Gladstone, Marquette Split Season-Ending Twinbill

MARQUETTE---Jared Crow allowed two hits over five innings of work to lead the Gladstone Braves to an 8-0 win over the Marquette Redmen in the first game of a doubleheader on Friday. The Redmen rallied to win the nightcap, 3-2, in nine innings.

In the opener, the Braves scored three runs in the top of the first inning to give Crow all of the support he would need. Tyson Seymour's RBI single plated the first run, then another run scored on an infield hit by A.J. Lundberg. A third run scored on an error.

Gladstone's Clay Cole stole home in the second inning just before Seymour got tagged out while in a pickle between first and second.

And then Gladstone capped the scoring with four runs in the fifth inning with Seymour driving home one with his second hit of the game.

Owen Hanson's two-run single and Hunter Botruff's sacrifice fly made it 8-0.

Crow allowed two hits and three walks in five innings of work. He was helped along by another 4-6-3 double play, and by a diving catch in the outfield by Hanson.

Ben Kelly came in to finish it off with a scoreless sixth inning, allowing one hit and striking out one batter.

In the second game, Seymour got the start, and he got into trouble early, giving up three hits in the first inning. He worked out of the bases-loaded no-outs jam without allowing a run. But in the second inning, Marquette got three more hits, and this time, the Redmen scored 0n a double by Blake Henriksen, and on an error on a stolen base throwdown.

Gladstone tied it in the second inning when Crow led off with a single and scored on an error. Carson Shea walked and scored on a wild pitch. That would be Gladstone's only runs, and the Braves managed only four hits...in nine innings.

Marquette had the winning run on base in the sixth, seventh, and eighth innings, but Seymour worked out of the trouble in the sixth, and Kelly worked out of trouble in both the seventh and eighth innings. But in the ninth inning, Marquette got a run against the third Gladstone pitcher, Nick Trudeau, to earn the doubleheader split.

The ninth innig started with a Keenan Johnson single, and he stole second base. With two out, Hunter Doucette was intentionally walked, but Holden Shanenberger came through with the RBI single in right field to give Marquette the victory.

Marquette's starting pitcher, Garrett Finkbeiner, lasted only into the third inning when he retired with arm problems.

Alec Gadzinski pitched the third inning, and then Tyler Delmont had his best outing of the season, going six innings, allowing no runs.

Seymour got a no-decision, throwing six innings, allowing two runs on eight hits (but no hits after the first three innings).

Kelly allowed no runs on two hits in his two innings, and Trudeau allowed the winning run on two hits in two-thirds of an inning.

One positive for the Braves is that they turned three more double plays in the nightcap, giving them five double plays in the last three games.

Gladstone (25-7) will open the district tournament on Tuesday at Superior Central, while Marquette (12-12) opens its districts next Friday in Alpena.

Click the thumbnails in the ARTICLE HIGHLIGHTS box above to see photos taken by Brenda Crow.