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Old-time cliffhanger: Bob Wood’s 7th-inning bloop single scores Marquette Oldtimers softball game winner while spoiling Gwinn comeback

MARQUETTE -- The Oldtimers softball players from Gwinn and Marquette hooked up for a doozy of a game on Friday night at Hurley Field in south Marquette.

The home Marquette team pulled out a 9-8 squeaker against their visitors from the south.

"That was a great game," Marquette player-coach Rick Schwemin said. "Over the years we've had great games with these guys. It doesn't surprise me."

There was a large crowd on hand with a pair of double plays being turned and a total of 30 hits despite some nice outfield catches.

Gwinn jumped out right away in the top of the first with Steve Erickson doubling and scoring on Jerry Zabrowski's double, though Marquette answered with Joe Stupsky getting his own double and scoring on a hit by Marquette starting pitcher Pedro Flynn.

Marquette scored twice more in the second to take a 3-1 lead as Joe Darcy singled, Tom Sullivan hit an RBI double and Bob Wood an RBI single.

The home team upped its advantage to 7-1 in the third as Fred Hume and Jay Kilmer singled and scored on stupsky's two-run double. Flynn and Daryl Hamari then added RBI singles.

"Pedro's being inducted into the hall of fame this year and it's well deserved," Schwemin said about Flynn's induction into the USA Softball of Michigan Hall of Fame 2023 class. "I was inducted in 2014 and there's three of us now in Marquette (that have been inducted) and I think there's going to be a couple more of us now in the next couple years."

But Gwinn had "comeback" written all over its DNA as Joe St. Aubin and Jay Norman produced RBI singles in the fourth to cut Marquette's lead to four.

After a scoreless fifth, each team got one more in the sixth to make it 8-4 Marquette after six. Gwinn's Hank St. Aubin and Marquette's Flynn had the RBIs.

That set up a dramatic conclusion in the seventh and final inning, with Gwinn scoring four times in the top of the frame to tie it 8-8.

Following a walk, Joe St. Aubin hit a two-out single, Norman picked up a two-run double and Erickson and Zabrowski hit RBI singles to knot the score.

"We got a little lead there, let our guard down and they came charging back, but that doesn't surprise me," Schwemin said.

That brought it all down to the bottom of the seventh with Marquette needing a run to win it and avoid extra innings.

After a pop up, Joe Darcy doubled, then following a ground out, Wood delivered with two outs, getting a bloop hit aided by some adventures in fielding by Gwinn that brought Darcy home with the game winner.

"When I was growing up," Schwemin said, "there were games here every weekend on Friday night and it's kind of dying out a little bit, but on a Friday night here at Hurley Field, people just love it.

"It's a community thing. We're all out here having a good time."

Flynn went the first four innings on the Marquette pitching rubber before reliever Ed Bernard finished it out and earned the win. Dave Derouin went the distance for Gwinn.

Marquette's 19 hits included Flynn going 3 for 3 with three RBIs; Darcy 3 for 3 with a double and two runs scored; Stupsky with two doubles, two RBIs and two runs; Wood going 2 for 3 with two RBIs; and Tom Sullivan collecting two hits including a double, an RBI and a run.

The top of lineup did most of the damage for Gwinn as Joe St. Aubin had two hits, two RBIs and two runs, while Norman, Erickson and Zabrowski each had a double and single and two RBIs. Norman and Erickson also scored a run apiece.

Before the summer is over, two more Oldtimers games are on deck with Marquette hosting Gwinn and Gwinn visiting Negaunee.

Oldtimers softball correspondent Roland "Foo" Koski also contributed to this story. Alexandria Bournonville can be reached at 906-228-2500, ext. 506. Her email address is abournonville@miningjournal.net.