WHITESTOWN, Ind.---The Little League Baseball Great Lakes Regional tournament is underway in suburban Indianapolis, and it got off to a rough start for the Negaunee Major All-Stars. The Michigan state champions lost to Hamilton West Side (Ohio), 8-0, to drop into the loser's bracket of the five-team event.
Negaunee Manager Joe Dost says the tournament is far from over, the kids are having fun, and are mostly unaware of just what they've accomplished.
“They don't grasp the gravity of the situation, and what an experience this is,” Dost said. “And they probably won't for a while. But that's OK. They're living in the moment. They're having fun, they're having a blast down here. When you come to a place like this with a high level of competition, you either win, or you learn. And that game today is going to make them better baseball players.”
Hamilton Westside has won 22 Ohio state championships in its storied program history. The Negaunee boys, meanwhile, carried the Michigan state banner to Indiana for the first time in program history.
“When you go up against a program of that caliber, those kids have played in a lot of big games, and maybe this isn't the biggest game they've ever played in,” Dost said. “It certainly was for our kids. I think it took a little bit of adjustment for us at the plate. I thought their pitcher did a really nice job of changing speeds. Good velocity. The second time through the order, we found ourselves in more competitive at-bats.”
Negaunee ace pitcher Nathan Harvala struggled with a small strike zone early in the game, and the Ohio team took advantage of walks and hit batters by scoring five runs in the first three innings. That drove up Harvala's pitch count to near the 85-pitch maximum, and he exited the game after walking the first two men he faced in the fourth inning.
“He pitched six innings in Saginaw (state tournament) with 64 pitches,” Dost said. “I think the zone was a little tighter than we're used to, and that showed. Credit them, though. I think they put eight hits off him. That's pretty rare. They were able to adjust to his curveball and they did a great job of taking pitches to drive up that pitch count.”
Four other Negaunee pitchers finished up, all of them using 20 pitches or less, keeping them eligible for further competition in this tournament.
This group of Negaunee boys had chances to hang in this game, especially in the bottom of the third inning, when the Miners loaded the bases with no outs. Trailing 5-0, Bazil Hill led off with a single, then Maddox Halamka followed with a line drive base hit. Ben Paananen drew a walk, loading the bases, and giving Negaunee a big opportunity.
But Tanner Thompson and Max Cody both struck out swinging, and Evan Cardinal flew out to end the threat.
“That was tough,” Dost said. “Any time you leave them stranded like that, still in a tight game, it came back and bit us. We could've really, really swung some momentum with a big hit there. But, that's the way the chips fell.”
Negaunee had another chance in the fourth inning. Harvala led off with a base hit, and after Kalen Johnson was robbed of a hit by center fielder TJ Madden, Thomas Dix followed with a line drive base hit of his own to put two men on. But Gavin Hermes and Jonny Juntti both grounded out to end the fourth inning threat.
Negaunee never threatened again, with the boys going out 1-2-3 in both the fifth and sixth innings against Hamilton pitcher Jordan Malloy. He pitched a complete game, allowing five hits, striking out ten batters and walking only one. Malloy maxed out at 85 pitches on the final play of the game.
Hamilton clean-up batter Preston Baker led the way offensively with three hits and two runs batted in. Jonathon Lineback added two base hits.
The defensive play of the game was turned in by Evan Cardinal at shortstop in the second inning. Cardinal wowed the national television audience with a diving stab of a sure base hit up the middle. The Miner known as “Bugsy” touched the bag at second for a huge out, robbing Ohio's Anthony Saurber of a sure bases-loaded base hit. That kept Negaunee in the game, trailing just 2-0. But they couldn't get the clutch hit on offense.
“Bugsy really laid out and snagged that ball,” Dost said. “He saved two runs and got us out of a bases-loaded jam. Great play by him. And I expect a couple more out of him.”
Negaunee is the first Upper Peninsula team to make it to the regionals at this level since 1996, when Gladstone won the Michigan state title and advanced to the regional finals in Indianapolis. That Gladstone team lost to Marshaltown, Iowa, in the first of two possible championship games under the old, pre-pitch count, ESPN-tournament era.
Negaunee will face a team from Lexington, Kentucky, Monday afternoon at 1:00 in an elimination game. Whoever wins will advance to the regional semifinals. Negaunee was able to use the pitch count to keep all guys eligible, other than Harvala.
“We aren't scared of the loser's bracket,” Dost said. “The depth of this pitching staff is our strength. That's what got us here. We've got a stable full of arms, so we're prepared for the long haul to get to (championship) Wednesday.”
