The Negaunee Major Little League All-Star team (age 10-12) ran the table to win the District Eleven championship in dominating fashion up in Calumet.
The boys captured the district banner with an 8-1 win over Portage Lake Friday night, earning a trip to next week's state tournament in Saginaw. Negaunee also beat Portage Lake last Monday, 10-0, and dominated Keweenaw, 20-0, on Wednesday. It's Negaunee Little League's third baseball district championship this summer, with the Junior Boys (age 13-14), Senior Boys (age 15-16) also winning titles. The Minor Boys (age 8-10) will try to complete the sweep when their district tournament starts next week.
In Friday night's win, Nathan Harvala was the big man at the plate. He got Negaunee going with a solo home run in the bottom of the first inning. Later that inning, Thomas Dix got an RBI double to make it 2-0, and it stayed that way until the fourth inning.
Portage Lake got a double and a single to score a run to close to within 2-1, and had two on base thanks to an error. But Harvala got a huge strikeout to end the threat.
Then, in the bottom of the inning, Harvala was at it again, leading off with a triple to right field. He scored on a hit by Jonathon Juntti, and then after two walks loaded the bases, Kalen Johnson got a two-run double to left field to make it 5-1.
Gavin Hermes ripped a two-run double in the fifth inning to make it 7-1, and he scored on a groundout by Harvala to close the scoring.
Harvala earned the pitching win, going 4 2/3 innings before reaching his 85-pitch limit. He struck out twelve batters, which naturally elevates a pitcher's pitch count. Evan Cardinal finished up, getting the final four outs.
It's Negaunee Little League's third baseball district championship this summer, with the Junior Boys (age 13-14), Senior Boys (age 15-16) also winning titles. The Minor Boys (age 8-10) will try to complete the sweep when their district tournament starts next week.
