Baseball

Gladstone at Kingsford

KINGSFORD — The Gladstone Braves baseball team dropped a close contest 7-6 against the Kingsford Flivvers Tuesday evening in Kingsford.

“As a team, we hit the ball decent but not as good as we normally do,” said Braves coach Lucas LaCosse. “We got a couple bunts down to get some runs in and ultimately just ran out of gas at the end of the game.”

Carter VanBrocklin started the game for the Braves but left the game after getting shaken up going for a foul ball, said LaCosse.

Brayden Sundquist finished the game for Gladstone.

LaCosse noted a couple of hits by Ryan Polley and Blake Krouth as standouts.

Polley put down a bunt for an RBI while Krouth nailed the ball for a triple RBI.

The Braves round out play this week with a Thursday contest at home against Iron Mountain and a doubleheader against the Eskymos in Escanaba Saturday.

Bark River-Harris at Superior Central

EBEN — It was definitely a tale of two baseball games here Monday night as Bark River-Harris and Superior Central split a doubleheader.

The Cougars won the opener 10-0 in five innings, and the Broncos captured the nightcap 14-0 in four.

“Those were two very different games, no doubt about that,” said BR-H coach Al Botwright. “We had one problem in the first game, their starting pitcher (Kaden Rockhill). He’s a fine pitcher. We had no answers for him. He throws hard and has a very good curveball. If he’s not the best pitcher we’ve seen so far, he’s way up on the list. They’re a very good team, no doubt. They know how to play the game, and they’re well-coached.”

Max Hall and Isaac Ives shared the mound duties for the Broncos in the second game, allowing no hits.

“Our starting pitcher (Hall) did an unbelievable job,” said Botwright. “He kept them off the bases. We didn’t give up any hits, and that was the difference. We also played a lot better defense. We starting making the plays we’re used to making. Isaac retired them in order in the fourth.”

Nick Javurek led the Broncos with two hits and two RBIs. Tyler Racicot added two hits and one RBI, and Joe Javurek scored three times.

The Broncos visit North Central for a doubleheader Thursday. The Cougars host Stephenson in a twinbill Thursday.

North Central at Norway

NORWAY — The bats came alive for the North Central Jets in the second game of a doubleheader here Monday night in a 13-8 baseball victory over the Norway Knights.

Norway won the opener 12-2 in four innings.

“I am hoping these were the last of our cold games of the season,” said Jets coach Jason Mercier. “That was brutal tonight, around 32 degrees. In Game 1, we just fell into the same late-inning funk as we have been accustomed to. A few errors multiply, and before you know it, the game escapes and is over.”

“In Game 2, we attacked the ball early. Our 1-4 hitters are heating up, which is a good sign. The entire team is starting to make contact more regularly.”

The Jets collected 11 hits in the nightcap, including two each by Ian Gorzinski, Wyatt Riley, Adrian Mercier and Jesse Sampson, who also drove in four runs.

Gannon Bray, however, limited the Jets to two hits in the opener. He struck out five and walked two.

“Our defense played relatively clean, and Bray was efficient on the mound in the first game,” said Norway coach Tony Adams. “Offensively, we showed some patience and made better contact as the game went on. In the second game, North Central did a nice job putting the ball in play, and we had too many errors. Although, our kids did a nice job competing throughout the game.”

Adrian Mercier took the win in the nightcap, striking out four, walking four and allowing four runs on five hits through four innings.

“Adrian kept the runs down,” said coach Mercier. “That’s all we can ask on a freezing night. He helped himself out on offense also. Adrian and Wyatt have been roping the ball and manufacturing runs.”

The Jets host Bark River-Harris in a twinbill Thursday.

Softball

Rapid River at Norway

NORWAY — Despite holding the lead in both ends of a doubleheader against the Norway Knights Monday, the Rapid River Rockets came home empty-handed with two losses (10-9, 13-12) in a pair of close games.

“Natalie (Belanger) pitched well enough to win both games,” said Rapid River coach George Kanyuh. “In both games, we had the lead. We had a combined total of 21 hits and 21 runs in both games, which is more than enough to win both games, but errors continue to kill us.”

In game one, Belanger threw out five at the plate, had no walks, and allowed 10 hits. The Rockets had 6 errors.

Belanger, on offense, had three hits with two RBIs. Myah Pearson also had several hits. Out of her three, two were doubles.

Norway’s Kali Stanchina toed the mound for the entire seven innings — earning the win — fanning 10 hitters, while only walking one.

The second game stretched into an extra inning with the International Tie Breaker rule going into effect with a runner starting at second base to begin the eighth inning.

Again, Belanger pitched all of the contest for Rapid River. She had struck out nine with one walk and gave up 10 hits.

At the plate, she went 5-5 with a pair of doubles and a triple.

Cecilia Pilon, Maizie Nelson and Pearson all had bats going in the nightcap, too, with two hits each.

Hannah Burklind, pitched the second game for Norway. She struck out four Rockets’ hitters while walking seven.

Errors, as Kanyuh mentioned, were an issue again for Rapid as they had eight.

“Although we pound the team in practice with work on fundamental skills, they continue to shoot themselves in the foot during the games with mistakes,” he said. “We are more than halfway through our season, and things have to get cleaned up quick.”

Rapid River plays at Westwood today.

Golf

MARQUETTE — The Gladstone Braves and Escanaba Eskymos took part in a GNC golf match Monday in Marquette.

On the boys’ side, Marquette won overall with 167 total strokes followed by Kingsford and Menominee tied at 175, Escanaba (180) in fourth and Gladstone (240) in fifth.

Owen Riipi of Marquette shot 39 to take the boys’ win. Tied at 41 in second place were Escanaba’s Rogan Gravelle, Matt Solda of Kingsford and Menominee’s Brady Badker.

For the girls, Menominee (212) took the top spot with Marquette (238) second, Escanaba (251) third and Kingsford (276) rounding out the field.

Menominee swept the top two individual spots with Josie Hofer, who shot 43, and Madison Derusha at 47. Marquette’s Morgan Rhodes (49) Menominee’s Jenna Nolde (52) ad Abby Luke of Marquette rounded out the top five.

Boys

Escanaba: Rogan Gravelle — 41, Owen Lancour — 45, Sawyer Lamarch — 6, Bryson Lancour — 48, Shan Wallin — 48.

Gladstone: Cam Ballard — 44, Gavin Myrehn — 63, Graison Pare — 66, Pete Lippens — 67.

Kingsford: Matt Solda — 41, Lance Harry — 42, Daniel Maki — 46, Troy Watt — 46, Jack Perpich — 47.

Marquette: Owen Riipi — 39, Joseph Luke — 42, Lincoln Sager — 42, Jace Moore — 44, John Weber — 45.

Menominee — Brady Badker — 41, Andrew MacIntyre — 43, Cooper Conway — 44, Joe Haire — 47, Matt Mellinger — 48.

Girls

Escanaba: Abby HIll — 57, Annika Wangrud — 60, Cierra Scott — 62, Peyton Wellman — 72, Sophie Derkos — 49.

Kingsford: Maggie Menghini — 63, Grace Maki — 67, Bryonna Sanders — 71, Christy Glodowski — 75, Ella Rizzo — 77.

Marquette: Morgan Rhodes — 49, Abby Luke — 56, Zoe Smith — 56, Abby Hellman — 77, Hannah Ruuska — 84.

Menominee: Josie Hofer — 43, Madison Derusha — 47, Jenna Nold — 52, Erin Barrette — 70, Emma Anderson — 75.

Boys’ Tennis

ESCANABA — The Escanaba Eskymos swept the Kingsford Flivvers 8-0 Tuesday afternoon in a dual tennis meet in Escanaba.

“It was just a nice day for tennis,” said Eskymos coach Tom Penegor. “The weather seems to be getting nicer every time we play.”

Isaac Maki and Dawson Williams picked up the win at No. 1 doubles for the Eskymos defeating Flivvers Caleb Boone and Kristi Glodowski 6-1, 1-6, 6-0.

“It was nice to see the kids battle, especially at No. 1 doubles. You win a set 6-1, then you lose a set 1-6,” said Penegor. “I was happy to see our guys get it together and win that third set.”

Gunner Dlugas grabbed the win for the Eskymos at No. 1 singles beating Gabe LaFreniere 6-0 in both matches.

Penegor noted Kingsford’s youthful team.

“I know Kingsford has a young team,” he said. “They have a lot of freshman and sophomores and only a few seniors.”

Shaun Beauchamp (def. Ben Trevillian 6-2, 6-3), Nathan Howes (def. Charlie Christesen 6-0, 6-0), and Connor Smale (def. Cale Harris 6-3, 6-1) in their respective singles matches.

In doubles, Ryan Moreau and Troy Delvaux (def. Isaac Nash and Jacob Saari 6-3, 6-1), Tann McDonald and Jordan Nance (def. Hunter Hulkonen and Niko Przeslakowsi 6-1, 6-3) and Evan St. Peter and Brayden Roberts (def. Michael Occhietti and Blake Wonfor 7-5, 6-1) took all their matches.

“We had a couple pretty good practices earlier in the week, and it showed today, especially in some of our doubles play,” said Penegor. “It takes a little bit more practice to get used to each other versus singles where you’re the only player out there. So, that’s pretty simple on who’s gotta go get that shot.”

The Eskymos head to Gladstone today to play the Braves.

Singles

No. 1 Dlugas, E, def. LaFreniere, K 6-0, 6-0; No. 2 — Beauchamp, E, def Trevillian, K, 6-2, 6-3; No. 3 — Howes, E def. Christesen, K 6-0,6-0; No. 4 — Smale, E, def. Harris, K 6-3, 6-1.

Doubles

No. 1 — Maki-Williams def. Boone-Glodowski, K, 6-1, 1-6, 6-0. No. 2 — Moreau- Delvaux def. Nash-Saari, K, 6-3, 6-1; No. 3 — McDonald-Nance def. Hulkonen-Przeslakowski, K, 6-1, 6-3. No. 4 — St. Peter-Roberts def. Occhietti-Wonfor, K, 7-5, 6-1.