Welcome Home, Girls! Gladstone Girls Greeted With Parade, Celebration It was a horn honkin' good time for the Gladstone Major Girls on Friday as they returned home from the Little League Softball World Series in Oregon. The girls came home to a hero's welcome....complete with a parade through Escanaba and Gladstone, led by horn-hoking and siren-blaring police cars and fire trucks. Then, a couple hundred people turned out to support the girls in a special celebration at the Gladstone Marble Athletic Field. "This is sweet," Gladstone catcher Jammie Botruff said. "There's a lot of people here. I was really happy that people actually cared about us!" "I'm excited to see all these people here," Gladstone outfielder Nicole Barteld said. "I didn't know there'd be all these people here. There were all these cars lined up (in the parade) and we got to wave to everybody." Gladstone Mayor Tom Sinnaeve and District Ten Administrator Don Howes both spoke to the team over a loudspeaker as supporters cheered in the football stands. Howes noted that of the thousands of 11-and-12 year-old girls playing Little League this summer, each Gladstone girl is among the 34 best in the world.  The celebration was hastily-arranged after the girls finished Third In the World in Oregon Wednesday night. The team spent all day Thursday getting from Portland to Chicago, while some parents had to fly to St. Louis...and then drive vans back to Chicago to meet the girls. Manager Andy Schwartz was one of them, and was happy to be home. "Nothing better, I'll tell you that right now," he said. "I didn't think that van was gonna make it, but....I'm so tired of traveling!" They all caravanned home on Friday, arriving in Escanaba at 7:15. They were met by police cars and fire trucks, which slowly led them down US-2 into Gladstone. The girls did a lap through the city, waving to everybody as people came out of their homes to see what the sirens and honking was all about. Then, once at the football field, the girls were treated to a short ceremony and a hot dog and hamburger cookout. "This is so crazy, I'm so happy right now," Gladstone second baseman Neena Brockway said. "It was tiring, but it was fun, too. We just had fun in the car and stuff (on the way home)." Schwartz was overwhelmed by the outpouring of support for his team. "Unbelievable," he said. "Like I said from Day One, they (members of the community) made it possible for us to go. I don't know how to thank everybody. It probably hasn't set in yet. "With all these people to see us, it's kind of emotional." Congratulations to the team for its great success!

THIRD IN THE WORLD! Gladstone Beats Connecticut In Extra Innings The Gladstone Major Girls (age 11-12) ended their dream season on a high Wednesday, rallying past Waterford, Connecticut, 5-2 to finish third at the Little League Softball World Series in Portland, Oregon. Gladstone won despite making four errors and stranding 13 baserunners, and left the bases loaded three times. But they scratched out a run in the sixth inning and three more in the seventh to win their third game of the tournament. The game was 0-0 through the first four innings, but not for lack of scoring chances. Jammie Botruff had a two-out single in the first inning but was stranded, then Neena Brockway led off with an infield hit in the third but the next three girls made outs. Then in the fourth inning, Gladstone had a big threat. Botruff and Heather Sanderson led off with back-to-back singles, but Jordan Kowalski's bunt was fielded by the pitcher and Botruff was out at third. Nicole Sharon followed with a base hit to load the bases, and Nicole Barteld got ahead in the count 3-1. But Waterford pitcher Meggan Spellman came back to strike out Barteld, then got Averi Kanyuh to bounce out. Waterford had a threat of its own in the bottom of the inning. With one out, Spellman ad Mary Murphy got hits. Kassie Lankerd followed with a grounder and Gladstone was able to get the lead runner in a rundown between third and home. Katelyn Haff was hit by a pitch to load the bases, but Jamie Dahl hit one right back to Sanderson on the mound for the third out. Gladstone took the lead in the fifth inning. Alison Austin and Jordan Schwartz each drew walks to start the inning, then Botruff got her third hit of the game to load the bases. Sanderson followed with a high fly to center and Austin came home with the first run, sliding in under the tag at home plate. But in the bottom of the inning, an error and a bunt that was not fielded properly put two on base for Waterford. Sanderson got the next two outs, but Spellman hit one over the head of Schwartz at short, scoring two runs. In the top of the sixth, Gladstone was down to its final two outs after Sharon struck out. But Wolf and Brockway each drew walks to give Gladstone a chance. Waterford changed pitchers, bringing Spellman back in (she had pitched two innings earlier in the game). Spellman also struggled, walking Austin and then walking Schwartz with the bases loaded. That brought in the tying run, and the bases were loaded with only one out. Waterford changed pitchers again, bringing Lankerd, who had pitched the first two innings of the game. Lankerd got the job done, getting Ashley Hugh and Botruff to ground out to third, leaving the bases loaded. In the bottom of the inning, Connecticut got one runner on an error, but Sanderson shut the door, keeping it a 2-2 game. In the seventh, Sanderson led off with a sharply-hit single. Kowalski followed with a grounder to short and the throw to first was a poor one. That put runners at first and third, and Gladstone caught a break as Kowalski stole second. Sanderson got caught off the bag at third, and the throw to Spellman appeared to have her out as the two girls collided. But Sanderson was called safe, and after the Waterford coaches argued the call, the two umpires talked. One umpire made what looked like an 'out' sign, but when it was over, Sanderson was safe. Sharon followed with a shot off the third baseman's glove to load the bases , then Wolf hit a grounder to short. The throw came to the plate and Sanderson was tagged out. But Brockway took a close 3-2 pitch to draw a bases loaded walk, giving Gladstone a 3-2 lead. Then Austin hit one deep in the hole between short and third. Kelli Connors got to the ball, but did not have a play. She threw the ball home anyway and it was a wild throw off the backstop. So, instead of one run scoring, two came home. The 5-2 lead was more than enough for Sanderson. But it didn't happen easily. Hannah Swanson was safe on an error, then Connors singled to center. With two on and no outs, Sanderson struck out Christie Hadfield, got Spellman to bounce out, then got Murphy to hit a hard one back to the mound to end the game. It wasn't a world championship, but the Gladstone girls were still happy, running to their dugout to the loud cheers of about 50 parents and fans who spent the past week with the girls. Gladstone finished 3-3 in the tournament, with Sanderson going 2-1 on the mound. She allowed five runs in the tournament, withn only one earned run. She walked just one batter in 19 innings of work. In Wednesday's game, Botruff led the Gladstone offense with three hits, while Sanderson and Sharon each had two hits. It marks the end of a long, successful tournament run for Gladstone, starting back on July 5th in the districts with a 6-0 win over Munising. It ends on August 15th, 41 days and several thousand miles later. In between, Gladstone won 18 tournament games and dropped just three. They went 3-0 in the districts, 6-0 in the state tournament, 6-0 in the Central States regional tournament, and 3-3 at the World Series. Congratulations to Coaches Schwartz and Nevala, and to all of the girls, for an extraordinary tournament season. Morristown, Tennessee beat Elgin, Texas, 3-2, in the world championship game.

LITTLE LEAGUE WORLD SERIES ORDER OF FINISH 1. Morristown, Tennessee 2. Elgin, Texas 3. GLADSTONE, MICHIGAN 4. Waterford, Connecticut 5. Gilroy, California 6. Asofen, Puerto Rico 7. Makati City, Philippines 8. Beaverton, Oregon 9. Windsor, Canada 10. Ramstein, Germany

SEE PICTURES OF THE GLADSTONE GIRLS GAMES The Little League Softball World Series has an excellent web page that includes photos of all of the games played this past week in Portland. We have provided links below to Gladstone's games. Click and enjoy the photos, but ignore the one of WCHT's Jack Hall. Web site is www.softballworldseries.com. Gladstone vs Germany.....click here Gladstone vs Tennessee.....click here Gladstone vs Philippines.....click here Gladstone vs California.....click here Gladstone vs Texas.....click here Gladstone vs Connecticut.....click here Fun Photos.....click here

LITTLE LEAGUE WORLD SERIES RESULTS POOL B STANDINGS x-Morristown, Tennessee....4-0 x-GLADSTONE......2-2 Gilroy, California......2-2 Makati City, Phillippines....2-2 Ramstein, Germany......0-4 POOL A STANDINGS x-Elgin, Texas.....4-0 x-Waterford, Connecticut......3-1 Asofen, Puerto Rico....2-2 Beaverton, Oregon.....1-3 Windsor, Canada....0-4 Thursday's scoreboard Connecticut 3, Puerto Rico 0 Tennessee 4, California 1 Philippines 13, Germany 0 Texas 13, Oregon 3 Friday's scoreboard GLADSTONE 15, Germany 0 California 7, Phillippines 3 Connecticut 11, Canada 10 Puerto Rico 9, Oregon 1 Saturday's scoreboard Tennessee 2, GLADSTONE 0 Texas 5, Connecticut 4 California 9, Germany 0 Puerto Rico 16, Canada 1 Sunday's scoreboard Phillippines 5, GLADSTONE 0 Texas 15, Canada 0 Tennessee 18, Germany 0 Connecticut, 2, Oregon 1 Monday's scoreboard GLADSTONE 6, California 1 Tennessee 9, Phillippines 3 (7 Innings) Oregon 10, Canada 0 Texas 10, Puerto Rico 3 Tuesday's scoreboard Texas 6, GLADSTONE 1 Tennessee 10, Connecticut 1 Wednesday's scoreboard 9th: Canada 10, Germany 4 7th: Philippines 3, Oregon  1 5th: California 10, Puerto Rico 9 3rd: GLADSTONE 5, Connecticut 2 Championship: Tennessee 3, Texas 2

Gladstone Loses to Talented Texans The Gladstone Major Girls have played, and beaten, some very good softball teams this summer. In winning district, state and regional championships, the girls have beaten the likes of Escanaba, Mattawan, South Portage, and Poland Ohio. They knocked off an experienced Gilroy, California team here in Portland. But none of those teams compared to the buzzsaw that the girls ran into in the World Semifinals on Tuesday. Gladstone lost to Elgin, Texas, 6-1 at Alpenrose Stadium, as a national audience watched on ESPN-2. Elgin pounded out 12 base hits and made numerous good plays on defense to knock the Gladstone girls into the tournament's third place game on Wednesday. Gladstone played a good game, and Jordan Schwartz did a nice job of mixing her pitches, but the Texans hit pretty much everything she threw. "It was an excellent-hitting team out here," Gladstone Coach John Nevala said. "You couldn't afford to make any mistakes against this team. We didn't get the hits like we needed, they did, and that was the bottom line." The Elgin team had seven returning players from last year's team that also qualified for the World Series, and that experience and "swagger" was obvious. They jumped on Gladstone in the first inning with leadoff batter Olivia Blake getting a triple. Kaci Olson put down a bunt and was allowed to go to first to prevent the runner from scoring. But that backfired when Shelbi Swenson singled up the middle to drive home a run. An RBI single by Morgan Schultz brought in another run, then a sacrafice fly by Kelsey Harkins made it 3-0. Schwartz was able to get out of that jam, then was helped in the second inning by a great catch in left field by Shannon Wolf (leaving two more runners on). Gladstone got its only run in the third inning when Neena Brockway beat out an infield hit, but was forced out on a grounder by Alison Austin. Austin eventually scored on a single by Ashley Hough, making it 3-1. But Texas struck back in the bottom of the inning. Schultz was robbed of a hit on an excellent catch in deep center field by Jordan Kowalski. But Harkins followed with a triple to start another rally. Schwartz was able to get Alyssa Wilkins to pop up, and Electra Owens hit a grounder to third to seemingly end the inning. But Austin's throw to first was a bit short and Nicole Sharon could not come up with it. It was a costly error, as a run scored on the play, then four base hits in a row produced two more Texas runs. Instead of 3-1, it was 6-1. Gladstone had a scoring chance in the fifth inning when Scwartz walked and Hough got her second hit of the game. But Jammie Botruff grounded out to end the threat, and Gladstone was unable to mount another rally. "The girls gave us 100-percent," Nevala said. "Southwest is an excellent team. People here watching, they all know that. Our girls played their hearts out and that's all we ask of them. Me and Andy are happy with their effort." Gladstone ended up with seven base runners in the game off pitcher Kelsey Harkins (four hits, three walks), but could not bunch them together. And the Texans did not help out with errors. "It looked like she was throwing some off-speed pitches, especially at the end," Nevala said. "She was working the corners good and kept the girls off-balance. We were a little late on the swing and their second baseman was pretty busy." Schwartz pitched all five innings for Gladstone, allowing 12 hits and six runs (three earned). She struck out one and did not walk a batter. "Other than when they strung those hits together in a couple innings, I think she pitched an excellent game," Nevala said of Schwartz. The game was broadcast live on ESPN-2, giving the girls a chance to perform on a national stage. The girls attended an interview session with ESPN Tuesday morning, then joined the other nine teams for a barbeque picnic at 1 p.m. "The stage has definitely changed from yesterday to today," Gladstone Manager Andy Schwartz said. "You can see the cameras now. They gave each girl some time and it was kind of neat. "And to get all these people together at a picnic before the big game, it's neat. Girls were exchanging pins, it's something that I wish every kid could see." How did the girls like having ESPN on hand? Jordan Schwartz thought it was cool. "I told them my name, and my favorite player is Monica Abbott, and that I play pitcher and shortstop," she said. Sharon was also impressed. "They taped us," she said. "I just said my name and my nickname (Coley). It was kind of exciting." Botruff told ESPN who her favorite athelete is. "(Detroit Piston) Chauncey Billips," she said with a big grin. "It was fun." So, did the distraction of ESPN effect the Gladstone girls, keeping in mind that Texas had already seen all of that last year? "It didn't seem that the girls were too nervous about ESPN being here," Nevala said. "Myself, it didn't seem much different than normal. The girls weren't bothered by it, so you can't put that as the blame (for the loss)." Gladstone will play for "Third in the World" in its final game Wednesday afternoon. The girls will play Waterford, Connecticut, which was pounded by Morristown Tennessee in the other semifinal, 10-1. Connecticut made eight errors in its loss and is the youngest team in the field, with seven 11 year-olds. "We're going out to win that game," Nevala said. "We're gonna be prepared, we're gonna be ready. Heather (Sanderson) will be going (on the mound) , and we want to win that game."

A LATE-NIGHT CELEBRATION! Gladstone Stuns California; Advances To Final 4 It is a scene that thousands of Little Leaguers, both boys and girls, dream about being a part of: winning a key game at the World Series, against a powerhouse team, under the lights, with hundreds of people screaming encouragement from the stands. And after being shut out twice in a row, and after having a rather poor warm-up practice session earlier in the day? Well, as the clock neared 1 a.m. back home, it happened for the Gladstone Major Girls (age 11-12). Gladstone shocked Gilroy, California, 6-1, late Monday night, to advance to the World Series Semifinals in Portland, Oregon. "There's no words to describe the feeling right now," Gladstone Manager Andy Schwartz said. "Everybody's just so pumped up, and fired up. We played a great game. We had a couple of mistakes on fly balls, but they came through." Gladstone had gone 14 straight innings without scoring a run, and was playing a California team that had four returning players from last year's squad that also made the World Series. But, remember, these are 11 and 12 year old girls, and it was the Western Regional champions that showed nervousness early. Pitcher Casey Lester was outstanding earlier in the tournament, but had problems throwing strikes in the first inning. Seeing that, the Gladstone players were extra-patient at the plate, taking more pitches than normal. Jordan Schwartz led off with a grounder and the throw went off the glove of the first baseman for an error. Then Ashley Hough hit a grounder that was missplayed by the pitcher. Jammie Botruff walked and that loaded the bases. Heather Sanderson followed with a walk to force in a run, Gladstone's first in a long time. Jordan Kowalski then hit a grounder and the throw home was late, scoring Hough with the second run. Nicole Sharon took a walk that forced in another run, then after Shannon Wolf grounded out, Neena Brockway was safe on an error by the shortstop that scored Kowalski with the fourth run. When Alison Austin walked to force in run #5, Lester was removed from the mound and replaced by Kaylana Mah. "I'll tell you right now, just to see someone score in the first inning was huge," Andy Schwartz said. "Then the girls were very patient in the box because the other girl was struggling, then we put the bat on the ball the whole game. I thought the girls did an outstanding job tonight swinging the bat." That despite a not-so-successful warm-up session. "Our batting practice was probably the worst one we've had," Andy Schwartz laughed. "Maybe we can get lucky again and have a poor batting practice and get some more runs tomorrow." Well, a 5-0 lead is nice, but there was still a lot of softball to play. Mah got out of the first inning and stabilized the California team, but Sanderson was on her game on the mound for Gladstone, clearly not intimidated by the "California" name. Not even a couple of hard-hit balls by Gilroy rattled her, as Lester doubled to lead off the bottom of the first and scored on a single by Mah. Sanderson did not give up another hit until the fourth inning, retiring eight batters in a row. "We got more hits and scored some runs and it gave me a lot of room." Sanderson said. "It made me feel really good that we got those runs." Gladstone added a run in the third inning when Sharon got an infield hit, went to secoind on a bunt by Nicole Barteld, and scored on a single by Averi Kanyuh. Gilroy (located about an hour south of San Francisco and known for its production of garlic) had a threat in the fourth inning. Ashlee Williams led off with a long fly ball that hit the wall on two hops. Kowalski got the ball back in and Williams was tagged out after taking a wide turn at second base. "Big stage, big moment, big play," Andy Schwartz said. "That was huge. She (Kowalski) kind of misjudged the ball, but hit the cutoff and Jo (Schwartz) got the ball and made a nice throw and Neena put the tag on. That was probably the play of the game for us right there." Yep, especially after Shawnte Garcia got a base hit and Amber Gamboa got a double. Instead of a run or two, it was runners at second and third. Then, Sanderson got tough. She got Celeste Jimenez to pop up and Sarina Sandoval to strike out, and California never threatened again. Gladstone finished 2-2 in pool play, and thanks to some help from Morristown Tennessee, ended up second in the pool and into the semifinals. Tennessee beat the Philippines, 9-3, in seven innings earlier in the day. Had the Filipinos won that game, Gladstone would have been playing for fifth place. Tennessee had a 3-0 lead with ace Mallory Black on the mound, but gave up three runs in the bottom of the sixth. In the seventh inning, the Tennessee girls scored six times, helping Gladstone stay alive for a few more hours. After Gladstone's win, they finished with the same 2-2 record as the Philippines and California. Gladstone knew it not only had to win, but keep California's score low. A 12-10 win, for example, would have sent the Filipinos to the Finals. Everybody knew that coming in, everyone, except, for the girls. "We didn't tell them any of that," Andy Schwartz said. "Not a word. Our whole goal was, we didn't care what the score was, we just wanted to come here and give a good effort. And that's we we got. No talk about 'tomorrow', it was all about today." Sanderson pitched all six innings, and when she got Gamboa to pop up to Sharon at first to end the game, a wild celebration began along the first base line. Sanderson allowed six hits, but scattered them, fanned four and did not walk a batter. It was her first win of the World Series. "I feel great," said Sanderson, who felt her outside-corner fastball was her most effective pitch. "I've played under the lights before, but to play on this field...it's been a dream." Well....it's NOT a dream. Gladstone WILL play Elgin, Texas, in the Final Four on Tuesday. The other semifinal will pit Waterford, Connecticut agasinst Morristown, Tennessee. Two wins away from a World Championship!

Gladstone Shut Out Again; Still Alive There's good news and bad news for the Gladstone Major Girls (age 11-12) as they play in the Little League Softball World Series in Portland, Oregon. First the good news: the girls can still advance to the world semifinals with a win and some help on Monday, the final day of the round-robin portion of the tournament. Now the bad news: Gladstone was shut out for the second straight game on Sunday, losing to Makati City, Phillippines, 5-0. The Asia-Pacific champions scored all five runs in the fifth inning after Jordan Schwartz and Makati City's Carinaess Diaz battled each other to a scoreless draw through four innings. The fateful fifth inning started with an error. Isabella Mendoza hit a base hit to right field. Ashley Hough charged the ball and prepared to make a throw to first base, but she missed the ball and it rolled past her. Mendoza went to third base and that set the stage for a messy inning. "She kind of picked up her head and took a peak (at the runner)," Gladstone Manager Andy Schwartz said. "That's kind of an uncharcteristic mistake on our behalf. But it happened, and I have to give the Phillippines all the credit in the world because they strung a bunch of hits together after that." Indeed, they did. Diaz came up and hit one to Heather Sanderson at short. She could have thrown to first for an out, but was told to hold the ball so the runner would not score from third. The next batter, Lily Gonzales, also hit one to short, and again, Sanderson held the ball. So, the bases were loaded. "We could have thrown the ball and maybe got an out or two, but to give up a run there, we were trying to keep it 0-0," Andy Schwartz said. "John (Nevala) and I talked and we decided not to give them a run considering how we were struggling to produce. "We were hoping to get some forces at the plate, but they started putting the ball where we weren't." Jordan Schwartz got Jasmin Singh to pop up, but then Julliana O'Campo and Adrianne Uy got back-to-back RBI hits to make it 2-0. Antoinette Ondrick popped up for the second out, but Chrissie Domingo ripped and RBI single and Zarina Buenviave followed with a two-run double. It was 5-0. "The way they were hitting earlier in the game, we didn't see that string of hits coming," Coach Schwartz said. Gladstone had a hard time getting going on offense, managing only four hits. The girls did not get any help from the Makati City defense, either, as there were no walks or errors to give Gladstone extra baserunners. Gladstone never got a runner past second base, and never had two runners on at the same time. "We're putting the bat on the ball but we're not getting any help from the other team obviously," Andy Schwartz said. "They're playing excellent defense. I give our girls a lot of credit because they're giving it their all. We're hitting the ball, but we can't get the timely hits, or the good hard shot that gets something going." Ashley Hough, Nicole Sharon, Jordan Schwartz, and Averi Kanyuh all had singles for Gladstone....but all in seperate innings. Jordan Schwartz took the loss, allowing eight hits and five earned runs. She struck out three and walked just one batter. "We're definitely not out of it yet," Andy Schwartz said. "We talked to Tennessee and they definitely want the number one seed. Hopefully, we get a little luck to go our way, and we can come out and give them a run for their money."

Mistakes Costly For Gladstone Girls Before the Gladstone Major Girls (age 11-12) played Morristown, Tennessee on Saturday, Manager Andy Schwartz had a simple message. "We have to play solid defense," he said in the radio pre-game interview. "We know Tennessee will put the bat on the ball. We can't afford to make mistakes because they will make us pay for them." Unfortunately for Gladstone, Schwartz was exactly right as two errors led to two runs for Morristown, and the South Region Champs escaped with a 2-0 win. "That's the way it goes sometimes," Gladstone Coach John Nevala said. "All we ask is that the girls give us 100 percent for us and they did that. You're gonna have some miscues now and then." It was a pitcher's duel between Gladstone's Heather Sanderson and Morristown's Jodie King. The two teams both hit the ball, but the defense was good on both sides, particularly on the Tennessee side. It was 0-0 until the fourth inning when Morristown's Britney Turner hit a long fly ball to center. Jordan Kowalski came in a bit, then raced back, but the ball was well over her head for a double. Then, Allie surface hit a high fly ball that Kowalski and Ashley Hough both went for. The ball hit Kowalski's glove and bounced away, giving Tennessee a big run. "I think there was some miscommunication there," Nevala said. "It was right in between them and I think Jordan got her glove on it. She tried her best and that's all we can ask of her." The second Morristown run came in the sixth inning. With one out, Mallory Black singled. Turner followed with a grounder to short, and the throw was fine but it was dropped at first base. With two outs, Jennifer Ward singled in a run. "If you don't look the ball into the glove, that stuff is gonna happen," Nevala said of the drop. "You take it for granted that the ball is gonna go into the glove, but it doesn't always go that way. And, they (Morristown) took advantage of our couple miscues." Gladstone had two scoring chances. In the second inning, Kowalski singled and Nicole Sharon got an infield hit. But Shannon Wolf struck out, Nennah Brockway grounded out, and Alison Austin fanned to end the inning. Then, in the fifth, trailing 1-0, a two-out rally. Jordan Schwartz and Ashley Hough got back-to-back hits. With two on and two out, Jammie Botruff came to the plate, already with two hits on the day. But Botruff hit a pop fly toward short that was booted, but shortstop Kirsten Honeycutt recovered and tagged Schwartz on her way by to end that threat. In fact, Honeycutt was a real pain all day long. She had a great game, making eight putouts...on slow rollers and hard-hit balls. "We hit the ball all day long but right at them," Nevala said. "And she made every play for them and she played outstanding. They made the plays and we didn't." Sanderson ended up allowing four hits and two runs, no walks, and three strikeouts. She did not allow an earned run, but took the loss. King got the win, scattering six hits and also walking no one.

Gladstone Routs Germany in Opener The Gladstone Major Girls (age 11-12) wanted to get off to a quick start in their first game of the Little League World Series in Portland, Oregon. But we bet the girls never thought they'd have the kind of first inning they had on Friday against Ramstein, Germany. Gladstone sent 19 batters to the plate and scored 14 runs in that opening inning, then cruised to a 15-0 victory. The girls, outfitted in Forest-Green jerseys with the word "Central" across the front, had seven hits in that first inning. Gladstone also took advantage of four errors and three walks during an inning that took 36 minutes to play. Jordan Schwartz led off with a walk, then Ashley Hough put down a nice bunt and was safe when the throw to first was late. Jammie Botruff hit one to short and the throw was late again, so the bases were loaded. Heather Sanderson followed with a grounder that was missplayed at shortstop, scoring the first run. A run scored on a wild pitch, then Jordan Kowalski drove in a run with an infield hit. Nicole Sharon followed with an RBI hit of her own, then Shannon Wolf drew a walk. After Neenah Brockway grounded out, Allison Austin drew a bases-loaded walk to score Gladstone's fifth run. The girls had batted completely through the lineup, and had a 5-0 lead and with the bases still loaded. But it was far from over. Schwartz slapped an RBI single to score one run, then Hough brought in two more with a hit. Botruff followed with another RBI hit, then Sanderson smacked a hit to make it 10-0. Kowalski was safe on an error as another run scored, then Sharon was safe on an error by the catcher...with another run coming home. The inning's final runs came home on a grounder by Brockway, and Austin was safe on an error by the shortstop that brought in the 14th run. "That was a good way to start," Gladstone Manager Andy Schwartz said. "We needed that. But like I tell the team, our pitching isn't gonna win this for us, our defense will. And we kept making the plays and the one error we had, we'll work on that." The outburst was fun to watch from the dugout, says Gladstone 12-year-old Averi Kanyuh. "It was amazing, everyone was pumped up, and everyone was cheering everybody else on," she said, then looking around the spacious Alpenrose Stadium, added: "This place is amazing." The girls played against a German team, and the German national anthem was played before the game. But there were no Germans on the roster. The girls are all Americans, living with their parents stationed at Ramstein Air Force Base. The 14 runs in the opening inning gave pitcher Jordan Schwartz a nice cushion to work with. She set the Ramstein team down in order in the first inning, then allowed two baserunners in the second inning (on a hit and error). No damage on the scoreboard, though. Schwartz gave up a walk and a hit to start the third inning, but got a double play to get out of that mini-jam. "I told her that they (Germany) weren't gonna let up, and that they're here to play hard," Andy Schwartz said. "She make some nice pitches on some of the bigger girls that they brought in towards the end." Meanwhile, Gladstone kind of went on cruise control offensively. The girls kept popping it up against reliever Sarah Hartman, and scored just one more run the rest of the way (on a double by Schwartz in the fourth inning). "We started hitting it at them and they started making the plays," Andy Schwartz said. "I think we lost our intensity a little bit." Even so, Sanderson had three hits, while Jordan Schwartz and Hough each had two. And Schwartz on the mound had nine strikeouts and just two walks.

WORLD SERIES-BOUND!!!!! Gladstone Hangs On to Win Regional Championship The Gladstone Major Girls (age 11-12) scored three runs in the first inning then held on to beat Poland, Ohio, 3-2 to win the Central States Regional Tournament championship in Joplin, Mo., Friday morning. Heather Sanderson pitched all six innings, but unlike her win over the Ohio state champs on Wednesday, this one became a nailbiter. Gladstone scored three runs in the first inning. Jordan Schwartz was safe on an error, then Ashley Hough walked. Jammie Botruff followed with an RBI single, then Nicole Sharon drove in two runs with a hit to make it 3-0. Sharon also contirbuted with the glove. In the top of the fifth, Merideth Tesone singled and was run for by Anna Barnhart. Naddie Chistoff hit a line drive to first and Sharon caught it, then stepped on the bag for a double play. In the sixth inning, though, the Poland team battled back. Meredith Testa led off with a double, then Sanderson struck out the next two batters (her only K's in the ballgame). But Kalie Benson came through with an RBI single to put Ohio on the board, then she went to second on a wild pitch. Maura Bobby followed with a single to put two men on, then the Ohio team pulled off a double steal, getting a run that cut Gladstone's lead to 3-2. But Sanderson got Tesone to hit one back to the mound to end the ballgame.

GAME SCHEDULE FOR CENTRAL REGIONAL @ JOPLIN Gladstone 4, Oskaloosa, Iowa 0 Gladstone 5, London Kentucky 1 Gladstone 5, Locomo, Missouri 0 Gladstone 5, Poland, Ohio 0 Gladstone 6, Rock Falls, Illinois 1 Championship: Gladstone 3, Poland Ohio 2 Gladstone Central Region Champions!

Gladstone One Win Away From Oregon The Gladstone Major Girls (age 11-12) fell behind for the first time in the Central States Regional Tournament on Thursday. But the 1-0 deficit didn't rattle the girls and they regrouped and posted a 6-1 win over Rock Falls, Ill., in the regional semifinal game. That sent Gladstone into the regional championship game on Friday against Poland, Ohio, which beat Appleton Wisconsin in Thursday's other semifinal. Rock Falls took a 1-0 lead in the first inning when Morgan Mahmoser hit a sacrafice fly to left field. Gladstone had been retired in the top of the inning despite several good swings, providing some anxious moments early. "When we hit a couple and they caught 'em, I was thing, 'boy, I hope it's not like this all day," Gladstone Coach John Nevala said. "But it seems like we always get that one big inning and then we play good defense." Sure enough, in the second inning, Gladstone struck back. Jordan Kowalski led off with an infield hit, went to second on a wild pitch, then Nicole Sharon walked. Shannon Wolf tried to bunt the runners over, but Kowalski was thrown out at third base. Neenah Brockway walked to load the bases, then Alison Austin walked to force in the tying run. Jordan Schwartz hit a change-up to center to drive in the go-ahead run, then Ashley Hough came through with a two-run single to left-center to make it 4-1. On that play, they tried to get Schwartz at second and the shortstop threw it away, allowing both runners to advance. Then Jammie Botruff hit a sacrafice fly to bring Schwartz home. In the third inning, Kowalski led off with a single, then Sharon hit into a fielder's choice. Nikki Barteld was hit by a pitch, then Avery Kanyuh walked to load the bases. Austin hit a grounder that forced Sharon at the plate. Then Schwartz drew a bases-loaded walk to make it 6-1. Schwartz pitched all six innings, allowing four hits and three walks. She struck out four. All this under the hot Missouri sun. "It's hard because of heat and I have to concentrate a lot harder," Schwartz said, also admitting that she was a little nervous after Rock Falls took the lead. Mahmoser took the loss, giving up six runs on eight hits. She walked six, hit one, and struck out one batter.

CENTRAL STATES REGIONAL TOURNAMENT POOL ONE STANDINGS x-Appleton, Wisc.......4-0 x-Rock Falls, Illinois...3-1 Omaha, Nebraska....2-2 Joplin, Missouri.......1-3 Rapid City, SD........0-4 POOL TWO STANDINGS x-Poland, Ohio............3-1 x-Sellersberg, Indiana....2-2 Gerird, Kansas.........2-2 Grand Rapids, Minn...0-4 POOL THREE STANDINGS x-GLADSTONE.........4-0 x-London, Kentucky....2-2 Oskaloosa, Iowa......2-2 Locomo, Missouri....1-3 Monday's scoreboard GLADSTONE 4, Oskaloosa 0 GLADSTONE 5, London 1 Joplin 3, Rapid City 0 Rock Falls 2, Omaha 0 Poland 4, Sellersberg 0 Appleton 10, Joplin 0 London 3, Locomo 2 Gerird 12, Grand Rapids 0 Tuesday's scoreboard GLADSTONE 5, Locomo 0 Omaha 12, Rapid City 2 Rock Falls 17, Joplin 3 Appleton 13, Rapid City 0 Sellersberg 13, Grand Rapids 2 Poland 10, Gerird 0 Omaha 15, Joplin 12 London 9, Oskaloosa 1 Appleton 4, Rock Falls 3 Sellersberg 4, Gerird 3 Wednesday's Scoreboard GLADSTONE 5, Poland 0 Poland 10, Grand Rapids 0 Oskaloosa 7, Locomo 2 Gerird 7, London 1 Rock Falls 12, Rapid City 1 Appleton 7, Omaha 3 Locomo 13, Grand Rapids 3 Oskaloosa 12, Sellersberg 11 Thursday's Scoreboard Poland Ohio 10, London Ky 4 Rock Falls Ill 3, Sellersberg Ind 1 Semifinal: Poland Ohio 2, Appleton Wis. 1 Semifinal: GLADSTONE 6, Rock Falls Ill. 1 Friday's Scoreboard Championship: GLADSTONE 3, Poland Ohio 2

Gladstone Majors Roll Into Final Four The Gladstone Major Girls (age 11-12) scored four runs in the first inning Wednesday and cruised to a 5-0 win over Poland, Ohio, in the final pool play game at the Central States Regional tournament in Joplin, Missouri. Heather Sanderson fired a one-hitter and got plenty of help from her defense as Gladstone finished pool play a perfect 4-0. The win gave the girls a bye into the semifinal round, avoiding a morning play-in game. "We told the girls, ya, we get to play tomorrow (Thursday), but that's not good enough," Gladstone Manager Andy Schwartz said. "We told them to go out there and play their best game, and they did. We had some outstanding plays today." The best was a catch in deep center field by Jordan Kowalski after Sanderson had walked her only batter of the game in the fourth inning. Kowalski reached up and caught the high fly by Emily Chandler, then threw it back into the infield for a double play. "That was a big-time play," Schwartz said. Sanderson struck out the side in the first inning and retired the first ten batters she faced before allowing that walk. She carried a no-hitter into the fifth inning, but it was broken up by a hit off the bat of Poland's Meredith DeSoon. It was the only hit Sanderson would allow as she struck out seven batters to go along with the one walk issued. "That's probably the best I've seen her pitch since we beat Mattawan (in the state semifinals)," Schwartz said. "She worked the corners real nice." Gladstone gave Sanderson a boost with four runs in the first inning. Jordan Schwartz led off with a single, then Ashley Hough was hit by a pitch. Jammie Botruff followed with a single to load the bases. After Sanderson's grounder forced Schwartz at the plate, Kowalski came through with a two-run single. Nicole Sharon followed her with a two-run hit and all of a sudden Gladstone had a 4-0 lead over an Ohio team that had breezed through its first three games. Gladstone scored its final run in the third when Sanderson doubled, went to third on a passed ball, and scored on an infield hit by Kowalski. "We hit the ball and Heather did good on the mound," Botruff said with a grin. "We had good defense behind her, too." Sanderson allowed only two base runners and struck out seven batters. Ohio pitcher Kalie Benson had a good fastball and a sneaky change-up, but allowed five runs on seven hits and took the loss. Gladstone now sits by as two games are played Thursday morning before the girls play again on Thursday afternoon in the Final Four. The girls outscored their opponents 19-1 and are the top seed entering the knock-out round. "This win was huge," Andy Schwartz said. "We told the girls, it's important that we've only got to play one game tomorrow."

Gladstone Majors Win Again The Gladstone Major Girls (age 11-12) won their third straight game on Tuesday, beating Locomo, Missouri, 5-0 at the Central States Regional Tournament in Joplin, Missouri. Neenah Brockway shook off the early jitters to throw a complete-game three-hitter. She gave up a hit and a walk in the first inning but got out of the jam, then allowed only three more baserunners the rest of the way. The offensive star was Shannon Wolf. She had an RBI single with two out in the second inning, then had a two-run single in the fifth inning, also with two outs, to put the game away. That hit drove home Jordan Schwartz and Ashley Hough. Heather Sanderson drove in Gladstone's other two runs with a bases-loaded double down the left field line in the third inning (scoring Avery Kanyuh and Jammie Botruff). Brockway gave up three hits, two walks, and struck out two. Katie Bieits took the loss on the mound for Locomo.

Gladstone Girls Win Regional Openers The Gladstone Major Girls (age 11-12) passed their first tests of the Central States Regional Tournament in Joplin, Mo., on Monday. Gladstone blanked Oskaloosa, Iowa, 4-0, in the daytime....then came back at night to top London, Kentucky, 5-1. And as ususal, it was the duo of Jordan Schwartz and Heather Sanderson that had these opponents off-balance. In the first game, Schwartz pitched the first five innings, allowing five hits, three walks, and five strikeouts. Sanderson pitched the final inning, and struck out the side. In the second game, Sanderson pitched a complete-game two-hitter, striking out nine and walking just three. Gladstone scored first against Iowa as Schwartz led off with a walk and eventually came home on a sacrafice fly by Jammie Botruff. Then, in the fifth, Gladstone scored three more runs. Alison Austin was walked to start the inning, then Schwartz singled to center Shannon Wolf was brought in to run for Austin, and Botruff popped it up and it was dropped by the shortstop. She also threw the ball away trying to make up for the drop. Two runs scored. A third run was scored on a bad pick-off throw. Both teams had five hits, but the four Iowa errors were costly. In the late game, Gladstone jumped out to an early 3-0 lead as Schwartz was safe on an error in center, got bunted to second by Ashley Hough, and Sanderson was safe on a double error at short. One run scored, then later in the inning, Micole Sharon came through with a two-run hit. Gladstone added an unearned run in the third, and posted another free run in the fifth inning. The Kentucky State Champs made six errors, as Gladstone did not need any more than the three hits it got. Sanderson struck out nine batters and walked three in six innings of work.

Gladstone Wins State Championship The Gladstone Major Girls (age 11-12) are headed to Joplin, Missouri! The girls pulled out a dramatic 2-1 victory over South Portage in the state championship game in Negaunee Wednesday afternoon. The District Two champions scored a run in the fifth inning to take the lead, and Gladstone was down to its final three outs in the bottom of the sixth. But Jordan Schwartz led off with a single, then Ashley Hough got an infield hit. Jammie Botruff followed with an RBI single to tie the game, and she advanced to second on the throw back into the infield. With runners on second and third, Heather Sanderson hit a high fly ball to left field. It was caught, Hough tagged, and scored the winning run, sending Gladstone to the regionals. Schwartz pitched all six innings for Gladstone and earned the victory.

GLADSTONE GIRLS STATE TOURNAMENT RESULTS State Tournament at Negaunee/Marquette Gladstone 3, St. Clair 0 Gladstone 12, Tri-City North 2 Gladstone 11, Clintondale 1 Quarterfinal: Gladstone 6, Marquette 0 Semifinal: Gladstone 2, Mattawan 1 (9 Inn) Championship: Gladstone 2, South Portage 1 Gladstone State Champions! ADVANCES TO REGIONAL TOURNEY IN JOPLIN MISSOURI.

Gladstone Wins District Championship The Gladstone Major Girls (age 11-12) waited an extra day, but won its district championship on Moday, beating Escanaba, 7-2, at Lemerand Park. Rain had halted the game in the fourth inning on Sunday, and the girls needed just 20 minutes to close the deal on Monday. Gladstone advances to the state tournament in Negaunee, where it will face the District Seven champions on Friday at 4 p.m. Gladstone scored three runs in the first inning, one on a single by Heather Sanderson, another on a bases-loaded walk to Shannon Wolf, and the other on an error on a dropped fly ball. Escanaba scored a run in the second inning when Brianna Belanger singled and eventually scored on a wild pitch. Gladstone got that run back in the third inning when Sanderson doubled and scored when Jordan Kowalski's ground ball was thrown away. Gladstone put it away with three runs in the fifth, with Escanaba errors playing a part in the rally. Schwartz got the win on the mound, her second in the tournament, allowing six hits and two runs. Hailey McDermott took the loss for Escanaba.

Esky Girls Stay Alive, 9-1 The Escanaba Major Girls (age 11-12) stayed alive in the distrct tournament by beating Munising, 9-1, Saturday at Lemerand Park. The win earns the Esky girls a rematch with Gladstone in Sunday's championship round. Codi Jenshak pitched the first inning, then Makayla Schuster pitched the final five innings to earn the victory. She allowed just one hit, struck out seven, and walked three. Escanaba scored a run in the first inning when Jenshak's ground ball scored Avery LeClaire, who had walked. In the third inning, Jenshak singled home one run, and another run scored on a Munising error. It stayed 3-0 until the sixth inning, when Escanaba scored six runs to take control of the game. Ashley Cook beat out a bunt single, Schuster was safe on an error, then Kelcey Heller singled. A fielder's choice cut down a runmner at the plate, but Jenshak grounded out to score a run. Emily Bogaudo followed with a two-run single, and an error allowed two more to score on the play...including Bogaudo. Alex Saunders closed the scoring with a single. Escanaba had 10 hits, six of them in that inning. Munising's only run scored on a sixth inning single by Nikki Lincoln. Lindsey Richmond took the loss on the mound for Munising, giving up nine runs (only one earned), and ten hits. She struck out six and walked just two.

Gladstone, Munising Post Wins The Gladstone Major Girls (age 11-12) advanced to the district championship game Friday by beating Escanaba, 4-0, at Escanaba's Lemerand Park. Heather Sanderson pitched a no-hitter and walked just one batter for Gladstone. It was the second straight no-hitter for Gladstone, after Jordan Schwartz also pitched a 'no-no' on Thursday. In Friday's other game, Munising shut out Manistique, 11-0. Manistique was eliminated.

Esky, Gladstone Girls Win Openers The Escanaba and Gladstone Major Girls (age 11-12) opened tournament play on Thursday by posting shutout victories at Lemerand Park. Escanaba beat Manistique, 27-0, then Gladstone got by Munising, 6-0. In the first game, Manistique's pitchers had a hard time throwing strikes, walking 19 batters. Escanaba scored seven runs in the first inning, eight in the second, and 12 in the third. The big hit was a three-run triple by Kelcey Heller in the second inning. Three Esky pitchers (Haily McDermott, Codi Jenshak, Makayla Schuster) combined for the win. Hannah Reno took th eloss for Mansitique. In the second game, Jordan Schwartz pitched a no-hitter to lead the Gladstone girls to victory. Neenah Brockway drove Nicole Sanderson home with a sacrafice bunt in the second inning, then Jammie Botruff had an RBI triple in the third inning. Haether Sanderson and Jordan Kowalski each singled ad scored on wild pitches. Botruff doubled in another run in the fourth inning. She was 3-for-3 with a single, double and triple. Schwartz got the win on the mound, striking out ten and walking just one. Lindsey Richmond took the loss for Munising.