MENOMINEE---The Gladstone High School softball team won its 26th straight MHSAA District championship on Friday, beating the Manistique Emeralds in the Division Three semifinals, 15-0, and then topping the Menominee Maroons, 6-0, in the championship game.
This trophy is different from many of the previous ones because the Braves had to win it on the road, in Menominee. Most years, the districts have been held in Gladstone.
In this one on Friday, the Braves made short work of the Emeralds in a game that was called by the mercy rule after three innings. Lauren Pare did ot allow a base hit in her three innings of work in the circle, and she struck out six batters and walked one.
The championship game was harder. The Braves scored twice in the bottom of the second inning on RBI singles by Brynn Larson and Ava Goodman, and then in the fourth inning, Pare smacked a double to bring home Gladstone's third run.i
Gladstone took a 4-0 lead in the fifth inning when Quigley got a double to lead off the inning, and scored on a hit by Maddy Sundquist. And then in the sixth inning, Sanville got another RBI double and Quigley's infield pop fly brought in the final run.
Pare threw a complete game in the circle, allowing four hits and striking out 14 batters. She walked just one batter. Goodman led the offense with three hits.
Menominee finished its season with a 17-21 record. Kadyn Olsen had two of the Maroons' four hits. Kylie Kellner took the loss in the circle, allowing six runs on 13 hits. She had four strikeouts and issued one walk.
Manistique finished its season with a 13-13 record.
Gladstone, meanwhile, improved to 27-10 on the season, with four of those losses coming to Division Two Escanaba. The Braves now advance to the regional tournament next weekend, in Cheboygan. More details on those pairings will be announced later this weekend after districts in northern Lower Michigan are held this Saturday.
