The Indians won two games and lost the other two, with both of the losses coming because of unearned runs due to a variety of physical and mental errors.
On Sunday, the Indians lost their first game to Hancock, 3-2, before beating Onaway, 10-1, in the third place game. On Saturday, Gladstone won a morning game against Sault Ste. Marie (Ont.), 3-2, before falling to the host Newberry Warriors, 7-3.
Indians pitcher Justin Jurek threw a complete game, allowing just five hits and no walks, but the unearned run at the end gave him a pitching loss.
Gladstone, however, got nothing going offensively to give Jurek support.
Tyler LaDuron went the distance for Hancock, allowing just two Indians base hits.
The Indians wrapped up its weekend with a 10-1 win over Onaway in the third-place game of this six-team tournament.
Lucas LaCosse relieved a struggling Christian Tackman with runners on second and third in the second and Gladstone trailing the Cardinals, 1-0.
After walking the first batter he faced to load the bases, LaCosse retired the final eleven batters he faced to get the win.
"Lucas was pounding the strike zone," Indians Manager Jim Groleau said. "He was throwing great."
The Gladstone bats finally came to life in an eight-run bottom of the fourth inning to break open what was a tight 2-1 game. Tackman had a two-run double and Hunter Garling, Cody Frazer and Jake Pearson all had RBI hits during that inning.
Elliot Danhoff and Christian Groleau were out with injuries, and Groleau had no help from the Junior Indians players because the younger kids were in the Sault for a tournament.
"It hurts when you don't have a bench to turn to," Coach Groleau said. "You can never give anybody a rest. It gets tough on the kids when you have such a demanding schedule and no reserves. (But) we'll keep battling and get through it."
In Saturdays opener against the Black Sox, Hunter Garling went 4 2/3 innings allowing just one earned run on three hits to get the win. Christian Groleau , pitching with a torn meniscus in his left knee, recorded the final out with the bases loaded to get the save as the game was called after five innings due to tournament time limit.
Jurek's two-run single in the first inning gave the Indians an early 2-0 lead, and LaCosse's suicide squeeze scored Garling in the fourth to give Gladstone a 3-1 lead.
The Black Sox tried to rally in the fifth inning on an RBI double by Jeb Pallot before Gladstone shut the door.
In Saturdays nightcap, Gladstone fell to the host Newberry Warriors team, 7-3, with six of the seven runs being unearned runs.
Jake Pearson went the distance on the mound for Gladstone allowing six hits. He struck out ten batters, but lost because of errors.
"Jake deserved a better outcome," Coach Groleau said. "He was in charge and overpowering at times. We dropped two fly balls and lost another in the blue sky. We gave them six runs right there," Coach Groleau said.
Pearson and Cody Frazer led Gladstone with two hits each against Newberry.
"Our pitchers threw well all weekend ,giving up just five earned runs," Coach Groleau said. "As a team we're just not swinging good bats right now. We're swinging at bad pitches, and not putting the bat on the ball with runners in scoring position.
"We need to get better if we're going to make some noise in the (post-season)tournament."
Gladstone (16-12-1) hosts the Escanaba Cubs Wednesday night at Don Olsen Field.
Pictured above: Indians relax before Saturday's game. (Kym Frazer photo)
