Gladstone, Marquette Split Baseball Doubleheader

MARQUETTE---The Gladstone Braves and Marquette Redmen both picked up victories in a doubleheader on Friday in Marquette. The Braves won the opener, 7-1, before the Redmen rallied to win the nightcap, 7-6, in seven innings.

The Braves got a solid pitching performance from Carson Shea in the first game. He retired the first nine men he faced and ended up tossing a complete-game three-hitter.

Gladstone scored two runs in the third inning as Lucas Weinert singled, Cody Frappier doubled, and Dan Martin came through with a ground ball to the right side of the infield to score the first run.

Then Cooper Cavadeas went down for a pitch near his ankles and bunted for a hit on a suicide squeeze play, scoring Frappier with the second run. That made it a 2-0 game.

The Braves added five runs in the third inning on an RBI single by Frappier, sacrrfice flies by Martin and Jared Crow, and an RBI hit by Cavadeas, which was plenty for Shea, who fanned six.

In the second game, Cavadeas got the ball and struggled with his control. The Redmen scored five runs on zero base hits in the second inning. Marquette took advantage of three walks, a hit-by-the-pitch, and two errors to take a 5-0 lead.

Gladstone rallied with four runs in the fourth inning as Marquette pitcher Alec Beauchamp also had trouble throwing strikes. Martin had a nice bunt for a hit during that inning and Crow added an RBI single.

Frappier struck out with the bases loaded, however, so it stayed 5-4.

In the sixth inning, the Braves took the lead as Caden Alworden led off with a single, Owen Hanson walked, and Zach Hanson put down a nice bunt to load the bases. Braeden Lamberg followed with a sacrafice fly to tie the game, then Lucas Weinert hit a bouncer up the middle that was good enough to score the go-ahead run, making it 6-5.

Owen Hanson, pitching for the first time this season, did well after taking over in the second inning for Cavadeas.

But in the sixth inning, Marquette managed to tie the game as John Jayson walked, stole second, went to third on a wild pitch, and scored on a ground ball by Bryce Brazeau.

The Redmen were unlucky moments later when Holden Shaneburger ripped one to right field that Zach Hanson nearly caught at second base. It looked like it would go for a hit, but Martin got the ball quickly and threw to second base for the out.

It was Martin's second outstanding play of the game, as he robbed Peter VandenAvold of a base hit and RBI in the fourth inning when he circled in the outfield and caught the fly ball. Also on defense, Zach Hanson somehow got to a screamer up the middle by Brendan Kaski with two men on in the second inning and got a force out.

The Braves couldn't score in the seventh inning, so the Redmen went to work in the bottom half . John Thomsen smoked one up the middle, but Shea, who was on in relief on the mound, made the play for a 1-3 putout.

But Shea walked Kaski, and uncorked a wild pitch to move him up. Blake Henriksen followed with a base hit, but the runner was held at second base because the ball had a chance to be caught.

The Redmen won the game when Jayson's bouncing ball got past Weinert at third base, and Kaski scored from second base to end it.

Gladstone's record fell to 26-4, with two of the losses coming to Marquette.

The Braves close the regular season with a Memorial Day game against the Negaunee Miners. Game time is 7:00 at Don Olsen Field.

Click the thumbnails in the ARTICLE HIGHLIGHTS box above to see photos taken by Brenda Crow, and listen to post-game comments from Braves Manager Don Lauscher.