Click the AUDIO button to hear post-game comments from Gianna Newberry, Reagan Carter, and Manager John Breitzman.
JENISON, Mich.---The Gladstone Junior Little League All-Star (age 13-14) team was eliminated from the state tournament late Wednesday night in a heartbreaking ending.
Defending champion Croswell-Lexington trailed the District Ten champions, 5-4, in the sixth inning. But Cros-Lex rallied for the tying run in the bottom of the sixth inning and then scored again in the bottom of the seventh to walk it off, 6-5.
“That was their best game yet,” Gladstone Manager John Breitzman said. “That was a great game. That team was a really tough team. We came into this tournament never playing a game together. We had a week together for practices, and just came down here without expectations and they played their hearts out.”
Three girls from the North Dickinson Little League and one from Iron Mountain joined the Gladstone girls in that journey. One of the Nordic girls is Gianna Newberry.
“I thought it would be a good time and hopefully win it for Gladstone,” Newberry said. “I played good. I tried my hardest. I thought we were doing really well for how long we were playing together. To play with new girls is a really good opportunity, and to have new friends.”
Reagan Carter was in the circle for Gladstone, and she took the loss, allowing all six runs on eight hits. Carter struck out eleven batters and walked just three.
“We wanted to start off hot, which I think we did,” Carter said. “I had a little bit of a rough first inning, but after that, it went really good. I really enjoyed playing with them (North Dickinson/Iron Mountain girls). Everything went smoothly, I feel.”
Gladstone was behind, 3-1, after the first inning, and 4-1 after two innings. But the Upper Peninsula girls rallied. Two runs in the third inning came home after a couple of lead-off walks, stolen bases, and wild pitches. Then Gladstone took the 5-4 lead in the fifth inning on RBI base hits by Annabelle Reynolds and Carter.
Cros-Lex, however, tied the game on a Phoebe Schultz sacrifice fly in the bottom of the sixth inning. Then in the bottom of the seventh, it looked like the game would go to extra innings when Carter struck out the first two girls she faced. But the next three girls, Dallis Anderson, Olivia Young, and Gray Shaw all got base hits, with Shaw's hit bringing home the winning run. Piper Cayce earned the win in relief.
Carter led Gladstone's offense with two hits. Cros-Lex won despite making five errors.
“Our girls fought hard and they had fun,” Breitzman said.
