APPLETON, Wis.---The last time the Gladstone Braves faced the Appleton North Lightning, it wasn't pretty for the boys in purple. The Braves lost both ends of a doubleheader, 9-1 and 16-0, in a pair of often-embarrassing season-opening contests.
But when the two teams played again on Saturday in Appleton, the Braves gave the state-ranked Lightning all they could handle before dropping two games, 3-2 and 9-3. Braves pitcher Elliot Danhoff, one of the boys who was battered in that 2015 debacle, was strong on the mound Saturday before the Lightning won it at the end.
In that opener, Danhoff allowed only three base hits in the complete-game effort. But he walked six batters and hit three others with pitches.
To make matters worse, the Braves were unable to stop the Lightning from stealing bases, and so those walks and HBP's were, in effect, the same as doubles all afternoon long.
Gladstone took a 1-0 lead in the first inning when Braeden Lamberg ripped a double to the right field fence and scored on a single to left by Ben Scwalbach. The Lightning had baserunners in scoring position in every single inning except for the fifth inning, but Danhoff was able to continuously wiggle off of the hook.
Appleton North had two on base in the third inning but Lamberg threw out a runner trying to steal third as the Lightning tried to pull off a double steal. Danhoff then struck out #3 hitter Evan Sankey to end the inning. The Lightning scored two runs in the fourth inning to take the lead, but the Braves left that inning feeling fortunate to be down 2-1.
Danhoff walked three batters in that inning, including a bases-loaded free pass to Jacob Hiltunen, which tied the game at 1-1. The Braves committed their only error of the game during that inning, on a high throw to second base on a sacrafice bunt attempt.
After that bases-loaded walk, Braves Manager Don Lauscher visited the mound to lift Danhoff's spirits, and to settle him down. Danhoff coaxed Tony Krueger to hit one back up the middle that Brandon Cooper, Schwalbach, and Tyson Seymour turned into a 4-6-3 double play.
A run scored, making it 2-1, but it was a rally killer for Appleton.
Danhoff struck out Noah Kuester to end that scoring threat.
Gladstone went to work in the top of the fifth inning when Cooper and Lucus Weinert each drew walks and Jack Stephenson came through with an RBI single to tie the game at 2-2. The Lightning went to the bullpen, replacing starter Nick Imhoff with reliever Josh Gonzales. With two out, Gonzales hit Lamberg with a pitch to load the bases. That brought up Tyson Seymour, who's long fly ball to left field was caught at the warning track.
That was the last time the Braves threatened, as Gonzales got them 1-2-3 in both the sixth and seventh innings. Appleton won it in the seventh inning when, with one out, Taylor Borchers was hit by a pitch. He stole second base, and so the Braves then walked Sankey intentionally with two out, setting up a defensive force play at any base.
Clean-up hitter Brandon Kolgen fell behind in the count, but was able to hit Danhoff's hanging curveball on 1-2 for a base hit to score the game-winning run.
The second game was not as well-played as the opener, with the Braves commiting four earrors and the Lightning making three defensive miscues. Gladstone took a 2-0 lead in the first inning as Clay Cole and Lamberg led off with singles. Schwalbach drove in the first run with a hit, and A.J. Lundberg brought home another run with a suicide squeeze bunt.
Cooper started the game on the mound, and pitched into the fourth inning. But he gave up single runs in each of the first three innings, and then gave up four runs in the fourth inning, with a missplayed fly ball in right field allowing two of them to score. Owen Hanson and Seymour both came on in relief, with Seymour retiring all five batters he faced at the end of the game.
Borchers, Appleton's leadoff batter, was 3-for-4, with four runs batted in, in the second game. Lundberg brought in two of Gladstone's three runs in the nightcap.
Gladstone (2-3) is scheduled to play two games in Hermansville on Monday against the North Central Jets. If the games are not rained out, as is forecast, they will begin at 4:30 ET, and will be broadcast live on WCHT-AM (600), and on-line at www.rrnsports.com.
Click the thumbnails in the ARTICLE HIGHLIGHTS box above to see photos and videos, and hear radio highlights from the doubleheader.
But when the two teams played again on Saturday in Appleton, the Braves gave the state-ranked Lightning all they could handle before dropping two games, 3-2 and 9-3. Braves pitcher Elliot Danhoff, one of the boys who was battered in that 2015 debacle, was strong on the mound Saturday before the Lightning won it at the end.
To make matters worse, the Braves were unable to stop the Lightning from stealing bases, and so those walks and HBP's were, in effect, the same as doubles all afternoon long.
Gladstone took a 1-0 lead in the first inning when Braeden Lamberg ripped a double to the right field fence and scored on a single to left by Ben Scwalbach. The Lightning had baserunners in scoring position in every single inning except for the fifth inning, but Danhoff was able to continuously wiggle off of the hook.
Appleton North had two on base in the third inning but Lamberg threw out a runner trying to steal third as the Lightning tried to pull off a double steal. Danhoff then struck out #3 hitter Evan Sankey to end the inning. The Lightning scored two runs in the fourth inning to take the lead, but the Braves left that inning feeling fortunate to be down 2-1.
Danhoff walked three batters in that inning, including a bases-loaded free pass to Jacob Hiltunen, which tied the game at 1-1. The Braves committed their only error of the game during that inning, on a high throw to second base on a sacrafice bunt attempt.
A run scored, making it 2-1, but it was a rally killer for Appleton.
Danhoff struck out Noah Kuester to end that scoring threat.
Gladstone went to work in the top of the fifth inning when Cooper and Lucus Weinert each drew walks and Jack Stephenson came through with an RBI single to tie the game at 2-2. The Lightning went to the bullpen, replacing starter Nick Imhoff with reliever Josh Gonzales. With two out, Gonzales hit Lamberg with a pitch to load the bases. That brought up Tyson Seymour, who's long fly ball to left field was caught at the warning track.
That was the last time the Braves threatened, as Gonzales got them 1-2-3 in both the sixth and seventh innings. Appleton won it in the seventh inning when, with one out, Taylor Borchers was hit by a pitch. He stole second base, and so the Braves then walked Sankey intentionally with two out, setting up a defensive force play at any base.
The second game was not as well-played as the opener, with the Braves commiting four earrors and the Lightning making three defensive miscues. Gladstone took a 2-0 lead in the first inning as Clay Cole and Lamberg led off with singles. Schwalbach drove in the first run with a hit, and A.J. Lundberg brought home another run with a suicide squeeze bunt.
Cooper started the game on the mound, and pitched into the fourth inning. But he gave up single runs in each of the first three innings, and then gave up four runs in the fourth inning, with a missplayed fly ball in right field allowing two of them to score. Owen Hanson and Seymour both came on in relief, with Seymour retiring all five batters he faced at the end of the game.
Borchers, Appleton's leadoff batter, was 3-for-4, with four runs batted in, in the second game. Lundberg brought in two of Gladstone's three runs in the nightcap.
Gladstone (2-3) is scheduled to play two games in Hermansville on Monday against the North Central Jets. If the games are not rained out, as is forecast, they will begin at 4:30 ET, and will be broadcast live on WCHT-AM (600), and on-line at www.rrnsports.com.
Click the thumbnails in the ARTICLE HIGHLIGHTS box above to see photos and videos, and hear radio highlights from the doubleheader.
