Gladstone Sweeps Kingsford; Win Streak At Eight
QUINNESEC---Braden Sundquist threw a complete game, four-hit shutout Monday as the Gladstone Braves beat the Kingsford Flivvers, 5-0, in the first game of a doubleheader in Quinnesec. The Braves mercied the Flivvers in the nightcap, 16-2, and have now won eight games in a row after a season-opening loss to Iron Mountain.
Sundquist needed just 61 pitches to navigate the six innings, with 43 of them strikes. He did not walk a batter, and struck out four, as he outdueled Kingsford's Gavin Trevillian.
It was just a 1-0 game after five innings, with Gladstone getting an unearned run in the third inning. Tevillian was able to get a groundout and a strikeout to strand the bases loaded in that inning, and in the fifth inning, he picked Nick Martin off of first base and Sundquist was caught trying to syteal third base.
Sundquist never allowed more than one baserunner in any of the six innings, and he finally got some run support in the top of the sixth inning against a tiring Trevillian.
Cam Kelly led off with a walk, and with one out, Aedan Creten smacked a double to right field. That put runners on second and third, and then the Braves did what the Braves do a lot: play small ball. Casety Alworden put down the squeeze bunt, and not only did Kelly score, but Creten also streaked home to give Gladstone a 3-0 lead.
Gladstone scored its fourth run on Sawyer Pugh's second error of the game at shortstop, and that was all for Trevillian as he reached his 105-pitch count (actually 106 pitches).
Pugh came on to pitch and Hunter Solis greeted him with a double to left field, moving Gavin Frossard (who was safe on that error) to third base. Frossard scored on a wild pitch.
The second game was not as close. Gkadstone scored three runs in both the first and second innings, and then batted around (and then some) for nine more runs in the third.
Sundquist had three hits and drove in two runs, and Rex Kelly had three hits and three RBI. The Braves took advantage of nine walks issued by four Kingsford pitchers. Tyler Darmogray added two hits in that game.
Austin Bagwell threw 2 1/3 innings to get the win for Gladstone, allowing one run on rwo hits on 46 pitches. Frossard got the final five outs on ten pitches, including a 1-3 double play in the fourth inning.
Gladstone (8-1) will host Marquette in a doubleheader Wednesday, and then host Escanaba in another doubleheader on Friday.
