Click the thumbnails to see photos and videos, and to hear post-game comments from Jack McEvers, Nick Chiu, and Gladstone Manager Scott Kwarciany.
ESCANABA---The American Legion baseball season got under way Thursday night with yet another down-to-the-wire battle between Escanaba Cubs and Gladstone Indians.
The Indians scored five early runs to grab a 5-0 lead, but the Cubs rallied to win the game, 6-5, scoring two runs in the bottom of the seventh inning. It was the start of the Gregg Johnson Memorial Tournament, which sees five Wisconsin teams and five Upper Peninsula teams play three days of baseball. It's the 29th year for the event.
Escanaba won the game in the bottom of the seventh inning when a “super-senior”, Jack McEvers, ripped a double to left field to bring home the tying run.
Then with two out and two strikes, Nick Chiu grounded one up the middle. Indians shortstop Tyler Darmogray got the ball, but with the lefty Chiu running hard, rushed his throw, and the game ended on what was scored an error.
“It felt really good to be back out there not playing for a while,” Chiu said. “My arm was a little tight, and I was having trouble seeing the ball a little bit at the beginning, and kept grounding out. But getting the ball in play (on the last play), that's all we needed. I had a two-strike approach because I had two strikes on me. Shorten everything up and just get the ball in play.”
“The error on the throw by Tyler to end the game, I mean, he's normally going to make that play,” Indians Manager Scott Kwarciany said. “He kind took that a little tough, It was going to be close (on Chiu at first) but Tyler has a great arm. He (Darmogray) was down on himself for throwing it in the dirt, and it was tough for Aedan to get to get that. But those things happen. That's baseball. It stinks to lose that way, but I give the kids a ton of credit for coming out here and playing tonight.”
A rough way to end what was a well-played game most of the way. Gladstone took a 1-0 lead in the first inning when Darmogray led off with a single and scored on a hit by Braden Sundquist. Then in the third inning, the Indians sent eight men to the plate and chased Cubs starting pitcher Eli Gardner, with four runs crossing the plate.
Johnny Soderman had an RBI single, Aedan Creten smacked a two-run double, and Isaac Ketchum followed with an RBI single to give Gladstone a 5-0 lead.
But the Cubs bullpen of Ben Johnson, and two Manistique boys, Cooper Curtis and Isaiah Brow, shut the Indians down for the final four innings on only two base hits.
And the Escanaba offense got going in the fourth inning, sending nine men to the plate and scoring four times against Gladstone starter Brennan Detiege. Adrian Mercier, a North Central boy, started things off with a double, and then Bon LaChance drew a walk. With two, McEvers ripped his first double of the game to the left field fence, bringing in the Cubs' first run of the game.
Bryce Blixt, another Manistique boy, drove home the second run with a base hit to left field, then the Cubs pulled off a double steal, with McEvers coming home. Ben Johnson then delivered an RBI single to left field, and it was a 5-4 ballgame.
Gladstone had a chance to build the lead in the top of the seventh when Creten got a two-out double, his second one of the game. But Curtis was able to get Ketchum to bounce out, ending the Indians' scoring threat.
In the bottom of the inning, Trevor Thorbahn came on to pitch for Detiege, who went six innings and threw 103 pitches, with only four hits but eight walks.
Thorbahn walked Mercier to lead off the inning, then threw a wild pitch to move Mercier into scoring position.
Thorbahn was able to strike out LaChance, but McEvers picked him up with his second double of the game to tie the score at 5. Then Blixt grounded out, sending McEvers to third base. That's when Chiu's ground ball ended the game on the error.
“I've been swinging a lot lately, and it's been going well, but then you saw my first at-bat (pop up) and it was over in about three seconds,” McEvers smiled. “I was like, wow, I'm really that rusty? Next time I went up there, and went up there with a new philosophy: see ball, hit ball! So, I was just focusing on that, and keeping my hands tight to my body.”
Curtis ended up getting the win in relief for the Cubs. Thorbahn took the loss.
Escanaba takes on Plover, Wis., Friday night at 7:00, while Gladstone will host DePere, Wis, Friday night at 6:30. The ten-team tournament runs through Sunday.
