Norway 11s End Tournament Run With Close Losses

SCHOOLCRAFT, Mich.---The Norway 11-year-old boys Little League All-Star team played its last game in pool play on Saturday in downstate Schoolcraft against the undefeated Bay City team at Faulk Field.

Norway came out fast Alex Ortman walked, Ryan Erickson and Blake Holmes followed with hits, Bay City pitcher then walked the next three batters giving Norway a 2-0 lead.

Bay City came back in the second with three runs on three hits before Ortman struck out the next three to end the inning.

Norway struck again in the 4th inning with a Andrew Webber base hit and then Ian Popp blasted a home run over the left field fence giving Norway a 4-3 lead.

Bay City came back in the fifth inning, scoring two runs to take a 5-4 lead. They struck again in the sixth to make it 6-4 in the end. Ortman started on the mound for Norway, giving up 5 runs on 7 hits, 5 K's, and walked none in 5 2/3 innings before he hit his pitch count of 85. Ian Popp finished the game with one hit, two strikeouts and two walks.

Norway had six hits: two from Ryan Erickson, one from Blake Holmes, Alec Haferkorn, Andrew Webber, and a home run from Popp.

"Although the tournament is over for the Norway boys, fans, coaches and other parents from the other team's couldn't stop talking about how good our boys played and represented the UP," Norway Coach Steve Ortman said.

FRIDAY---NORWAY FALLS IN EXTRA INNINGS: Norway battled hard against Grosse Pointe Woods/Shores on Friday before falling in extra innings, 8-2, at the state tournament in downstate Schoolcraft.

Ryan Erickson started on the mound, and threw well, holding Grosse Pointe batters to only three hits, one walk and 11 strikeouts. But he reached his 85 pitch-count, so he gave away to Wyatt Spade and Travis Johnson in relief.

Norway scored its first run in the fourth inning as Erickson ripped a solo home run to center field. Then in the fifth inning, Ryan Ehlert smacked a very long home run to take the lead to 2-0.

Norway was two outs away from victory in the top of the sixth inning when Grosse Pointe tied the game. Then in the bottom half of the sixth, Norway also came close.

The lead-off batter, Alex Ortman, singled, and Blake Holmes, got his second hit of the game, moving Ortman to third with one out. Holmes stole second base, giving Norway runners on second and third with one out.

Norway could not get either runner in, so the game went into extra innings.

In the seventh inning, the Grosse Pointe bats came alive, and they got eight base hits and scored six runs to win going away.