Escanaba, Norway 10-11 Boys Stopped By Darkness

ESCANABA---The Escanaba and Norway 11-year-old Little League All-Star teams will need more time to decide their district championship after Tuesday night's game was suspended after six innings due to darkness.

Escanaba scored three runs in the first inning, then the teams sat through a 40-minute lightning delay. After the weather cleared, the teams traded big plays and Norway battled back to tie the game at 3-3. That's the way things stood when darkness fell.

In Escanaba's first inning, Bryson Lancour lead off with a double, and Eli Gardner was safe on grounder (the throw to third is late).

With two out, Zach Barron came through with a two-run single, and Norway's center fielder overran the ball. Barron ended up on third, and Gavin Sommers smacked an RBI single to make it 3-0.

Norway got a run back in the second inning. Shawn Shutte was hit by a pitch. As Mason Richtig struck out, Escanaba made two bad throws as Shutte stole, so he scored.

In the third inning, Ian Popp walked, went to second on a wild pitch, went to third on a passed ball, and scored when Escanaba threw the ball around again. Later in the inning, Norway loaded the bases but pitcher Bon LaChance got Richtig to pop up.

Escanaba had a great chance to score in the bottom of the third inning when Ben Johnson singled and went to second as the left fielder overran the ball. He went to third on a ground out. Then Sommers hits one to short. Norway's Alex Ortman threw to first base for one out, then back to the plate to get Johnson. That kept the game at 3-2.

Heading into the fifth inning, Norway did not have a base hit. Ortman changed that when he led off with a long shot off the fence for a triple. He scored the tying run on a grounder back to the pitcher when the throw went to first base.

Escanaba had another chances to take the lead in the bottom of the fifth. Eli Gardner got a one out walk, and with two out, pitcher Ryan Erickson reached his 85 pitch limit for Norway. Ortman came on to pitch, and immediately intentionally walked Johnson.

The strategy worked as Barron grounded back to the mound. So, it stayed 3-3.

In the bottom of the sixth inning, Sommers smoked a double way over left fielder's head. Colten Carter couldn't get the bunt down, however, and struck out looking.

Cody Noel grounded out to first, putting Sommers at third with two outs. Tyler Chouinard struck out looking, ending the sixth inning...and the evening.

The game will be resumed Wednesday night at 6:30 ET/5:30 CT in Escanaba. If Norway wins, it takes the district championship and a spot in the state tournament in downstate Schoolcraft. If Escanaba wins, then there will be a new game, starting after the suspended game ends. Catch the broadcast on WCHT-AM (NewsTalk 600).

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