Gladstone Indians catcher Isaac Ketchum swings at a pitch during a 2024 American Legion State Tournament game against Gaylord on July 25, 2024 in Marquette. (“The Big Dog” Mitch Vosburg/Daily Press)

MARQUETTE –It wasn’t pretty, but the Gladstone Indians kept its 2024 season alive.

The Indians are one of three teams left standing in the 2024 American Legion baseball State Tournament in Marquette. They will play at 10 a.m. Saturday against either Marquette or Three Oaks in the final game of the loser’s bracket.

Here’s how Gladstone kept its 2024 season alive

Gladstone 4 Breckenridge 3

A lead-off triple from Aedan Creten and intentional walks issued to Austin Pepin and Cooper Curtis loaded the bases with no outs in the bottom of the seventh. Isaac Ketchum grounded into a fielder’s choice to get the force out at home.

Then Trevor Thorbahn stepped to the plate.

Thorbahn connected with the first pitch he saw, blasting it to right field for a walk-off RBI single.

The Indians, who trailed 3-0 midway through three innings, got on the scoreboard off a Cooper Sanville RBI sacrifice fly in the bottom of the third, pulled within one run when John Soderman scored on a passed ball in the bottom of the fourth and tied the game in the bottom of the fifth when Sanville scored on a wild pitch.

Sanville allowed three runs (one earned) off five hits with four walks and 10 strikeouts in 6 1/3 innings, tossing the maximum 105 pitches. Pepin earned the win, walking one while recording the final two outs in the top of the seventh. Cooper Curtis finished 2 for 3 from the plate.

The Indians drew nine walks, tallied five hits and committed two errors.

Gladstone 8, Gaylord 7 (8 innings)

Tied 6-6 entering the eighth inning and Tyler Darmogray staning on third thanks to the international tie-breaker rule and a sacrifice bunt from Casey Alworden, it was Creten who came up to bat. He smacked a 0-1 pitch off the base of the wall in left field for a RBI double, scoring Darmogray for a 7-6 lead. Sanville then connected with a two out 1-1 pitch for a base hit to right field, scoring Creten from second for an 8-6 lead.

Gaylord, who won the first meeting 3-2 on Thursday to send Gladstone straight to the loser’s bracket, scratched across one run in the bottom of the eighth, but it was not enough to conquer the Indians, who had plenty of opportunities to take the win in regulation.

The Indians took a 4-0 lead midway through three innings off an RBI triple from Darmogray, a two-run singe from Creten and an RBI single from Ketchum.

Gaylord Clapped back with three runs of its own in the bottom of the frame to linger around within one run.

RBI singles from Ketchum and Thorbahn gave the Indians a 6-3 lead in the bottom of the fifth. The lead nearly ballooned to 7-3 when Soderman appeared to score on a passed ball, but after a brief conference from the umpires it was ruled that Soderman never touched home plate, drawing the third out of the inning and keeping the lead at 6-3.

Gaylord clapped back with three runs in the bottom of the fifth. And within a blink of an eye, it was a new ball game tied 6-6.

The Indians responded in the top of the sixth when Darmogray drew a lead-off walk, Alrowden roped a single and Creten drew an intentional walks. By all accounts, the iron was hot for the Indians. But Cooper Curtis smacked a fielder’s choice toward a leaping Collin Piehl on the mound for a force out at home, Sanville grounded to third baseman Rylan Rosso, who fired to home for a force out and Ketchum hit a weak grounder to Piehl for the force out a first and to extinguish the scoring threat.

Darmogray took the win on the mound, allowing one hit and fanned three in 3 1/3 innings of relief. Darmogray hurled 39 itches, making him unavailable for Saturday’s action, but will be available f the Indians force a winner-take-all championship game at noon Sunday. Curtis got the start, allowing six runs (five earned) off ten hits with a pair of walks and strikeouts across 4 2/3 innings.

Creten finished 2 for 4 with three RBIs and two runs scored. Ketchum finished 2 for 4 with two RBI. Darmogray finished 2 for 4 with two runs scored and an RBI. The Indians drew nine walks, mustered 10 hits and committed one error.