Paupore, Iron Mountain Take Tournament Title, 3-1

Click the thumbnails to see photos and videos from the championship game, and hear/see interviews with Andrew Paupore, Blake Julian, Shawn Durand, and Iron Mountain Coach Paul Julian.

ESCANABA---Andrew Paupore threw a complete-game six-hitter as the Iron Mountain American Legion baseball team beat Marinette, Wis., 3-1 on Sunday to win the annual Gregg Johnson Memorial Tournament in Escanaba.

The Kingsford High School graduate struck out six batters, including the game-clinching out, as he allowed no earned runs and walked only one batter.

"The intensity is something I've never felt before," said Paupore, who will play at Concrodia University this fall. "I knew I had to get the job done for the team. I mean, they worked their butts off to defend for me. As long as I kept my pitches low, and kind of change it up so that they didn't catch on the next time they came through the order, but the approach was just come in there and win!"

Marinette's Austin Burnside, a Crivitz High School pitcher, matched Paupore almost pitch for pitch for the majority of the game. He got into a bases loaded jam in the first inning but escaped when he got Hunter McCarthy to strike out to end the inning.

Marinette grabbed a 1-0 lead in the third inning when Alex Rupery led off with a single and scored on a groundout by Braeden McMahon. Paupore pitched out of jam in the fourth inning when Preston Rehwinkel, a Peshtigo Bulldog, led off with a double. Paupore walked Menominee's Keaton Uecke with two out but struck out Rupert to end the threat.

In the fifth inning, Marinette got a leadoff hit from Kaiden Golz. He stole send and went to third on a groundout. Golz tried to score om a bouncer to third by McMahon, but Iron Mountain third baseman threw it to catcher Lucas Maxon to get the big out.

"That was awesome," Iron Mountain Coach Paul Julian said. "It was a 1-0 game and they had good pitching and we knew they had more good pitching in the dugout. Our team always likes to fight back, and when Ian made that throw to home? Way to use your head, Ian Anderson. If you're down 2-0 with only nine outs left, it's tough."

In the bottom of that inning, Evan Haferkorn drew a leadoff walk. Caleb Johnson bunted him to second, and then with two out, Julian told Haferkorn to steal third. As he did, the throw from Golz went into left field and Hafterkorn scored the tying run.

Then in the bottom of the sixth inning, the Golds grabbed the lead for good. Norway High School graduate Gannon Bray drew a walk after a long battle with Burnside. With one out, McCarthy hit a pop fly single to left. Then with two out, Johnson came through with a pop fly single to right field to bring Bray home with the g0-ahead run.

Another Norway boy, Kody Hendricks, followed with a hot shot to third that the fielder had no play on, scoring McCarthy, and making it a 3-1 game.

Then it was up to Paupore, and despite giving up Burnside's second hit of the game, he finished the complete game with a strikeout of McMahaon after multiple fly balls.

"The arm felt really good," Paupore said. "It helps not to be pitching in 30 degree weather anymore. I was getting frustrated when he kept nicking them off, nicking them off. But that's baseball. They're a good team. Usually, I get a little (arm) soreness but right now, I'm ob adrenaline. It will probably hurt tomorrow."

Iron Mountain avenged a 10-6 loss to Marinette earlier in the tournament.

"We knew it was going to be a tough game," Iron Mountain shortstop Blake Julian said. "We had to keep our errors low, which we did, Andrew did great pitching, our bats came alive at the end. I'm proud of the team. We were just stronger today, actually. More competitive. We just wanted to win and we did a great job today."

Earlier, Iron Mountain cruised past the Eastern U.P. Wood Ducks in the semifinal, 9-1. In that game, Shawn Durand threw a complete game five-hutter with six strikeouts and no walks.

"The first time through the order, I was just trying to throw fastballs and keep the ball down," Durand said. "You know, let them think I have a fastball. Then, work in other pitches and just keep them off-balance."

"I've probably got to buy them some pizza," Coach Julian said after the championship win. "It was a blast. This (Johnson tournament) is always a real big deal to start off the year."