Indians Win U.P. Title; Cubs Also Going To States

MARQUETTE---The Upper Peninsula will make up half of the field at next week's American Legion Baseball Class A State Finals in Gladwin.

The Gladstone Indians beat the Escanaba Cubs, 5-3, to win the U.P. Zone Five championship Saturday at Marquette's Haley Field.

Both teams advance to the six-team state tournament, as do the Marquette Blues, who beat Ishpeming, 13-0, in the U.P. third place game.

The state tournament begins Thursday morning and runs through Sunday.

Saturday started with Gladstone beating Ishpeming in a semifinal game, 14-4.

The Indians actually fell behind, 4-3, in the second inning. But Gladstone scored six runs in the third inning to take control of the game.

Christian Tackman had three hits and Jake Pearson had two hits, including a two-run homer. Hunter Garling scored four runs. Garling worked all five innings for the pitching win.

Meanwhile, Escanaba had to play Marquette, which beat the Cubs, 15-5, the night before. But this game was different, as Brandon Punzel pitched one of his best games and handcuffed the Blues to just two base hits as the Cubs posted a 6-0 victory.

Escanaba's big inning was the fifth, when the Cubs scored four times.

Hunter LaMarch drove in two of them with a base hit, and Devin Olsen executed a suicide squeeze that scored Nick Vandermissen from third. Punzel also had a bunt single in that inning.

Punzel struck out eight batters and threw 103 pitches.

The semfinal results set up an Escanaba-Gladstone championship game for the second year in a row.

And the result was the same, although the Cubs did not run out of pitching like they did last year, and did not lose, 17-0, like they did last year.

There was rain in Marquette on Saturday, just like there was in Menominee last year. But this time, it stoppeed early enough where the championship game could still be played, albeit two hours late as the field was made playable.

Tyler Skufca put the Cubs on top with a one-out home run in the first inning.

It was his first home run, and just the second for the Cubs team all season long.

Escanaba kept a 1-0 lead into the fourth inning as freshman Justin Popelka pitched well for the Cubs. But in the bottom of the fourth inning, Jake Pearson drew a one-out walk.

After Hayden Hardwick flew out, Christian Groleau doubled, putting runners at second and third. Sam Pouliot's line drive was lost in the right field corner sun, and Pouliot raced to third with what would be ruled a two-run triple.

Gladstone added three runs in the fifth after two batters were out.

Justin Jurek walked, and Garling reached on an error, putting runners at second and third. Pearson followed with a two-run single. After a Hardwick single moved Pearson to third, Groleau singled Pearson home for a 5-1 Gladstone lead.

But the Cubs were not done.

The rally in the sixth inning started with two out when Nick Vandermissen's fly ball was also lost in the sun by Gladstone's right fielder, allowing Punzel to score. Bailey Lamb's single scored Vandermissen to cut the lead to 5-3.

Once again, in the top of the seventh, the sun came into play. Gladstone Manager Jim Groleau switched his left and right fielders around, moving Pouliot to right and Dooner Englund to left (Englund was struggling with the sun).

With two outs and Sean Bissell at third, David Falish lofted a fly ball to right field, directly into the blinding sun. Pouliot managed to cradle the ball against his chest while falling to the ground to secure the U.P. championship-clinching victory.

Jake Peterson worked all seven innings on the mound for Gladstone, getting the win while scattering seven base hits. Popelka took the loss, working five innings.

Lewis Ostrander worked the final inning for the Cubs.

But, just as last year, both Delta County teams advanced to the state tournament. When the schedule is announced, we will post it for you on this web site.

Click the above headline to see photos taken by Sheila Olsen.