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Escanaba LL Major Boys Stay Alive; Gladstone Falls
 ESCANABA---The Escanaba Major Little League (age 11-12) boys baseball team won its third game in the loser's bracket Thursday night, eliminating Norway, 3-2, in district tournament action at Dickson Field. Gladstone, meanwhile, fell into the tournament's losers bracket with a 3-2 loss to Iron Mountain North. Escanaba had just three base hits, but made the most of them. ESCANABA 3, NORWAY 2---Escanaba took a 1-0 lead in the second inning when Bon LaChance walked, Gavin Sommers doubled, and a run scored on an error. Norway came back in the bottom of the third inning when Mason Michtig and Sean Schutte each had doubles and Ian Popp contributed a sacrifice fly. Escanaba regained the lead in the fourth inning when LaChance doubled, Sommers walked, and after two wild pitches, Johhny Weinert's ground ball scored the go-ahead run. It came down to the wire in the bottom of the sixth inning when Escanaba reliever Ben Johnson walked the first two batters. Bryson Lancour came on to pitch, and after a bunt attempt failed for the first out, he struck out the final two batters to end the game. Escanaba used three pitchers. Sommers threw 3 1/3 innings, giving up two runs on three hits. Johnson went 1 2/3 innings, and earned the win, despite those two sixth inning walks. Lancour threw the final inning and got the big save. Alex Ortman rook the loss in relief for Norway. Escanaba has now won three straight games since losing its opener to Gladstone. IRON MOUNTAIN NORTH 3, GLADSTONE 2---The Black and Gold advanced to the district championship game with a "walk-off walk" in the bottom of the sixth inning. Gladstone led, 1-0, in the third inning when Nick Matthews singled home Nate Young, who led off with an infield hit. But two errors in the bottom of the third inning gave Iron Mountain the tying run. In the bottom of the fourth inning, the game stayed 1-1 when IM had a man thrown out trying to score on a wild pitch. Then in the top of the fifth inning, Gladstone took the lead when Young ripped a triple to right field and scored on a Tyler Darmogray fly ball. But in the bottom of the fifth, Iron Mountain tied the game again, as Beau Kralovec got a one-out double and Niko Burgoon had a ten-pitch at-bat against Gladstone ace pitcher Young for a walk. That exhausted Young's 85-pitch limit. Darmogray came in to throw for Gladstone, and after intentionally walking Fulton Stroud to load the bases, Carson McLean hit a fly ball to score the tying run. In the bottom of the sixth, Darmogray struck out the first two men he faced, but then walked the next four batters, including Burgoon on a 3-2 pitch, to end the game. WHAT'S UP NEXT: Escanaba and Gladstone face off again on Friday night at 6:00 at Dickson Field. Iron Mountain North faces the winner Saturday night at 7ET/6CT, also in Escanaba. If it's needed, a second championship game will be played Sunday night at 6ET/5CT. All of the games will all be broadcast on WCHT-AM (NewsTalk 600) and on-line at www.rrnsports.com. The winner of the district tournament advances to the 16-team state tournament in downstate St. Clair next weekend. One other U.P. team, District 11 Champion Portage Lake from Houghton-Hancock, has already qualified for that tournament. |
