Click the thumbnails to see photos and videos taken by RRN Intern Braden Kerr
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich.---The Negaunee Junior League All-Stars (age 13-14) opened state tournament play Saturday night with a 3-1 win over Constantine at Grand Rapids Kenowa Hills High School.
The Miners won despite stranding 15 base runners, including eleven in scoring position.
Both teams used multiple pitchers to make sure the kids would be eligible to throw either after one day (35 pitches) or zero days (20 pitches) rest.
Negaunee took a 1-0 lead in the top of the third inning on an RBI single to right field by Aiden Steele, but stranded the bases loaded when Ethan Juntti grounded out.
Constantine, the District 15 champion who also won a sectional against the Kalamazoo-area team, tied the game in the bottom of the inning on a wild pitch with a runner on third base. Constantine had the bases loaded with a chance to take the lead, but Evan Dellangelo struck out Mick Smead to end the inning.
In the bottom of the fourth, Constantine had the bases loaded again but Dellangelo struck out Blake Baker to end the inning, keeping the game tied at 1-1.
In the fifth, Dellangelo drew a leadoff walk, stole second, went to third on a groundout, and came home on a two-out single to center field by Logan Lajoie, giving Negaunee a 2-1 lead.
Constantine had another chance in the bottom of the fifth, when, with two out, Brody Godfrey smoked a pitch to the left field fence. Reserve left fielder Griffin Leece hustled to get the ball, threw to cutoff man Morgan Robar, who relayed it to third baseman Mason Swenor for the tag, ending the threat, and keeping Negaunee ahead, 2-1.
In the top of the sixth, Owen Cardinal drew a walk and Robar singled to left. Constantine pitcher Braden Bienz used his unorthodox curveball to strike out two straight batters to end the inning.
In the bottom of the inning, Constantaine again threatened when Smead was hit by a pitch and Copper McDonald got an infield hit. Then when Robar came in to pitch, he pegged Carson Jacobs with a pitch. That was a fortunate play for Negaunee, however, because it was a wild pitch and would have the scored the tying run.
Instead, it was a dead ball, and the bases were loaded with one out. Robar bounced back to strike out Coy Kniffen for the second out. Then, with two out, Robar uncorked another wild pitch. Smead tried to score, but Negaunee's catcher, Steele, got to the ball and underhand tossed it Robar covering the plate. He put the tag on Smead in a big of dust, and the Negaunee lead stayed at 2-1 entering the final inning.
Negaunee extended its lead in the top of the seventh inning on three walks and a hit batsmen. Then in the bottom of the seventh, two strikeouts and a line out ended the ball game with a 3-1 Negaunee win.
Negaunee returns to action Sunday morning, weather permitting, against Croswell-Lexington at 10 a.m. Constantine will face Petoskey.
Petoskey lost a heartbreaker to Cros-Lex, 12-11, in a game that took more than three hours to play, which led to Negaunee's 5:30 start being pushed back to 6:30.
