Indians Drop Final Game Of Marinette Tournament

CLICK HERE to see details, photos of Gladstone's Saturday games.
CLICK HERE to see details, photos of Gladstone's Friday night game.

MARINETTE, Wis.---The Marinette American Legion Baseball team scored eight runs in the final two innings to break a 2-2 tie and beat the Gladstone Indians, 10-2, on Sunday afternoon, at the Firecracker Tournament.

Gladstone got off to a good start when pitcher Jake Peterson worked a 1-2-3 first inning, and then the Indians staked him to a 2-0 lead. Peterson, Clay Cole, and Owen Hanson all got base hits, and then A.J. Lundberg hit a sacrifice fly to put the Indians on the board.

The second Gladstone run came in on a wild pitch, but Marinette pitcher Tommy Sawinski settled down. He allowed just two more hits the rsst of the game: a double by Braeden Lamberg in the second inning, and a two-out single by Peterson in the fifth.

Peterson kept his team in the game with some strong pitching for several innings. He gave up a run in the third inning when Spencer Hipke singled, got bunted to second, went to third on a Nick Sailor single, and scored on a wild pitch.

Peterson pitched out of that jam, though, when he got Marinette cleanup hitter Balke Margis on a called third strike. The turning point came in the fifth inning when Hipke drew a leadoff walk, was bunted to second (again) by Alex Nemetz, and went to third on a passed ball.

With two outs, James Jigielski hit a routine grounder to Brandon Cooper at second base. Cooper threw the ball high to first base, and the error allowed the tying run to score.

In the sixth inning, Margis led off with a double, and as Nick Daye bunted up the first base line, Peterson came off the mound, fielded it cleanly, but threw it away.

The error put two men on base, and one out later, Luke Johnson got a base hit to drive home two runs. In the seventh inning, Peterson was lifted from the mound after allowing just five base hits in six innings of work.

Lamberg was brought in to pitch, and it was his first time on the mound in a year. Marinette teed off for six runs on five base hits, with Matt Osterberg's two-run double being the back-breaker in that inning.

Gladstone finished 1-3 in the tournament, and was the only Upper Peninsula team to pick up a win at the three-day event. Escanaba, Marquette, and Menominee all went winless in their four games. Marinette finished 4-0. DePere was also 4-0 in the tournament and won the trophy by giving up fewer runs than Marinette did.

The Indians joined the tournament at the last minute after the Copper Country team dropped out. Gladstone played without Hunter Botruff, Jack Stephenson, and Ben Schwalbach, who were at a basketball camp. Manager Justin Jurek had to work.

Gladstone's next game is Wednesday night at Menominee. The Indians will then host Kingsford on Thursday and Escanaba on Friday. The Thursday and Friday games will be broadcast liuve on WCHT-AM (600), and on-line at www.rrnsports.com.

Click the thumbnails in the ARTICLE HIGHLIGHTS box above to see photos and videos taken by Laura Lamberg, including some taken before the game when they tricked Brandon Cooper into thinking he was catching.

2016 FIRECRACKER AMERICAN LEGION TOURNAMENT

Friday's Games at Pederson Ballpark
Green Bay Shockers 7, Marquette 1
Pulaski, Wis. Menominee 2
DePere, Wis. 8, Gladstone 2
Marinette, Wis. 4, Escanaba 0

Saturday's Games at Pederson Ballpark
Green Bay Shockers 4, Escanaba 1 (10 Inn)
DePere, Wis. 13, Menominee 0 (5 Inn)
Pulaski, Wis. 13, Marquette 3 (5 Inn)
Menominee 10, Marinette, Wis. 2

Saturday's Games at Haase Field
Gladstone 7, Pulaski, Wis. 0
Marinette, Wis. 5, Marquette 3
Green Bay Shockers 5, Gladstone 0
DePere, Wis. 10, Escanaba 0 (5 Inn)

Sunday's Games at Pederson Ballpark
Pulaski, Wis. 4, Escanaba 3
Marinette, Wis. 10, Gladstone 2

Sunday's Games at Haase Field
Green Bay Shockers, 19, Menominee 6 (6 Inn.)
DePere, Wis. 3, Marquette 0