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SPLIT DECISION: Legion Tourney Played In Felch
 Click the thumbnails to see photos and videos, and listen to interviews wit Golds' Nolan Amundson and Kingsford's Jack Kriegl. FELCH---Three American Legion Baseball teams played in a round-robin tournament Saturday on the historic Felch Field in Dickinson County, and all three teams left the event with a victory.  That game saw two Norway Knight teammates hook up in a pitcher's dual, with the Golds' Nolan Amundson getting one step on Niagara's Alex Ortman. The third game saw Kingsford rally for a 8-7 walk-off win over Iron Mountain in a game that featured a bunch of Kingsford High School Flivvers playing on opposite teams. The Golds scored two runs in the second inning against Niagara, when Sawyer Pugh got a one-out single and scored on a ground-rule double to left field by Chase Carlson. Tony Kralovec brought Carlson home with an RBI single to make it 2-0. The Niagara team had baserunning issues, with a man picked off of first base and another thrown out at the plate in the third inning. Amundson also picked off another baserunner in the second inning. Then, Amundson struck out the side in both the third and fourth innings, and he fanned two batters in both the fifth and sixth innings.  "My last outing wasn't too hot," Amundson said. "So I knew that I had to come here and prove, throw my strikes, and just at least do my job and keep us in the game. I got it done today, barely." Ortman took the loss, scattering seven hits and stiking out six batters, walking three. In the next game, Golds pitcher Isaac Lorenzoni struggled, walking four batters and allowing three hits to the young Kimgsford team, Gavin Trevillian's two-run single put Kingsford ahead, 5-1, in the second inning, ending the day for Lorenzoni. Carson Chartier came on to pitch for the Golds, and he put up four shutout innings, allowing the Golds to battle back in the game. They scored two runs in the fifth inning, then used some small ball in the sixth inning to take a 7-5 lead. Bunts by Carson McLean, Ian Popp and Henry McRoberts moved runners around, with McRoberts' bunt being thrown away, allowing the go-ahead runs to score.  Joey Weber was safe on an error with one out, and Garrett Brown and Trevillian followed with base hits to load the bases, ending the pitching day for Chartier. That brought in Pugh, looking for his second save of the day. He got Flivver teammate Nic Novara to fly out to right field for the second out. But freshman Gavin Grondin came through with a two-strike, two-out base hit to center field to bring home a run, making it 7-6. Then Pugh walked Aiden Ellis to force in the tying run. That brought up another freshman, Jack Kriegl, and he rifled a base hit to right-center field to bring home the winning run for the Blues. "I actually know Sawyer pretty well and we're good buddies," Kriegl said. "I was nervous because he's a good pitcher. He throws pretty hard, and all I needed was a base-knock and I got it done. We showed up here. We knew that everyone thought we were going to be a little weaker, so we had to show ourselves. The first game was a tough loss, but the second one, we came in and knew what we had to do, and we did it." After the game, the Kingsford kids and the Kingsford boys on the Golds team exchanged handshakes and a few hugs. And that's how a fun baseball day ended on one of the Upper Peninsula's most historic fields. All three teams ended with 1-1 records. SATURDAY GAME NOTES: The money raised by large 50/50 raffles, nearly $700 altogether over the three games, went to the Felch Township Volunteer Fire Department, which has its station located behind the left field fence...Two baseballs signed by Detroit Tigers 1968 World Champion player John Hiller, who lives in Felch, were given away as a second prize in the 50/50...The Felch Field will be alive again for four days of baseball over the Labor Day Weekend as the 52nd annual adult tournament is held, here.  |
