PLAY BALL!!! Baseball Season Finally Gets Started

HERMANSVILLE---The Gladstone Braves and North Central Jets baseball teams finally got on the field Monday, after spending weeks practicing inside their gyms. The Braves turned back the Jets, 11-1 and 5-1, under sunny skies in Hermansville.

Gladstone took advantage of eleven North Central defensive errors to win the opener on the five-run mercy rule, then after a short break, the Braves scored three runs in the second inning to take command of the nightcap.

"This year, we've really, really been preaching the fundamentals of the game, the basic things that you do," Gladstone Manager Don Lauscher said. "For not being outside at all this year, I thought the guys were outstanding. Especially the outfielders."

Cody Frappier had three of Gladstone's seven base hits in the first game. He had an RBI double in the fourth inning and a two-run single in the fifth inning. Frappier scored two runs and was on base all four times he came to the plate.

Frappier was happy to be on the grass.

"It was cold and there wasn't enough room inside to practice," Frappier said. "One day, we went out in the cold and hit some pop flies, but it was soaking wet, and it wasn't the greatest. It felt different, a lot better to be outside and not stuck inside a warm gym or a warm turf room."

Carson Shea added a two-run single in the first inning, and Dan Martin had an RBI double in the second inning.

Shea earned the win on the mound, throwing four innings, allowing one run on four hits. Cooper Cavadeas pitched a 1-2-3 inning in relief.

North Central got an RBI single from Wyatt Riley in the fourth inning.

In the second game, the Braves took the lead in the first inning when Braeden Lamberg walked and scored on a double by Martin.

Then in the third inning, the Braves broke it open with three runs, two of them on a triple by Martin. Clay Cole singled Martin home to make it a 4-0 game.

Carter Holle had an RBI single in the bottom of the third inning to bring the Jets to within 4-1, but stranded two baserunners in both the third and fourth innings.

Gladstone added an unearned run in the fifth inning to close the scoring.

Martin had a single, double, and triple in the nightcap. But he never got the chance to get a home run for "the cycle" because he was stranded in the on-deck circle when Frappier's bid for a home run fell short of the snowbanks on the outfield warning track.

"I guess I wasn't even thinking about that," Martin said of a potential cycle, then added with a grin. "I was telling Fraps that he needs to go to the weight room, because he was about ten feet short on that."

Cavadeas tossed the first three innings to earn the win, and Zac Hanson threw the final three innings to earn the save. North Central got a nice pitching effort from Noah Gorzinski, whothrew 5 1/3 innings, allowing seven hits and four earned runs.

NCA will be back on the field Tuesday when Iron Mountain comes to town for a doubleheader. Game time is 3:30 CT. The first game will be broadcast on WUPF-FM (Eagle 107.3), and on-line at www.radioresultsnetwork.com/eagle-107-3/.

Gladstone has its home openers on Wednesday with a doubleheader against Negaunee, and then travels to Sturgeon Bay, Wis., for a doubleheader on Saturday.

The games from Sturegon Bay will be broadcast live 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 listen to interviews with Martin, Frappier, Coach Don Lauscher. Also click to see the video of Carson Shea's two-run single in Game #1.