WEST BRANCH---The Escanaba Minor Little League All-Stars (age 9-10) picked up where they left off after winning their district tournament a week ago. The boys won five straight games in the losers bracket, including two over the hosts from Norway.

One week later, the Escanaba boys rolled past Kalamazoo West Portage, 11-1, Friday evening in West Branch, to open the state tournament successfully.

Jayce Braun, who threw a shutout in the district championship game, was at it again in the state tournament opener, tossing 2 2/3 innings of no-hit ball. He struck out six batters and walked only one, and was pulled after throwing 39 pitches.

Blake Gagnon threw the next two innings, allowing one run on two hits, and struck out three batters. He was also pulled after throwing 35 pitches.

Vinnie DeSalvo-Bougie threw one inning, allowing one run and throwing eight pitches, and Brayden Irving finished up, throwing eleven pitches.

Offensively, Escanaba scored one run in the first inning and two more in the third, before putting the game away with a bat-around fourth inning when they scored five runs. Gagnon had two hits and scored a pair of runs, while Drew Anderson also had two hits and scored twice. DeSalvo-Bougie led the way with two doubles, a single, and he scored twice. Braun and Cameron Jacques also had two base hits apiece.

Altogether, Escanaba pounded out 15 base hits. West Portage had three hits altogether.

The other U.P. Team at this 16-team event, Negaunee, couldn't get the offense going and lost to Bay County, 8-0. Negaunee had three hits in the game, two of them by leadoff batter Evan Cardinal. The other Negaunee hit was by Nathan Harvala. Negaunee used five pitchers, with Harvala starting and taking the loss after 1 1/3 innings, and throwing 35 pitches. Bay County used four pitchers.

Escanaba will face Western Grand Rapids at 10 a.m. Saturday, while Negaunee takes on Petoskey at 12:30 Saturday afternoon.