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Gladstone Girls, Norway Boys Earn Dramatic Wins
 ESCANABA---The Gladstone 9-10 girls rallied to post an improbable extra inning victory, and the Norway 11-year-old boys had a walk-off win of their own in Little League District Tournament action on Sunday in Escanaba. The win for the Gladstone girls over Escanaba sets up a winner-take-all district championship game on Monday, while the comeback by the Norway boys sent them into the 11-year-old championship game on Tuesday. GLADSTONE 9-10 GIRLS 2, ESCANABA 1---The game was a pitcher's duel between Escanaba's Grayson LaMarche and Gladstone's Montgomery Pepin. It was scoreless after six innings of play, and under Little League pitching rules, if the girls continued pitching into the seventh inning, they would not be able to throw in a potential Monday game. Gladstone removed Pepin, and Rilee Gerou came in to throw. Escanaba scored a run in the top of the seventh inning when LaMarche doubled, went to third on a groundout, and scored on a base hit down the right field line by Natalie Beauchamp. In the bottom of the seventh inning, Escanaba elected to allow LaMarche to continue pitching. Addie Trombley led off with a bunt single. She eventually scored on a base hit to center field by Pepin, who went to third base when the throw to the plate got away. Maggie Buckley followed with a ground ball to second, and Pepin scored the winning run when the throw went to first base. Gladstone earned a big victory, forcing an "IF" game. Monday's game starts at 6:00 and will be broadcast on WCHT-AM (NewsTalk 600). (Click the thumbnails above to see photos taken by Gina Pepin) NORWAY 11 BOYS 7, ESCANABA 6---The Escanaba boys appeared to have this game in the bag as the district tournament began Sunday night at Dickson Field. But Norway rallied on its final strike to snatch away the victory. Escanaba's Gavin Sommers ripped a two-out, two-run double to help his team take a 6-2 lead in the fifth inning. Sommers also hit an RBI double in the second inning. In the bottom of the fifth inning, Norway's Ryan Erickson drove in two runs with a single to cut it to 6-4. In the sixth inning, Escanaba pitcher Bryson Lancour was one strike away from a win when Wyatt Spade reached for a high pitch and smacked it to the fence, driving in two runs. When the throw got away, a third runner (Alex Ortman, who Escanaba had intentionally walked), scored the game-winning run. Norway advances to Tuesday's district championship game while Escanaba hosts Kingsford Monday night at 7:00 ET for the right to play on Tuesday. KINGSFORD JUNIOR GIRLS COME UP SHORT---The Kingsford Junior Girls (age 13-14) lost in the state semifinals on Sunday to Vicksburg, 9-8, in Vicksburg. The Kingsford girls had entered the game with a 3-0 record in pool play. Marysville, out of District Seven, won the state championship later in the day over Vicksburg, 8-0. IRON MTN/NORWAY JUNIOR BOYS ADVANCE---The Iron Mountain-Norway combined Junior Boys (age 13-14) advanced to the state tournament on Sunday with a 14-5 win over the Negaunee-Ishpeming-Gwinn combined team, in sectional action in Negaunee. The IM/N team won the first game of the best-of-three on Saturday, 20-1. The boys will represent the U.P. at the Junior Baseball State Finals in Charlevoix. |
