OPENING ACT: Home Run Derby In Grand Rapids
KENTWOOD, Mich.---The Michigan Little League (age 11-12) state tournament is being held this weekend in the Grand Rapids suburb of Kentwood this weekend. The Gladstone and Negaunee boys arrived with the other 14 teams on Thursday. The players and their coaches were treated to a picnic meal by the Southern Little League and host District Nine, complete with hamburgers, hot dogs, macaroni and cheese, amd watermellon. The teams then had the opportunity to take part in a home run derby, and 14 of the 16 teams competed. They each had one player enter, and in the first round, they all had eight swings apiece. Gladstone lefty Carter Sanville hit three home runs on eight swings and advanced to the second round, along with four other batters. Negaunee's Killean Ryan did not hit a home run and was eliminatee in the first round. Commerce Township's Callan Bowyer hit six home runs on eight swings, then hit five more in the second round, and won the event with five homers in the final round. Sanville hit a home run in the second round, but did not hit any more. Negaunee faces Petroskey at 10 a.m. Saturday and Gladstone battles the Commerce Township team (that won the 10-11 state championship last year) at 1:00. |