Braves Run To Bailey Park Stopped By USA Patriots

TRAVERSE CITY---The Gladstone Braves have played more games at Battle Creek's Bailey Park over the past decade than any other northern Michigan softball team.

But this season will not end with a game on the plush fields of Cereal City. The Gladstone Braves lost to powerhouse Unionville-Sebewaing, 7-0, in the Division Three state quarterfinals Tuesday afternoon at Traverse City West High School.

"They're a good ball club," Gladstone Coach Jerry Smith said. "But we should have been better than that. I don't think that they are seven runs better than us."

The downstate team pounded out 16 base hits while the Braves managed just three hits off of Patriot pitcher Erica Trieber. The game was scoreless until the fourth inning when USA scored against Braves starter Alison Austin. Then in the fifth inning, the flood gates opened as the Braves allowed five runs in a miscue-filled frame.

"Our defense was terrible," Smith said. "In that inning, it was mistake after mistake after mistake. Allie (Austin) wasn't getting the calls on the corners. So, in every batter that inning, she'd get behind 3-0. She'd work back to get load it up (the count, at 3-2), but then they'd hit one right back up the middle."

USA's Allison Hoppe had a home run and Stephanie Neuman had three hits.

Gladstone has played in the state semifinals in eight of the last ten years, winning state championships in 2004 and 2009.

But this time, the Michigan High School Athletic Association changed the configuration of which regional champions would face each other in the quarterfinal round. And Unionville moved up from Division Four to Division Three for this softball season.

Smith says that this game would not have happened yet under last year's format.

"The way it was before, this would have been the (state) final," Smith said. "But it is what it is. And I don't know what they (MHSAA) will do with the regionals next year."

Gladstone finishes its season 28-2, with its only other loss coming to Marquette in the Superior Dome back in March.

"It was a great season," Smith said. "It's tough for the seniors to have to go out this way."

USA is now 38-3 on the season, and has outscored its five playoff opponents 59-0. The Patriots will face Holton in the state semifinals Friday morning in Battle Creek.

Date	Time	Opponent	Score	Record

3/29	6:00 PM	Manistique Emeralds	18 - 0 (W)	1-0

3/30	1:00 PM	Escanaba Eskymos	8 - 3 (W)	2-0

3/30	4:00 PM	at Marquette Redmen	4 - 5 (L)	2-1

4/24	4:00 PM	Marquette Redmen	9 - 5 (W)	3-1

4/24	6:00 PM	Marquette Redmen	7 - 0 (W)	4-1

4/26	5:00 PM	Peshtigo Bulldogs	12 - 0 (W)	5-1

5/2	4:00 PM	Sault Ste. Marie Blue Devils	12 - 4 (W)	6-1

5/2	6:00 PM	Sault Ste. Marie Blue Devils	RAIN - RAIN (T)

5/3	3:30 PM	at Traverse City St. Francis	12 - 0 (W)	7-1

5/3	5:00 PM	at Traverse City St. Francis	2 - 1 (W)	8-1

5/4	9:00 AM	at Cadillac Vikings	9 - 2 (W)	9-1

5/4	11:00 AM	at Benzie Central Legion	11 - 0 (W)	10-1

5/4	2:00 PM	at Reed City Coyotes	11 - 0 (W)	11-1

5/7	4:00 PM	at Rapid River Rockets	8 - 2 (W)	12-1

5/7	6:00 PM	at Rapid River Rockets	15 - 1 (W)	13-1

5/9	4:00 PM	at Negaunee Miners	19 - 2 (W)	14-1

5/11	9:00 AM	Reese Rockets	4 - 1 (W)	15-1

5/14	4:00 PM	at Escanaba Eskymos	4 - 1 (W)	16-1

5/14	6:00 PM	at Escanaba Eskymos	6 - 2 (W)	17-1

5/18	10:00 AM	St. Louis High School	8 - 0 (W)	18-1

5/18	12:00 PM	Birch Run	6 - 1 (W)	19-1

5/18	2:00 PM	New Boston Huron High School	3 - 0 (W)	20-1

5/18	4:00 PM	Tawas	7 - 3 (W)	21-1

5/21	4:00 PM	Escanaba Eskymos	4 - 2 (W)	22-1

5/21	6:00 PM	Escanaba Eskymos	4 - 3 (W)	23-1

5/28	4:00 PM	Manistique Emeralds	10 - 0 (W)	24-1

5/28	6:00 PM	Pickford Panthers	18 - 0 (W)	25-1

6/1	12:00 PM	Negaunee Miners	4 - 0 (W)	26-1

6/8	10:00 AM	Boyne City	8 - 2 (W)	27-1

6/8	2:00 PM	Tawas	4 - 1 (W)	28-1

6/11	3:00 PM	Unionville-Sebewaing	0 - 7 (L)	28-2