JOHANNESBURG, Mich,---The Post 44 Blues (Marquette-Negaunee) turned in two dominating performances on Thursday as the Michigan Veterans Baseball League began its Under-19 state tournament in the Gaylord area.
The Blues dusted off the Ironwood A's, 16-0, and then blanked the Sault Ste, Marie (Canada) Black Sox, 7-0, in a tournament plagued by heavy rain, lightning, and lots of delays. Post 44 pitching allowed only one base hit in each of its victories.
Against Ironwood, Gibby Jezewski had four base hits and drove in five runs. Against the Canadians, Evan Dellangelo hit a solo home run, Jack Siik drove in a pair of runs, and Blake Walther had a pair of base hits and scored twice.
Tristan Slater threw four innings of no-hit ball to earn the win over the Black Sox, and two other pitchers finished up, with Dezzy Gleason throwing the final two innings, striking out five of the six batters he faced. Blues pitchers struck out 14 Soo batters.
The Blues pounded out 15 base hits against Ironwood, with Slater getting two of them and scoring four times, Owen Cardinal scored three runs, and nine different Blues players had base hits. On the mound, Killean Ryan threw the first three innings and Braidon Noskey tossed the final two as the game was mercied after five innings.
Post 44 is back in action Friday afternoon in the revamped schedule due to two rainouts on Thursday. The Blues will face the winner of Friday morning's Gaylord-Menominee game at 4:00. A win would put the defending state champion Blues into Saturday's state championship game, Post 44 already captured the 15u and 17u MVB state titles.
The Blues game at 4:00 Friday will be broadcast live on FM-100.3 The Point, and on-line at www.radioresultsnetwork.com.
