Gladstone junior Lauren Sundquist watches a potential base hit soar through the sky during game two of a doubleheader against Menominee on May 22, 2024 at Gladstone High School. ("The Big Dog" Mitch Vosburg/Daily Press)

GLADSTONE –With a 1-1 tie in game one of a doubleheader against Menominee, Gladstone junior Lauren Sundquist came up to bat.

She entered the day with a .506 batting average, five home runs, 32 RBI and an OPS at 1.491.

Couple all of that with two Gladstone runners in scoring position and, well, Menominee had to tread lightly.

Sundquist worked the count to 3-2, fouling off the first pitch, staring at three-straight balls and looked at strike two.

The sixth pitch of the at bat found the barrel of Sundquist’s bat. It also found the grass over the left field wall for a three-run home run and give Gladstone a definitive 4-1 lead.

It was all she wrote for game one, paving the way for a doubleheader sweep over the Maroons to improve to 18-11 on the season.

“Lauren’s home run was enough to carry us to the win (in game one),” Braves coach Rick Pepin said. “She continues to be a difference maker at the plate.”

Senior Montgomery Pepin earned the win in the circle for the purple and white. She allowed one unearned run off two hits with three walks and nine punchouts.

The Braves drew first blood in game two thanks to a RBI fielder’s choice off the bat of Sam Drielick for a 1-0 lead after one.

Then the second inning came around, and the Braves began to pounce.

With a RBI single from Reese Herioux, a two-run double from Montgomery Pepin and a RBI sacrifice fly, along with a passed ball, the Braves jumped to a 7-0 lead off a six-run second inning.

Gerow added a RBI groundout in the bottom of the fourth for an eight-run advantage. Montgomery Pepin, similar to game one, was sharp in the circle, allowing three hits and striking out seven in five shutout innings of work. Herioux finished 3-for-3 with a double and two runs scored.