NO WAY! Varda, Baij Lead Norway To District Title

NORWAY---Cameron Varda threw 4 2/3 innings of no-hit baseball and Owen Baij drove in three runs as the Norway Minor Little League (age 9-10) All-Stars won the district championship Tuesday night, 12-2, over Escanaba, at Marion Park.

Varda used all 75 of his pitches (78, actually) to get revenge for a 4-1 loss to Escanaba earlier in the tournament, when Escanaba got just two hits in its victory.

On Tuesday,Varda struck out ten batters and all that kept him from throwing a perfect game was three walks, a hit-batter, and an error behind him.

Escanaba took a 2-0 lead in the first inning when Gavin Wagner walked, Brian Boutilier got hit by a pitch, and Ashton Rymkos put down a nice sacrifice bunt.

Then Keagan Braun also put down a nice bunt, and the ball was thrown wide of first, allowing two runs to score.

Norway did not score in the first inning against Escanaba starting pitcher Boutilier, but in the second inning, the home side scored six runs, sending 12 batters to the plate.

Escanaba could have gotten out of the inning with no runs against when Nate Pipkorn hit one back to Boutilier with the bases loaded. Boutilier threw it home for the force out, but the Escanaba catcher didn't notice that the Norway runner at second did not go to third base right away. He was able to make it to third base safely, keeping the inning going.

Landon Ross then rifled a two-run single to left center field to tie the game at 2-2.

Escanaba could have stopped the damage at 2-2, but Cole Baciak's ground ball was missplayed at second base, so the inning continued.

After Maddex Berklund walked with the bases loaded, Baij smacked a two-run single to make it a 6-2 game.

Norway added four more runs in the third inning when Berklund ripped a two-run single and Baji followed with his third straight hit, and third run batted in. Those runs followed a throwing error that allowed the first two runs of the inning to cross the plate.

Varda ran out of pitches with two out in the top of the fifth inning, and Beau Maule came in to get that final out. It took him a while, as he walked Wagner and Boutilier, but Maule got Rymkos to strike out to end the Escanaba scoring chance.

Then the game ended on the mercy rule in the bottom of the fifth as Pipkorn smacked a single with the bases loaded off Escanaba reliever Owen Fields.

Norway advances to the state tournament in Bay City, with its first game on Friday against Birmingham at 5:00 ET/4:00CT.

Click the thumbnails in the ARTICLE HIGHLIGHTS box above to see photos, videos taken by Anna Boutilier.