Click the thumbnails to see photos and videos, and hear interviews with Blues players Justin Wenk and Pete VandenAvond.

MARQUETTE---The Marquette Blues American Legion baseball team turned to "small ball" to turn around their Class A State tournament opener against Rosebush from the Mount Pleasant area Thursday night.

Locked up in a 2-2 tie in the fifth inning, the Blues put down several successful bunts to take the lead, and then held on at the end as the downstate team mounted a late challenge.

Marquette won, 8-5, moving into the winner's bracket final of this six-team tournament.

Rosebush, which beat Marquette in the state tournament two years ago in Gladwin, took a 2-0 lead in the second inning on a bases-loaded single by Ryan McIntyre.

But Marquette pitching ace Justin Wenk settled down from there, holding Rosebush off the board for the next five innings.

The Blues got on the board in the second inning when Brock Taylor singled, went to second on an error, got bunted to third by Hayden Rockhill, and scored on a sac fly by Kyle Frusti.

Marquette tied the game in the third inning on a two-out RBI hit by Hogan Nemetz.

It stayed 2-2 until the fifth inning when the Blues finally got to Rosebush pitcher Blake Moore, who was tough early on.

Wenk led off with a single, then Pete VanDenAvond put down a nice bunt single. Erik Johnson also followed with a bunt single to load the bases.

Dakota Maki lifted a fly ball to center field. Mike Whitman's throw to the cut-off man was relayed to the plate, and the call was that it was a split second late, and Wenk scored the go-ahead run. Then Nemetz hit a pop fly just beyond first base that was caught, and the Bkues were aggressive on the basepaths as VandenAvond scored without a slide.

Rosebush argued both calls at the plate, but to no avail.

Marquette added four runs in the sixth inning after Moore ran out of pitches, with VandenAvond putting down another bunt single and Frusti adding a bunt hit of his own.

Wenk seemed to be on cruise control with an 8-2 lead going into the seventh inning, but Rosebush, which beat Blissfield, 5-2, in a morning game, came back.

RBI hits by Ty Hutchins and Logan Borobychuck closed the gap, and Rosebush had the bases loaded with two out when Marquette manager Derek Swajanen brought Erik Johnson in to get the final out. He struck out A.J. Dennis, and Marquette held on as Johnson got the save.

The Blues face the surprising Copper Country Flames Friday at 5:00. The game will be broadcast on FM-100.3 and on-line at www.radioresultsnetwork.com.

Rosebush takes on Chief Pontiac in the loser's bracket at 11:30 Friday.

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