Carlson clobbers first home run, but Maroons falter against Gladstone

GLADSTONE — Menominee got off to a fast start but quickly faded in Tuesday’s District 66 baseball playoff game against Gladstone, as the Braves barnstormed the Maroons 16-2 in five innings.

Garrett Carlson provided Menominee with some early fireworks after uncorking a two-out solo home run, the first dinger of his varsity career, to put the Maroons up 1-0 in the top of the first.

Gladstone responded with a seven-run outburst in the bottom of the frame and never looked back, plating a pair of runs in the bottom of the second before tacking on five runs in the third to make it a 14-2 game.

Menominee’s second run came in the top of the third after Dylan Beal poked an RBI-single to score Gable Buck, but the Maroons were able to muster only one base runner between the fourth and fifth innings.

Beal, Torin Davis and Landan Bardowski all went 1-for-3 at the plate, with Bardowski adding a stolen base.

Nate Nelson and Aiden Short had a hit in two plate appearances, while Buck worked a walk and scored a run despite going hitless at the dish.

Austin Malke was the losing pitcher for Menominee, with two walks, one strikeout, eight hits and nine runs (eight earned) in two innings of work.

Gladstone 16 — Menominee 2Gladstone 725 2xx x —16

Menominee 101 xxx x — 2

LP: Malke 2IP, 8H, 9R, 8ER, 2BB, K

Leading hitters (Menominee): Carlson 1x3, R, HR, RBI; Beal 1x3, RBI; Bardowski 1x3, SB; Buck 0x2, R, BB; Davis 1x3, Nelson 1x2; Short 1x2