Indians, Red Wave Cruise To Easy Legion Victories

HANCOCK---The American Legion Baseball Zone Five Upper Peninsula championships got under way Thursday with a couple of lopsided games in Hancock.

The Gladstone Indians mercied the Negaunee Diamonds, 15-0, while the Menominee Red Wave did the same to the Ishpeming Blue Storm, 16-1.

The victories put both teams in good position on the scoreboard, as well as in their pitching situations, as neither the Indians nor the Red Wave needed to have anyone burn through their pitch count allowance.

GLADSTONE 15, NEGAUNEE 0---The first-year Diamonds team was a late entry to this tournament after Kingsford dropped out.

The Indians jumped to a 5-0 lead in the first inning, with Tyson Seymour getting a two-run single and Noah Olsen adding an RBI single.

The Indians blew the game open with four runs in the second inning, all of them coming home on a grand slam home run by Ben Schwalbach.

The Negaunee defense fell apart in the third inning as Gladstone scored six more times, with Lucas Weinert getting an RBI double and Braeden Lamberg adding a base hit. Weinert went 3-for-3 and scored three runs.

Quinn Downey started on the mound for Gladstone and threw 34 pitches in two innings, allowing two hits but no walks or runs. Zach Hanson threw the third inning, walking one batter and allowing another baserunner on a throwing error. And Schwalbach finished up, tossing the final two innings. Tyler Robinson took the loss for Negaunee.

Gladstone faces Escanaba at 2:00 on Friday in the winner's bracket semifinal. The game will be broadcast live on WCHT-AM (NewsTalk 600), and on www.rrnsports.com.

Click the AUDIO button above to hear interview with Tyson Seymour.

MENOMINEE 16, ISHPEMING 1---The Red Wave scored nine runs in the first inning and cruised to the victory. Levi Kempka had two doubles and a single, Jason Janquart added two doubles. Nathan Nowack and Joey Ebsch each had a double and a single.

Bryce Tharp started on the mound for Menominee and got out of a bases-loaded jam with a strikeout in the first inning. He threw into the second inning and was pulled before getting his 40th pitch.

Kempka finished up on the mound for the Red Wave.

Menominee faces either Marquette or Copper Country Friday afternoon at 4:30 ET.

Click the thumbnails in the ARTICLE HIGHLIGHTS boxabove to see photos, videos from Thursday's Zone Tournament action. Thanks to Laura Lamberg for her help in taking shots for the Indians-Diamonds game.