The Post 44 White Diamonds from Marquette County completed their journey through the loser's bracket Sunday by beating the Menominee Red Wave, 7-6, in eight innings, to win the 17-and-under state championship of the new Michigan Veterans Baseball league.
The MVB was created after long-running disputes between Upper Peninsula baseball teams and the American Legion Department of Michigan, with the vast majority of U.P. teams breaking away from Legion and creatihg this new league. The MVB, organized mostly by Marquette Coach Mark Pantti and Menominee Coach John Lauzer, put together state tournaments for 15-and-under, 17-and-under, and 19-and-under age groups.
On Sunday, Morgan Robar's fly ball in the eighth inning brought home Aiden Steele after a wild comeback that saw Menominee cough up a 5-0 lead in the sixth inning.
Post 44 had also beat Menominee, 6-3, Saturday night, to force Sunday's game.
Trailing 5-0 in the sixth inning, Negaunee's Evan Dellangelo had a two-run single to bring his team to within 5-3, and then Steele brought in Dellangelo with a base hit.
Killean Ryan's RBI single tied the game at 5-5.
Both teams had scoring chances in the seventh inning with a pair of walks, but neither could score, so the game went to extra innings on the international tiebreaker rule. Each team got a baserunner at second base to start the inning, and Menominee cashed in with a Chase Monette RBI single that put the Reed Wave ahead, 6-5.
The White Diamonds had their chance in the bottom of the eighth. Steele doubled home Dellangelo to tie the game, and then with one out, Steele stole third base.
Robar's fly ball was all the White Diamonds needed to end the game and take the trophy.
It was a heartbreaking loss for Menominee, which, again, came oh-so-close to a state championship on its home field. Dylan Beal pitched five shutout innings and was enjoying a 5-0 lead before things fell apart in that sixth inning. He ended up reaching his 105-pitch limit with two out in the seventh inning. Monette took the loss for the Red Wave.
