By Journal Sports Staff

GLADWIN — If nothing else, the Marquette Blues baseball team would have to be described as exciting at the American Legion state Class A tournament.

The Blues played three games in the double-elimination event, all decided by one run including a pair that went extra innings.

In the end, though, Marquette had to go home after falling for the second time in the tourney on Friday, 9-8 in eight innings to Rosebush.

That’s the same Rosebush team that defeated the Blues 2-1 in eight innings on Thursday.

Earlier Friday, Marquette also pulled out a 3-2 victory over the tourney host Gladwin Lightning.

“The season was successful because we didn’t know what we had in the beginning,” Blues manager Derek Swajanen said of his young team that finished at 22-15. It included a 10-game winning streak that lasted until the final game of the recent Zone 5 tournament in Escanaba.

“We had a lot of success in some tournaments, like Rhinelander and Antigo (Wisconsin) and this was an invaluable experience making states.

“Really, we were one of two outs from making the semifinals (at the state tourney). Our inexperience showed a little, but the boys put it out there and competed in every game.

“I couldn’t be prouder of my guys.”

Blues 3, Gladwin 2

On Friday morning, the Blues played their only seven-inning game of the tourney, though that one almost went to extra innings, too.

Except that Marquette plated the go-ahead run in the top of the seventh, then watched winning pitcher Kyle Frusti finish off his six-hit complete game.

Frusti gave up one earned run and a walk while striking out four. Lightning starter Damien Leddy went the first six innings, allowing two earned runs on five hits and two walks while fanning four. Reliever Ian Graves took the loss, pitching the seventh as he gave up an earned run on one hit but three walks.

Holden Shaneberger led Blues’ batters, going 2 for 3 and drawing a walk, while Jakob Peterson had a double, two RBIs and a walk and Jon Jason had a single and RBI. In addition, teammate Jake Allard-Soucey was 1 for 2 with a run scored and sacrifice bunt while Blake Henriksen went 1 for 3 also with a sac bunt.

Dillon Kroening and Ethan Shea each had two hits for Gladwin, Kroening including a double in his hits and Shea collecting an RBI.

Rosebush 9, Blues 8

On Friday afternoon, Marquette built an 8-4 lead in the top of the fourth only to watch Rosebush come back to tie it by the end of the fifth, then win it with a single run with two outs in the bottom of the eighth.

Hogan Nemetz knocked in the go-ahead run in the fourth with a single and error that actually brought in two runs. He later scored and also walked during the game.

Brendan Kaski led Blues’ batters, going 2 for 4 with a double, three RBIs and a stolen base, while Frusti was 1 for 3 with an RBI, two runs scored and was hit by a pitch.

Henriksen was 1 for 2 with two runs, three walks and a stolen base, while Shaneberger went 1 for 4 with a run, walk and stolen base.

Kaski started and went six innings, allowing eight runs — just four earned as the Blues committed three errors — on eight hits and four walks as he struck out two. Connor Meyers, who was tagged with the loss, went the final 1 2/3 innings, allowing a run on a hit and walk.

Jack Payton, the fifth of five Rosebush pitchers, earned the victory as he went the final 1 1/3 innings. He didn’t give up a run while allowing just one hit and fanning two. The Blues got all their runs off starter Ryan McIntyre, who went 3 2/3 innings, allowing eight earned runs on four hits and seven walks.

At the plate, Rosebush had three batters with two hits apiece — Kyle Borodychuk, Alex Wetherbee and Owen Foust. Borodychuk had a double and two RBIs, Foust scored twice and Wetherbee had an RBI and run.

Information compiled by Journal Sports Editor Steve Brownlee. His email address is sbrownlee@miningjournal.net.