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Kowalski, Steinhoff Lead Braves Back To Final Four
 TRAVERSE CITY---After a one year absence, the Gladstone High School girls softball team is headed back to Michigan State University. The girls came through with a 6-2 win over the Manistee Chippewas Tuesday in an MHSAA Division Three state quarterfinal game at Traverse City St. Francis High School. So now, it's on to the Final Four. Gladstone will face the defending state champions, and current top-ranked team in the state, Monroe St. Mary Catholic Central, in the semifinal Friday at 12:30. The Braves were around the .500 mark for most of the regular season, but worked through a nine-team district tournament and then surprised Kalkaska on the way to a regional championship last Saturday in Charlevoix. Gladstone got contributions from its key players again on Tuesday to beat another team whose record was better than that of the Braves. Gladstone took a 1-0 lead in the first inning on a suicide squeeze bunt by Morgan Kowalski, scoring Alyssa Polley from first base. The teams exchanged runs until it was tied, 2-2, after three innings, before Gladstone took a 3-2 lead in the top of the fifth inning. It was still a nailbiter until the seventh inning, when the Braves broke the game open with three runs. Kowalski smoked a two-run double just out of the center fielder's reach to make it 5-2, then Tasi Martinez singled home another run to make it a 6-2 game. Jenna Steinhoff was strong again in the picther's circle for Gladstone. She scattered six base hits and issued no walks, striking out six batters. Gladstone's record improved to 26-14 on the season while the Chippewas fell to 29-9 overall. Gladstone won the state championship in 2014 in Coach Ashley Hughes' first season as head coach, but lost in the regionals last season. Now, the Braves are back at MSU in the Final Four, and will be underdogs again on Friday afternoon. The Braves' game from MSU will be broadcast live on WCHT-AM (600), and on-line at www.rrnsports.com, with the pre-game show starting at noon on Friday. |
| Date | Time | Opponent | Score | Record |
3/25 |
4:00 PM |
at Escanaba Eskymos
|
2 - 5 (L)
|
0-1
|
3/25 |
6:00 PM |
at Marquette Redmen
|
2 - 8 (L)
|
0-2
|
3/26 |
9:00 AM |
Norway Knights
|
8 - 2 (W)
|
1-2
|
3/29 |
3:00 PM |
at Green Bay Preble
|
0 - 10 (L)
|
1-3
|
3/29 |
5:00 PM |
at Green Bay Preble
|
0 - 1 (L)
|
1-4
|
4/21 |
4:00 PM |
Kingsford Flivvers
|
1 - 0 (W)
|
2-4
|
4/21 |
6:00 PM |
Kingsford Flivvers
|
16 - 15 (W)
|
3-4
|
4/23 |
10:00 AM |
Hancock Bulldogs
|
16 - 0 (W)
|
4-4
|
4/23 |
11:00 AM |
Norway Knights
|
2 - 3 (L)
|
4-5
|
4/26 |
4:00 PM |
at Marquette Redmen
|
0 - 1 (L)
|
4-6
|
4/26 |
6:00 PM |
at Marquette Redmen
|
6 - 8 (L)
|
4-7
|
4/29 |
4:00 PM |
at Traverse City St. Francis
|
4 - 3 (W)
|
5-7
|
4/30 |
10:00 AM |
at Kalkaska High School
|
1 - 8 (L)
|
5-8
|
4/30 |
1:00 PM |
at Petoskey Northmen
|
1 - 3 (L)
|
5-9
|
5/2 |
4:45 PM |
at Kingsford Flivvers
|
1--- - 0 (W)
|
6-9
|
5/2 |
6:30 PM |
at Kingsford Flivvers
|
1--- - 0 (W)
|
7-9
|
5/3 |
4:00 PM |
Marquette Redmen
|
0 - 8 (L)
|
7-10
|
5/3 |
6:00 PM |
Marquette Redmen
|
- (T)
|
RAIN
|
5/5 |
4:00 PM |
Sault Ste. Marie Blue Devils
|
6 - 5 (W)
|
8-10
|
5/5 |
6:00 PM |
Sault Ste. Marie Blue Devils
|
9 - 1 (W)
|
9-10
|
5/10 |
4:00 PM |
Rapid River Rockets
|
5 - 3 (W)
|
10-10
|
5/10 |
6:00 PM |
Rapid River Rockets
|
14 - 0 (W)
|
11-10
|
5/12 |
4:00 PM |
Negaunee Miners
|
9 - 1 (W)
|
12-10
|
5/12 |
6:00 PM |
Negaunee Miners
|
9 - 2 (W)
|
13-10
|
5/14 |
9:30 AM |
Neenah, Wis.
|
5 - 4 (W)
|
14-10
|
5/14 |
1:30 PM |
Marquette Redmen
|
3 - 2 (W)
|
15-10
|
5/14 |
3:30 PM |
at Escanaba Eskymos
|
0 - 10 (L)
|
15-11
|
5/17 |
4:00 PM |
at Escanaba Eskymos
|
0 - 10 (L)
|
15-12
|
5/17 |
6:00 PM |
at Escanaba Eskymos
|
0 - 6 (L)
|
15-13
|
5/20 |
4:00 PM |
at Sault Ste. Marie Blue Devils
|
22 - 6 (W)
|
16-13
|
5/20 |
6:00 PM |
at Sault Ste. Marie Blue Devils
|
18 - 8 (W)
|
17-13
|
5/21 |
10:00 AM |
Lincoln-Alcona
|
7 - 0 (W)
|
18-13
|
5/21 |
12:00 PM |
St. Louis High School
|
1 - 6 (L)
|
18-14
|
5/21 |
2:00 PM |
Boyne City
|
11 - 2 (W)
|
19-14
|
5/24 |
4:00 PM |
Escanaba Eskymos
|
- (T)
|
RAIN
|
5/24 |
6:00 PM |
Escanaba Eskymos
|
- (T)
|
RAIN
|
5/26 |
4:00 PM |
Manistique Emeralds
|
16 - 2 (W)
|
20-14
|
5/31 |
4:00 PM |
Calumet Copper Kings
|
5 - 0 (W)
|
21-14
|
6/4 |
9:30 AM |
Iron Mountain Mountaineers
|
14 - 1 (W)
|
22-14
|
6/4 |
11:45 AM |
Westwood Patriots
|
10 - 0 (W)
|
23-14
|
6/11 |
10:00 AM |
Kalkaska High School
|
8 - 6 (W)
|
24-14
|
6/11 |
2:00 PM |
Boyne City
|
6 - 1 (W)
|
25-14
|
