Braves Bounce Back With D.H. Sweep Over Miners
GLADSTONE---Sometimes the best way to forget about a lousy performance is to get right back on the field as quickly as possible and try again. That was the case for the Gladstone Braves Wednesday night as they hosted the Negaunee Miners in a doubleheader. Less than 24 hours after being embarrassed by the arch-rival Escanaba Eskymos, the Braves turned in a sweep of the Miners, 11-1 and 10-0. "We just told them (before the game) that it's on you guys to get this stuff straightened out," Gladstone Assistant Coach Kurt Lauscher said. "They did a lot better tonight." "We just wanted to bounce back," Braves infielder Braeden Lamberg added. "I think that (Escanaba loss) really embarrassed us as a team, and we didn't play up to our standards." Lamberg led the way with three hits and two walks in the opening game, and then was on base three more times in the second game and stole four bases in the doubleheader. Braves designated hitter Daniel Martin also swung a big bat Wednesday, with an RBI triple and RBI single amongst his three hits in the doubleheader. He also narrowly missed hitting a three-run homer in the first game on a fly that just barely curled foul. In the first game, Gladstone took advantage of five walks and a hit-battsman in the opening inning to score three times off Negaunee starting pitcher Brock Aho. The highlight of that inning was Hunter Botruff stealing home plate. In the second game, Jared Crow burned through all nine men he faced, striking out six of them to earn the pitching victory. Owen Hanson threw the next 2 1/3 innings, allowing just two hits. And Cooper Cavadeas got the two men that he faced on the hill. "We saw a lot of pitchers today," Lauscher said. "They threw a lot of strikes. And we put the ball in play a lot better than we did last night. We came out with some success." Negaunee left hander Tylor Robinson kept his team in the second game for a few innings, allowing RBI hits to Seymour and Ben Schwalbach in the first inning but allowing no runs in the second inning and an unearned run in the third inning. But in the fourth inning, a bunt single and stolen base by Lamberg, followed by a Martin RBI single, made it 4-0 and ended Robinson's evening. The Braves then went to work on two more Negaunee pitchers, with Owen Hanson and Lucas Weinert getting RBI hits. Negaunee fell to 2-4 on the season. The Braves improved to 9-3, and will be back in action on Thursday as the Marquette Redmen come to town for a doubleheader. Game time is set for 4:00, and the games will be broadcast on WCHT-AM (NewsTalk 600) and at www.rrnsports.com. The Braves will travel to Peshtigo on Friday. In Thursday's junior varsity baseball games at the Wells Sports Complex, the Gladstone JV's won both games from the Marquette JV's, 9-1 and 12-0. Click the thumbnails in the ARTICLE HIGHLIGHTS box above to see photos taken by Brenda Crow, and videos taken by Laura Lamberg. You can also hear interviews with Braeden Lamberg, Tyson Seymour, and Lauscher, and listen to radio replays of RBI base hits by Martin and Botruff. |