Negaunee, MI – May 19, 2021 – The Negaunee Miners Baseball Team fell to the Gladstone Braves 7-2 on Wednesday afternoon. Travis Nelson had the call on Fox Sports Marquette 105.1 and 99.9.
LISTEN TO THE FULL GAME HERE (135 min.)
1st Inning
The Braves got off to an ideal start in this match up. Gladstone pitcher and lead-off hitter Carter VanBrocklin got things rolling with a double in the first at-bat of the game. The Braves would get a few batters on base, and an RBI hit by Braden Sunquist gave them an early 1-0 lead. It could have been worse for the Miners, but a strikeout by pitcher Gerald Johnson retired the side with two runners stranded in scoring position. In the bottom of the first, Negaunee had a tough time. All three Miners flied out to keep the Braves up 1-0.
2nd Inning
Negaunee’s defense had a much better time in the top of the second. After walking the first batter of the inning, a great catch in the outfield by Brenten Belanger and a key strikeout by Gerald Johnson stopped Gladstone from building on their lead. In the bottom of the inning, Belanger continued to come up big for the Miners, as a solo home run off of the first pitch tied the game up for Negaunee 1-1.
Third Inning
The Miners made a pitching change this inning, as freshman Owen Debelak took over to begin the third. He had a solid first inning on the mound, as he forced two fly balls and ended the top of the inning with a full-count strikeout. The Miners’ momentum carried into the bottom of the third, as Keith Juidici gave the Miners the lead with an RBI single. Negaunee was on top 2-1.
Fourth Inning
Negaunee wasn’t on top for long. Gladstone went on a tear in the top of the inning. After the Braves scored two runs on a bunt, they loaded up the bases again and Cam Kelly batted in two more runs for Gladstone to give them the 5-2 lead. The Miners weren’t able to cut into their new deficit. They got a couple runners on base, but weren’t able to capitalize. The Braves held on to their 5-2 lead.
Fifth Inning
Gladstone continued to expand their lead in the top of the fifth. A balk by Negaunee’s pitcher scored one more for the Braves, and another was batted in later to give them a comfortable 7-2 advantage. Negaunee’s hitting struggles continued, as they still couldn’t dig into Gladstone’s lead. The Braves were on top 7-2 after five.
Sixth Inning
Neither team got much going offensively in the final inning. Gladstone only got two hits with no runs, but their defense forced Negaunee to go three up and three down in the bottom of the sixth to end the game. The Braves got the convincing win 7-2. The Miners made some great plays throughout the game, but Gladstone’s depth propelled them to the victory.
Final: 7-2
NEXT GAME: The Negaunee Miners will take on the Marquette Redmen at Irontown Field in Negaunee on Monday Afternoon. Tune in for the Elder Agency Pregame Show with Travis Nelson on Fox Sports Marquette 105.1 and 99.9.