U.P. CHAMPIONS! Curtis Leads Indians To Title

Click the thumbnails to see photos taken by Jayger Quinn, and to see video highlights. Click the AUDIO buttons to hear post-game interviews.

ESCANABA---The Gladstone Indians American Legion Baseball team won the Upper Peninsula Zone Five championship on Saturday, beating the Eastern U.P. Wood Ducks, 4-0, Saturday in Escanaba. Cooper Curtis threw a complete-game shutout.

The Indians made the state tournament for the third straight year, but this time, they enter as U.P. champions. Gladstone was in the state tournament last year as the host team, and two years ago, traveled to Trenton for the tournament after a downstate team dropped out.

This time, the Indians earned it the hard way. The Indians had to win four games in three days, had to wait out a long rain delay, and were down to their final out against their arch-rivals before coming through with the championship.

Curtis allowed just four hits in seven innings of work, and he walked only one batter. And the Indians gave Curtis a 3-0 lead when Isaac Ketchum smoked a two-run double over the left fielder's head. Austin Pepin followed with an RBI single to make it 3-0.

EUP pitcher Ordin Medrick kept the Wood Ducks in the game, but he got no run support from his teammates.

The Wood Ducks got only five baserunners in the seven innings, with Trey Lynn getting two hits. They were robbed of more by solid defense from Indians shortstop Tyler Darmogray on back-to-back plays to end the fifth inning.

The second play, retiring Ethan Chambers, was a highlight reel stop from the edge of the outfield grass, and from his knees, gunned it to first base to end that inning.

Gladstone's final run was a lucky one, when the Indians had the bases loaded in the fifth inning on an error and two walks. Ketchum tried to squeeze home the run, pulled back, but Casey Alworden kept coming, stealing home plate, makimg it a 4-0 game.

And so now the Indians advance to the state tournament in Marquette, where they will open the tournament against Gaylord at 1:30 Thursday afternoon. Gaylord won their zone title on Monday, beating the Northern Michigan Patriots, 9-0.

The entire state tournament will be broadcast live on WUPT-FM (100.3 The Point) in Marquette, and on WCHT-FM/AM (600) in Gladstone.