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Copper Country Flames split to open American Legion state tournament

GLADWIN — Drawing last season’s state champion is a tall task for any team in the opening game of a state tournament. The Copper Country American Legion Post 186 Flames had that draw for their opening game at 9 a.m., as they faced Hudson at Wilmot Field.

After jumping out to a quick lead, they had to hang on late to earn a 7-6 win in the contest. In the nightcap, the Flames fell to Gaylord, 4-0, relegating them to the loser’s bracket where the Flames will play Gladstone today at 9 a.m.

The Flames turned to ace pitcher Hans Stimac against Hudson and he pitched well for 2 2/3 innings, surrendering five hits and two runs on 45 pitches. Stimac also picked up two strikeouts in the contest.

Bailey Ribich sparked the Flames’ offense from the get-go, reaching on a defensive error. Logan Fish followed with a single to center field, putting two runners on. Stimac then helped himself out by lining one to right field to score both Ribich and Fish and giving the Flames a 2-0 lead in the top of the first.

In the top of the second, Brody Budweg drilled a one-out fly ball to left field and held up at second. Justin Norkol followed with a walk. Ribich walked to load the bases two batters later, setting the table for Fish, who ripped a line drive that cleared the left field fence for a grand slam, putting the Flames up 6-0.

Stimac walked Scott Boden to load the bases for Hudson in the bottom of the third. The defending champs got on the board when Griffin Reynard scored on a wild pitch from third to give Hudson their first run of the day. Blake Borck then doubled to bring Dylan Roddy home, ending Stimac’s day on the mound.

Carter Crouch came in to relieve Stimac, and he was able to induce the third out of the third, but things did not go as well in the fourth, as Reynard singled to score Chad Sommers, Brady Kaufman scored on a sacrifice by Nick Hamlin, and then Reynard scored on a wild pitch, cutting the Flames lead down to 6-5.

Fish came in to relieve Crouch and got the Flames out of the inning without any more damage against.

Hudson got to Fish in the fifth, when Drew French scored on a wild pitch, evening things at 6.

Neither team could get any advantage in the sixth despite both teams having runners on, but the Flames did manage to regain the lead in the seventh.

Ribich led off with a double to left field on the fifth pitch he saw from Hudson starter John Kortz. Fish then made up for his wild pitch by battling Kortz hard. After watching the first two pitches he saw, Fish fouled off the next two to stay alive. On the fifth pitch, Fish squared his bat on the ball and drove it to center, knocking Ribich home.

Fish induced a fly out, a strikeout and a ground out to close out the game in the bottom half of the seventh and seal the win for the Flames.

Fish finished with three hits in four trips to the plate and five RBI. On the mound, he went 3 1/3 innings, surrendering two hits and striking out two.

With the win, the Flames advanced to face Gaylord, a team managed by former Michigan Tech Huskies men’s basketball player Christian Wilson, in the late afternoon. Stimac was available to Copper Country due to his short outing against Hudson and he went the distance, throwing 78 pitches over six innings. He surrendered six hits and walked two, but he was also on the hook for all four runs Gaylord scored in a 4-0 win over the Flames.

Gaylord, playing in its first contest of the day, scored in the bottom of the first and never looked back. Adam Nowicki tripled and then scored on a sacrifice by Gage Andrews.

In the bottom of the second, Josh Nowicki singled to lead off. He was then brought home two batters later when Charlie May singled to center.

Gaylord added two more runs in the fourth when Josh Nowicki was brought home by a double from May. May then scored shortly after when Brendan Mendolina sacrificed in a pinch-hit situation.

Drew Long, Mendolina and Levi Irish combined for a no-hitter for Gaylord in the contest as the Flames struggled to get bats on much of anything from the trio.

If the Flames top Gladstone, they will advance to play again at 3 p.m. If they lose, they are eliminated from competition.

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