Tecumseh Area Little League heading to 10-11-12 baseball state title game

GROSSE POINTE FARMS — It's every Little Leaguer's dream to play in Williamsport, Pennsylvania for the Little League World Series.

It's one of ESPN's marquee events of the summer, so much so in recent years ESPN has not only aired the LLWS (10-11-12-year old division), but also the regional tournaments to qualify.

Tecumseh Area Little League is a game away from winning the Michigan Little League title and advancing to the Great Lakes Region tournament.

Here's how Tecumseh got to the 11:30 a.m. championship game Thursday at Grosse Pointe Farms/City Little League:

District Run

Tecumseh hosted the District 16 tournament and won the opener, 20-0, against Adrian.

Tecumseh had six extra-base hits, including two doubles and three RBIs from Evan Shirk, who was one of three pitchers to throw a no-hit inning along with Blake McNamara and Elliott Sodt.

Next up was Van Buren, which Tecumseh beat 13-0 in four innings thanks to a 10-run first inning. Braden Lips drove in three runs while Keelyn Ballard, Caleb Dunnigan and Maxx Gomez combined to toss four more no-hit innings.

Ash Carleton finally got some offense generated against Tecumseh, but it wasn't nearly enough as Tecumseh advanced to the final with a 14-3 win.

Shirk went 4.1 innings and gave up three runs, one earned, on two hits and two walks while striking out 12 and also had two hits and scored three runs himself.

It was Van Buren again in the final, which Tecumseh won 18-3 in three innings highlighted by a 14-run first inning.

Ballard hit a home run, Dunnigan added a triple and a double and McNamara got the win going three innings and allowing three runs, one earned, on a hit and five walks while striking out four.

Pool Play

Tecumseh opened the state tournament with a 12-8 win against Bay City Southwest as it rallied down 8-4 to tie it in the fifth and add on four more in the sixth.

Dunnigan hit a double with an RBI while Shirk drove in two runs on two hits and Max Hoffman had two hits with two runs and an RBI. Ballard tossed 1.2 perfect innings, not allowing a hit or walk while striking out four.

Game 2 of pool play, Tecumseh defeated Norway 10-0 in four innings as Ballard, Dunnigan and McNamara didn't allow a hit while Sodt went 2-for-2 with a double and two RBIs and Tyler Henning was 2-for-2 with a double and one RBI. Harlan Glover and Declan Blackburn each had a hit with an RBI.

Game 3 clinched the Pool D title for Tecumseh as it beat Traverse City 11-0 in four innings. Hoffman, McNamara and Zach Wines combined for the shutout, allowing two hits.

Dunnigan went 2-for-2 with a home run and two RBIs, Shirk went 2-for-2 with a triple and two RBIs and McNamara was 2-for-2 with two doubles.

Bracket Play

In the quarterfinal, Tecumseh took on hosts Grosse Pointe Farms and won a nail-bitter, 1-0.

Ballard was lights out, tossing six shutout innings and giving up two hits and two walks while striking out nine. Tecumseh's one run came in the first inning with Wines getting an RBI with a hit-by-pitch.

In the semifinal on Wednesday, Tecumseh defeated Georgetown, 6-1, with Shirk giving up one unearned run, on two hits and a walk while striking out 10.

Dunnigan hit a double with an RBI in the win.

Tecumseh will play at 11:30 a.m. Thursday in the championship game against Richmond, which advanced with a 5-2 win against Bay City Southwest. It's believed it would be Tecumseh's first state title in the 10-11-12 baseball division.

Around the area

Along with the Tecumseh 10-11-12 baseball team, four other Lenawee County Little League programs won district titles and three advanced to state tournaments.

The Tecumseh 8-9-10 baseball and softball teams both won district titles and will play in the state tournament this weekend with the baseball team going to Ishpeming and the softball heading to Sparta.

Blissfield 9-10-11 baseball team will compete in the state tournament this weekend as well at Ypsilanti National.

The Hudson Junior Baseball team won District 16 but didn't compete in the state tournament.

This article originally appeared on The Daily Telegram: Tecumseh Area Little League heading to 10-11-12 baseball state title game