4:30. The games will be broadcast live on WCHT-AM (600), and on-line at www.rrnsports.com.
The Gladstone junior varsity Braves will play at Bark River-Harris on Tuesday.
Click the thumbnails in the ARTICLE HIGHLIGHTS box above to see photos and videos taken by Nate Bellville, and listen to post-game interviews.
Olsen threw the first two and two-thirds innings, giving up three runs (two earned). Trudeau threw the final three and one third innings, allowing no runs on two hits, and earning the pitching victory.
It was quite a doubleheader for Owen Hanson.
In the first game, he jump-started the offensively-challenged Braves by using his speed to put his team in front.
Hanson got a leadoff single, and as he stole second, he went to third when the throw went into the outfield. After the next two batters went out, Braves Manager Don Lauscher decided to make something happen on the bases.
He told Hanson to steal home, and he did.
"I just saw that he (pitcher Alan Jurmu) had a slow windup, so I just had to measure it up to see if I could get enough jump to get home," Hanson said. "He (Lauscher) just told me to get the good jump, and 'if you get it, go for it'. I just had to make sure that I got down on the first part of the plate (in his slide) So he didn't have a chance to tag me."
In the fifth inning, Gladstone still led, 1-0, when Dan Martin got a leadoff single.
Hanson drew a walk, and after Hunter Botruff popped up a bunt attempt, Brandon Cooper came through with a two-run single from the #9 hole to make it a 3-0 Gladstone game.
Then in the sixth inning, Hanson had an RBI single to make it a 4-0 game, which was plenty for Lundberg, who allowed only one hit until the sixth inning, when the Gremlins got two hits. Justin Norkol led off that inning with a Houghton single, but Lundberg was helped by his defense when Alan Jurmu hit into a 6-4-3 double play.
That twin-killing was started by Ben Schwalbach at short, who tossed it to Cooper at second, who relayed it to Elliot Danhoff at first. That became big because Houghton's Cole Jepsen smoked a double to the fence on the next play.
But even that didn't matter in the end, as Schwalbach made another nice play at shortstop to end the game.
Clay Cole followed with a sacrafice fly to make it 2-0, then Lucas Weinert came through with a sharply-hit base hit that scored two runs, and it was a 4-0 Braves lead.
In the second inning, Hanson was at it again, smacking an RBI single to bring home Hunter Botruff, who led off the inning with a walk and went to second on a wild pitch.
Later in the inning, Schwalbach's RBI single made it 6-0, and the Braves nearly scored two more but Weinert was robbed of a base hit and two runs batted in on a lunging catch by Jurmu in right field. That catch was made just above the grass.
Houghton scored its three runs in the top of the third inning, chasing Olsen from the mound. There were three walks in the inning, and Reid Pietila smoked a two-run double to center field. He eventually scored on a wild pitch, making it a 6-3 game.
That hit was the second of the game for Stephensnon, along with a pinch-hit bunt single.
As for Hanson, in the doubleheader, he was 4-for-4, with a walk. He drove in two runs, and he scored four runs...including that one on the stolen plate.
Gladstone (16-12) is off until Friday, when the homestand continues with a doubleheader against the better-than-their-record-indicates Marquette Redmen.
Game time for the opener is 4:30. The games will be broadcast live on WCHT-AM (600), and on-line at www.rrnsports.com.
The Gladstone junior varsity Braves will play at Bark River-Harris on Tuesday.
Click the thumbnails in the ARTICLE HIGHLIGHTS box above to see photos and videos taken by Nate Bellville, and listen to post-game interviews.
