'THE HARD WAY': Gladstone LL Girls Win District

Click the thumbnails to see photos and videos, and hear comments from Gladstone Manager Tasi Martinez, and players Lauren Pare and Tahina Reynolds.

ESCANABA---The Gladstone Major Little League All-Star softball team (age 11-12) completed a big comeback through the loser's bracket to win the district championship with two wins over Escanaba, 6-4 and 16-6, Friday in Escanaba.

After losing to Escanaba on Wednesday, the Gladstone girls came focused, after beating Norway in an elimination game on Thursday.

"I told the girls after we beat Norway that sometimes, it's better at the end when you have to take the hard way there," Gladstone Manager Tasi Martinez said. "It makes the victory all the more sweet. And these girls came through and they delivered that victory today, two of them."

Gladstone had losr to Escanaba, 10-5, on Wednesday, but turned things around Fridat to earn a trip to the state tournament in the Detroit suburb of Grosse Pointe next weekend.

"I think what changed was the dynamic in the dugout," Martinez said. "Me, being a girl (age 22) coaching All-Stars for the first time, I came in kind of tense. I think how I came in impacted the girls. So today, I came in, and told the girls, this game is not a job. Once it becomes a job, quit. Let's go out thete and let's have some fun today."

And the girls took that to heart, especially pitcher Lauren Pare.

"We just put our minds to it and forgot everything that happened on Wednesday," Pare said. "We just went into it and gave it our all. My plan was to just to hit the corners and try to get it where they couldn't hit it. It worked a lot better today than it did. It really helps (to get run support) because I can just throw it down the middle and don't have to worry about striking them out."

The Gladstone girls are happy to be heading to the state tournament, where they will face three tough teams: Edawrdsburg Saturday at 12:15, Jackson Southwest Sunday at 10 a.m., and Bay County Monday at 12:15 p.m. All games will be broadcast on FM-93.5 and AM-600.

"I'm so excited," Gladstone infielder Tiahana Reynolds said. "It's an amazing moment. We just one step at a time, and played the game like we usually play it. I think we got it in our heads that we can do it."

And for Martinez, this is a whirlwind moment. She scored the game-winning run in the 2012 district championship game on this Escanaba field. Now, she is coaching a team that will play in the state tournament next weekend.

"It's one of those feelings that comes full circle," Martinez said. "My sister showed me the picture this morning (sconng that winning run ten years ago), and I was like, it's gonna be a good day! There's just some of those feelings where, like, it's gonna be a good day!"