Iron Mountain Legion's Payton Thompson, left, and Marquette Blues first baseman Alec Gadzinski race to first base on Tuesday, June 19, 2018, in Iron Mountain, Mich. Thompson was called out on the play. (Adam Niemi/Iron Mountain Daily News)

IRON MOUNTAIN — The Marquette Blues tagged Iron Mountain with solid hits in an 8-2 American Legion baseball win on Tuesday.

The Blues capped its offensive output with a five-run sixth inning.

Meanwhile, it was a disappointing night for Iron Mountain. Facing a 2-0 deficit in the fourth, the Golds tied it.

Or at least for a little bit.

The Golds put a courtesy runner in for pitcher Blake Julian, who had taken a line drive to the knee. But Legion rules do not allow courtesy runners, according to Blues head coach Derek Swajanen. What’s more is Iron Mountain’s courtesy runner was Colin Erickson, who had started the game at third base, conflicting with baseball’s substitution rule that once a player leaves the game, the player cannot return in any capacity. After Erickson came around to tie the game, his former spot in the lineup was up to bat, causing Swajanen to plead his case. After about 10 minutes of deliberation, umpires ruled an out and Iron Mountain’s first run was taken away. Iron Mountain’s other run that inning came on a single by Hunter McCarthy.

“I was trying to figure out what the heck they had going on. I couldn’t get an answer from their official book,” Swajanen said. “When I couldn’t get an answer I said something’s not right. You can’t have a starter that’s taken out of the game that comes back in to courtesy run. That’s just a basic rule. Once a starter leaves the game he can’t come in as a courtesy runner. It’s clear.”

Iron Mountain head coach Paul Julian said the error was his fault and that it also deflated the team afterward.

“We had the mishap with the re-entry, the starter going in to pinch run for a starter of ours who was hurt,” Julian said. “Other than that I think we could’ve hung with them, I think we could’ve beat them. I think after that happened, we had a few errors and the wheels fell off. The kids gotta learn that you gotta fight back as an underdog. We can’t control certain things in the game. As coaches, we messed up on that rule. We were coaching with high school rules and not Legion rules and evidently they are different. There’s going to be some reading to do (Tuesday) night.”

Marquette’s defense made some close plays at first and a diving stop in the hole by shortstop Hunter Doucette and gunned a runner out at first were the kinds of plays that kept Iron Mountain from stringing together a rally.

The Golds managed just three hits.

Julian and Caleb Johnson pitched for Iron Mountain. They struck out a combined six batters and walked one.

“Blake Julian’s doing a nice job up there. He’s been pitching since early spring, so he should be throwing well,” Coach Julian said. “Caleb Johnson had a foot injury so he was out for a bit but he came in and was successful. We’re missing a few other guys who are going to help us throughout the season.”

Marquette 002 105 0 — 8

Iron Mountain 000 101 0 — 2