Gladstone Wins Two; Stays Unbeaten At Firecracker

MARINETTE, Wis.---The Gladstone Indians American Legion baseball team picked up a pair of victories on Saturday at the Firecracker Tournament in Marinette.

The Indians beat Manitowoc, 3-2, and then topped the Green Bay Shockers, 5-2. The results give Gladstone a 3-0 record in the event, with one game left to play on Sunday.

In the morning contest, Tyson Seymour got the ball for Gladstone, and he threw all seven innings to pick up the victory.

The Indians took a 2-0 lead in the second inning when Clay Cole and Ian Schwalbach both put down nice bunts, with Schwalbach's squeeze bringing home Seymour.

Manitowoc battled back in the bottom of the fifth inning with a pair of runs, and in the bottom of the sixth, they threated to take the lead before a 4-6-3 double play got Seymour out of trouble. That set up the seventh inning for a Gladstone rally.

Ben Schwalbach led off with a walk, and then Ian Schwalbach bunted (again) to put the go-ahead run in scoring position.

Elliot Danhoff came through with a shot up the middle that deflected into the outfield, bringing Ben Schwalbach home with the go-ahead run.

Seymour got the final three outs, ending the ball game.

In the second game, the Indians got off to a good start with two runs in the top of the first inning, and "small ball" played a part in the scoring. Braeden Lamberg led off with a walk and was bunted to second base by Lucas Weinert. Hunter Garling followed with a base hit to right field, and Seymour's ground ball to second base brought Garling home.

Danhoff had a rough first inning when he walked two of the first three men he faced, but he got a strikeout and grounder to end the inning. And Danhoff got on a roll, striking out the side in the second inning and getting 1-2-3 innings in the third and fourth.

Danhoff also had a no-hitter going into the fifth inning, but Mitch Lynch smoked one to the right field fence for a leadoff double.

Bryce Miller drew a walk, and after the Shockers failed to get a bunt down on two strikes with Jason Gaulke, Danhoff got ahead of #9 hitter Zach Renier in the count.

Renier also tried to bunt the run home, and he did, with Danhoff diving to try to catch it.

Danhoff rallied to strike out Taylor Bagniefski, and got Casey Roeser to hit a ground ball to short. Ben Schwalbach's throw to first was wild, and the tying run scored.

It wouldn't take long for the Indians' fifth-year player to redeem himself, however.

In the top of the sixth, Garling got an infield hit with one out, and Seymour drew a walk. After Clay Cole flew out, Schwalbach came through with an RBI single to make it 3-2.

Green Bay started to hit Danhoff in the sixth inning, when Sean Loughney got a one out single. But Gladstone right fielder Jack Stephenson came up big, with a great catch near the fence off a shot hit by Jayden Adrians.

With two out, Stephenson went for another run toward the foul line, hauling in a shot by Lynch.

In the top of the seventh inning, Stephenson started a rally with a one-out single. With two out, Lucas Weinert got a base hit. With two on Garling crushed a long fly to the center field fence, bringing in two runs, making it a 5-2 game.

Green Bay had the hammer, and Danhoff walked a batter and hit another with a pitch. With the tying run at the plate, Danhoff struck out Roeser to end the game.

Danhoff ended up with a three-hitter, striking out nine, and walking four. Garling wound up with three hits and three runs batted in against Green Bay.

Gladstone improved to 3-0 in the tournament and 10-1 on the season. The Indians face the host Marinette team at 2:00 ET/1:00 CT on Sunday. The game will be broadcast on WCHT-AM (NewsTalk 600), and on-line at www.rrnsports.com.

Click the thumbnails in the ARTICLE HIGHLIGHTS box above to see photos and videos, hear radio replays and interviews with Danhoff and Garling.