American Legion Zone Five Tournament Kicks Off

This story was written by RRN Intern Braden Kerr

Thanks to Angela Maki for photos

ESCANABA--- The American Legion Zone 5 tournament got underway on Thursday with each participating team playing one game. The hosting duties are split between Don Olsen Field in Gladstone and Al Ness Field in Escanaba. The eight teams are split into two pools where the two best teams from each make it to the semi-finals on Saturday.

Gladstone bested Iron Mountain 11-4 and Marquette overcame an early deficit to beat Ishpeming 17-4 in the early games. Escanaba engineered a dramatic comeback in the sixth inning to defeat the Eastern UP Wood Ducks 10-6 while Copper Country battled Menominee to a 6-5 extra inning victory.

Gladstone 11 vs. Iron Mountain 4

The Gladstone Indians defeated the Iron Mountain Golds behind the bat of Aedan Creten and the arm of Tyler Darmogray. Creten had two hits and drove in four runs while Darmogray pitched six innings of four run ball.

The Indians socred three runs in the first and third innings and two runs in the sixth and sevent to put the game out of reach.

After a shaky first inning where two walks and a passed ball brough home a run for Iron Mountain, Tyler Darmogray did not allow another run until a three run sixth for the Golds.

Aedan Creten doubled home two runs in the first inning and singled home two runs in the sixth inning.

Casey Alworden executed a suicide squeeze bunt to score two runs for the Indians in the third inning.

Evan Haferkorn had two hits including a double and drove in a run for Iron Mountain. Carson McLean had a hit and drove in a run.

Marquette 17 vs. Ishpeming 4

The Ishpeming Blue Storm jumped out to 4-0 lead in the bottom of the first, but the Marquette Blues responded in a big way scoring ten runs in the top of the next inning and never looked back in the mercy rule victory.

Keith Judici, Kyle Frusti, and Brody Caster had multiple hits and drove in multiple runs for the Blues. Judici and Frusti both hit home runs in the big second inning for Marquette.

Hunter Smith had two hits and drove in two runs for the Blue Storm.

Escanaba 10 vs. Eastern UP 6
The sixth inning brought all the excitement for the late game in Escanaba as the Eastern UP Wood Ducks scored four runs in the top of the inning to open their lead to 6-1 before the Escanaba Cubs put nine runs up in the bottom of the inning to flip the game on its head.

Parker Frappier pitched well for the Cubs allowing two earned runs on six hits in five innings while walking none and striking out two.

Eastern UP scored one run in the third and the fifth inning while Escanaba scored one in the fourth to put the score at 2-1 going into the sixth inning.

Matt Lumsden doubled to start off the sixth and the bases were loaded following a HBP and a walk. Jack Bachaund singled two bring home two runs. Defensive indifference and an error allowed two more runs to cross for Eastern UP.

The bottom of the inning was highlighted by two errors at the start before singles by Nick Chiu, Lenny Peacock, Eli Gardner, Jack McEvers, and Bon LaChance singled home runs in the inning. Six of the runs were score scored with two out including the go-ahead run which came from McEvers.

Copper Country 6 vs. Menominee 5 (8 Inn.)
The Copper Country Flames and Menominee Red Wave needed extra innings to decide their contest on Thursday night. Kade Farrell had the game winning hit with a 2-2 count, two outs, and the bases loaded in the bottom of the eighth inning.

Copper Country only had four hits in the game, but two of them went for extra bases including a double and a Reed Heathman home run for the Flames.

In the back-and-forth game both teams saw leads disappear. Menominee led 3-2 before Copper Country scored three runs to take a 5-3 lead. That lead would stand going into the final inning.

In the top of the seventh inning Menominee scored two runs and had the bases loaded with only one out threatening to take the lead. The Red Wave failed to push another run across, and the game would go to extras where Farrell’s hit ended the game.

Ian Gorzynski had two hits including a triple for Menominee. Kennison Boivin pitched into the seventh inning before reaching his pitch count and Ethan Rusell would come on in relief.

Copper Country used five pitchers in an effort to conserve arms for the next two days of the tournament.

Friday’s Games
The schedule for the games on Friday are as follows.
Don Olsen Field in Gladstone- Menominee vs. Iron Mountain 11AM, Gladstone vs. Copper Country 2 PM, Gladstone vs. Menominee 5 PM, and Copper Country vs. Iron Mountain 8 PM.

Al Ness Field in Escanaba- Marquette vs. Eastern UP 11 AM, Escanaba vs. Ishpeming 2 PM,
Escanaba vs. Marquette 5 PM, and Eastern UP vs. Ishpeming 8 PM.