|
Final Four Set For Upper Peninsula Zone 5 Tourney
 MARQUETTE---After being delayed by one day due to the weather forecast, the Upper Peninsula Zone Five American Legion baseball tournament went off without any problems on Friday in Marquette and Ishpeming.
Everybody played two games, and when the dust settled, four teams finished the day undefeated and will play in the semifinals on Saturday afternoon (after playing one more pool game in the morning).
 MARQUETTE 5, GLADSTONE 4 (8 INN)---Perhaps the best game of the day was the longest, between the Marquette Blues and the Gladstone Indians. Marquette won the game on a walk-off base hit by Jake Toyras, after Gladstone's chance in the top of the inning ended with a great play from Blues center fielder Logan Peterson.
With the automatic runner on second base, Tyler Darmogray ripped a shot to center field, and Johnny Soderman was sent home. But Peterson came up throwing and threw a strike to catcher Isaac Sarles at the plate. The tag on Soderman ended the threat, although the Indians argued profusely that Soderman safe.
In the seventh, Gladstone threatened when Aedan Creten walked and Cooper Sanville got a base hit off Blues pitcher Morgan Robar. Noah Peterson came up and ripped a bullet toward right field, but it was caught by Blues second baseman Easton Miller.
ESCANABA 13, ISHPEMING 3---The Cubs fell behind the Blue Storm early, 3-0, when Isak Ruspakka smacked a two-run double and Ethan Corp added a solo home run off pitcher Nick Chiu. But the Cubs got going in the fourth inning by scoring nine times.
Ben Johnson and Reese Korhonen both got RBI doubles, Bryce Blixt contributed a sacrifice fly, and Bon LaChance brought home two runs with a base hit to left field. That made it a 6-3 Cubs lead, and then Jack McEvers added a two-run double. A couple more runs scored on two Ishpeming errors.
McEvers added another RBI single in the bottom of the fifth, and Matt Kaven's RBI single gave Escanaba a 13-3 lead, which ended the game on the mercy rule.
 NORWAY 4, GLADSTONE 1---The Vikings scored all four of their runs in the fifth inning as the Indians made a critical error, leading to three unearned runs. Gladstone had grabbed a 1-0 lead on a ground ball by Aedan Creten that produced two outs, but brought Tyler Darmogray home. It stayed 1-0 deep into the game as Norway's Carson Chartier and Gladstone's Braden Sundquist were locked in a pitcher's duel.
Until the fateful fifth inning, when Sundquist committed an error on Nolan Amundson's grounder. He went all the way to third base on the bad throw, and two runs scored. Then a couple of ground balls plated the final two runs for the Vikings, making it 4-1.
Each team ended up with only three base hits apiece. Chartier threw all seven innings for the win, walking three and striking out four. Sundquist took the loss, throwing all six innings, striking out six and walking three.
Gladstone was eliminated from the tournament, although they will play one final game Saturday morning against Copper Country. The Indians will be in next week's state tournament because they are the host team.
Norway advanced to the semifinals. They'll play Marquette Saturday morning in a pool play game that means nothing. Then it's on to the semifinals in the afternoon.
ESCANABA 19, BARK RIVER 0---The Cubs had three players combine to drive in 14 runs as they routed the Bucs in Ishpeming. Bon LaChance crushed two home runs and drove in six in the mercy-shortened win. Matt Kaven also went deep with a homer off the Ishpeming “launching pad”, and he had three runs. Adrian Mercier was 3-for-3 and he had five runs batted in. Trent Turchin threw all five innings and had a no-hitter, allowing only two baserunners (walk, error).
MARQUETTE 8, COPPER COUNTRY 4---Keith Judici belted a solo home run and added a run-scoring double to pace the Blues offensive attack in the come-from-behind win. Isaac Sarles had two hits and three runs batted in. Dakota Maki pitched four innings for a no-decision, with Aiden Steele throwing the final three earnings to earn the victory.
NORWAY 13, COPPER COUNTRY 3---Michael Peterson had three hits and drove in three runs for the Vikings, and Cole Baij was in control on the mound, striking out eleven batters and walking none in six innings of work. Henry Switzer took the loss for the Flames. Norway advanced to the U.P. Semifinals. The Flames are eliminated.
 FRIDAY'S U.P. ZONE FIVE SCOREBOARD Escanaba 13, Ishpeming 3
SATURDAY SCHEDULE 10 a.m. In Marquette----Gladstone vs Copper Country 10 a.m. In Ishpeming---Escanaba vs Eastern U.P. (LIVE on FM-106.3) Noon in Ishpeming—Ishpeming vs Bark River
SEMIFINALS SATURDAY (Norway, Marquette, Escanaba, Eastern U.P.) |
