U.P. CHAMPS! Gladstone Boys Headed Downstate

GLADSTONE---The Gladstone 10-11 year-0ld Little League All-Star baseball team has reached its second goal in a series of three. And now, it's time to go after the big one.

Gladstone outlasted its nemisis, Norway, in 95-degree heat last week in the district championship game in Iron Mountain. And on Sunday, the boys beat an unknown opponent, Baraga County, 21-0 and 15-0, to win the U.P. sectional championship.

Gladstone pitcher Zach Hanson.

And now the boys are headed to Kalamazoo to play in the state tournament.

Gladstone played a Baraga County squad that had not played a game, winning the District Eleven championship by default.

The Baraga coaches knew that this would be a tough match-up, but they wanted their boys to get some All-Star tournament experience.

Gladstone took advantage of the Baraga inexperience with numerous stolen bases, wild pitches, and defensive errors.

But in both games, as the score got higher, Gladstone Coach Erik Hanson told his kids to stop advancing more than one base, out of respect for the Baraga team.

Austin Lejeune drives home Cameron Kelly.

In the first game, Gladstone ace Justin Malmstead threw just 20 pitches. He was relieved by Drake Forrest, and there were plenty of runs, as Gladstone scored three runs in the first inning, seven in the second, and eleven runs in the third inning.

Cole Hansen led the way with two singles and a triple, two runs batted in, and four runs scored. Caden Alworden had a hit and two walks and also scored four times. Zach Hanson had two hits, a walk, a sacrafice fly, three RBI, and scored three times.

Malmstead had a hit and two walks, scoring twice. Peyton Fedell had two doubles and a walk, Drake Forrest had a pair of run-scoring hits and he crossed the plate twice.

And Austin Lejuene had an RBI double, and Riley Baldovski added an RBI single.

In the second game, Baraga pitcher got Eric Simpson got the first two batters he faced, but Gladstone would score seven times in the inning as four walks and a couple of defensive errors hurt the District 11 champions.

Fedell had a two-run single.

Gladstone added six more runs in the second inning, with the highlight being Zach Hanson's shot to center that went past the outfielder all the way to the fence.

Zach Hanson inside-the-park home run

It ended up being a three-run, inside-the-park home run for the happy Hanson.

Gladstone scored two more runs in the third inning, with one of them scoring on a triple by Kelly. Both of Sunday's games ended in the fourth inning on the mercy rule.

Hanson, Fedell, and Alworden all pitched for Gladstone. The two Simpson boys, Eric and Kyle, shared the pitching duties for Baraga County.

Gladstone will open state tournament play in Parchment next Saturday morning at 10:30.

We will post more information about that state tournament here once we get the info.

Click the thumbnails in the ARTICLE HIGHLIGHTS box to see photos and videos from Sunday's sectional games.