Kingsford junior Mya Brunswick is mobbed by her teammates after hitting her second home run of the afternoon in a doubleheader against Gladstone Wednesday afternoon at Lodal Park. (Ron Deuter photo)

KINGSFORD – Kingsford junior Mya Brunswick hit a home run in both games of a doubleheader against Gladstone Wednesday afternoon at Lodal Park, but it was the Braves producing an even bigger power surge to salvage a split.

After the Flivvers took the first game 7-3, Gladstone crushed its way to a 20-5 romp in the second contest behind four long balls.

“I felt we came ready to play and it was an all-around great team effort in that first game,” Flivvers head coach Amy Brunswick said. “It was awesome to see us finally connect with the ball and keep that momentum going all game.”

Kingsford, now 5-10, totaled 11 hits in the first game, rallying for five runs in the fifth and sixth innings to pull ahead and hold off the Braves who had taken a 3-1 lead in the fourth. Brunswick drew Kingsford within one at 3-2 in the bottom of the fourth with a solo shot to the power alley in left.

Sophomore Jolie Fleming delivered the go-ahead run in the fifth with a two-out single to left. Senior Jazzlyne Shaughnessy tied the game earlier in the inning after sending a chopper to third that the third baseman blocked with her chest but couldn’t field cleanly and had nowhere to go with the ball. That brought in senior Adelyn Normand from third, who was running on contact.

Kingsford plated three more in the sixth with some clutch two-out hitting. Freshman Gracie Chartier smoked a line drive triple to right center to bring in two runs, and Shaughnessy followed by bringing home Chartier with a hit to right.

Brunswick, who also doubled, Shaughnessy, Chartier, senior Karly Trevillian and junior Kailey Matuszewski all swatted two hits in the victory – Matuszewski later added a double in game two. Brunswick secured the win in the circle, limiting the Braves to five hits while striking out seven and walking only one. She was charged with two earned runs.

It was a much different story in the second game, however, as Addy Sanville and Maddie Sundquist smacked back-to-back homers in the first inning to push the Braves out to a quick 6-0 lead.

Sanville delivered the game’s biggest blow in the third with her second homer, this time with the bases loaded push Gladstone’s lead to 11-3 in what ended up becoming a seven-run inning.

Kingsford responded to the Braves quick start with three runs of their own in the bottom of the first, with Trevillian knocking an RBI single before Brunswick homered to center. But the Flivvers only managed two hits the rest of the way as the game got out of hand.

Chartier and junior Alexandra Gauthier drove in fifth inning runs for Kingsford but it was too little too late. Nonetheless it was solid debut at the plate for Chartier who was appearing in her first two games with the varsity team, finishing the afternoon with three hits and three RBIs in five at-bats.

Coach Brunswick has been mixing in some JV players with decent results this season.

“They have been a huge asset,” she said. “It allows us to move some people around in different fielding positions and they have provided some much needed support at the plate.”

Trevillian took the game two loss, victim to the Braves’ sudden power surge. Chartier came on in the third and unfortunately faced a similar fate in attempting to quiet down the Braves’ bats.

Kingsford was swept by Escanaba 3-1 and 18-1 on Tuesday afternoon. Brunswick had Kingsford’s only hit in the opener, a RBI single in the fourth. She also took the loss despite a strong performance that saw her allow just four hits while striking out six and walking no one. She was not charged with any runs as Esky scored all three of their runs in the fourth thanks to an error allowing the first two to come in and extend the inning.

After a scoreless first-inning in the second game, Escanaba piled up seven runs in the second, four more in the third and another seven spot in the fourth to run away. Kingsford managed just two hits, a double by Brunswick and a single by Shaughnessy.

Coach John Bray’s junior varsity team did not play Wednesday but suffered their first two losses of the season against Escanaba on Tuesday, falling 9-6 and 12-1. Freshman Lia Murphy had three hits with two doubles in the opener. Freshman Alayna Pietrantonio drove in the lone run of the second game with a double. The Flivvers JV team sits at 6-2 on the season.

Kingsford varsity heads to Hancock this afternoon, with the JV team idle until next week.