Indians Open Legion Baseball Season With Sweep

GLADSTONE---Less than 48 hours after the Gladstone High School baseball team lost in the state semifinals, many of the Braves players were on the field again Sunday for an American Legion doubleheader. The Gladstone Indians won both ends of the twinbill from the Channing Railroaders, 11-1 and 13-3, at Don Olsen Field.

Gladstone played this doubleheader without many of the boys who led the Braves to the Final Four at Michigan State University.

Jake Peterson, Justin Jurek, Hunter Garling, Ben Schwalbach, and Elliot Danhoff all sat this one out. Also absent were Logan Heim, Dooner Englund.

The only boys who played at MSU on Friday to also play Legion ball on Sunday were Braeden Lamberg, Hunter Botruff, Owen Hanson, and Lucas Weinert.

The first game saw Brandon Cooper get the ball, and he was in control most of the way against a very young Channing team. The Railroaders from Dickinson County did not have a senior in the lineup. They hung in there, though, for three innings on Sunday.

Excellent sliding catch by Channing's Logan O'Neil.

Gladstone took a 3-0 lead in the second inning, with two of the runs coming home on a single by Noah Olsen.

The Railroaders got a run back on a double steal in the third inning as Jeff Clark stole second and Logan O'Neil scored from third on the play.

In the bottom of the third, Gladstone looked ready to score again as Botruff hit a fly ball to short right field. But O'Neil raced to the outfield from second base and made a sweet sliding catch to end the inning. The Indians, however, exploded in the fourth inning.

Gladstone scored eight times in the inning, with Logan Hardwick's two-run single being the inning's highlight.

Lucas Weinert and Christian Tackman also had RBI hits in the inning, and Olsen, who played sparingly for the Braves this season, had another RBI single. And A.J. Lundberg drove in two runs with a single, and he stole second.

The game was called by the mercy rule after five innings. Cooper earned the pitching win, scattering five hits. He struck out three batters and did not issue a walk.

O'Neil lead Channing with three base hits. He took the loss on the mound.

In the second game, Lamberg got the ball, and he also threw well. The Railroaders scored twice off him in the top of the first inning, but did not score in the next three innings. Meanwhile, Gladstone scored six runs in the bottom of the first inning.

Noah Olsen two-run single in Game #1

Tackman and Hanson each had two hits for Gladstone, while Cooper and Hardwick both knocked in three runs. Rookie Dallas Potvin scored twice as a courtesy runner for the Indians.

Lamberg allowed three hits in four innings. Hanson finished in relief, allowing a solo home run to Noah Berg in the fifth inning. Berg led the Railroaders with two hits, and John Nelson took the loss on the mound for Channing (0-6).

Gladstone (2-0) travels to Kingsford to face the Blues Monday night.

Click the thumbnails in the ARTICLE HIGHLIGHTS box above to see photos and videos taken during Sunday's doubleheader.