IRON MOUNTAIN---The Gladstone Junior Little League All-Stars (age 13-14) kept their season alive Thursday night with a dramatic 7-6 win over Kingsford in an elimination district tournament game in Iron Mountain.
The game went extra innings before Jaxdon Quigley got a fly ball base hit to bring home the tiebreaking run in the bottom of the eighth inning.
Gladstone, after being mercied by Kingsford in the tournament opener on Wednesday, fell behind on Thursday as well, 5-2. Owen Pericolossi and Will Rice had back-to-back RBI doubles in the top of the third inning to put their team in front.
Landon Stearns and Quigley both had RBI hits for Gladstone to make it 5-4, and it stayed tight the rest of the game. In the top of the eighth.
Gladstone pitcher Mason Holochwost gave up a leadoff double to Brodie Daffron, but got the next three outs to keep the game tied. Then in the bottom of the inning, Kingsford relief pitcher Liam Stromberg had trouble throwing strikes. He walked the first three batters he faced, and then Quigley ended it with the walk-off single.
Holochwost earned the win in relief of Quigley on the mound. Holochwost threw 5 1/3 innings, allowing two runs on five hits. Stromberg took the loss.
Gladstone will face Iron Mountain in the district finals on Friday. They will need to beat Iron Mountain twice to take District Ten's spot in next week's state finals, which will be an eight-team event at the historic Felch Field.
