Due to some server issues, I have not been able to post to the blog until today. Adding to that we had such severe weather yesterday that the semi-final games were postponed until today.

I'm glad that I wasn't a betting man as I mentioned in my previous post because while the host team, Bay City SW is one of the final four teams, St. Clair is not. St. Clair was defeated in the first round of the single elimination bracket in a nail biter against Midland NW by a score of 5 to 4. St. Clair's "big" gun, Tyler Lozen had another great outing through the first 5 innings, allowing two runs on three hits and also managed to strike out 10 Midland NW batters.

In the second inning, St. Clair took a 3-0 lead with a two-run single by Johnny Joachim but then Midland NW started to battle back. In the third inning, Midland NW had a single home run which gave the team new life and you could see the difference in their playing. They were excited and back in it.

The big break for Midland NW came in the sixth inning when they got two infield singles, a walk and a double. The double is what sent in the winning run and earning them a birth into the semi-final round today.

In the Bay City SW versus Birmingham quarter final game, Bay City SW won the game by a score of 13 to 3. But don't be deceived by the score. In Little League play, anything can happen and it almost did to Bay City SW. Birmingham got on the scoreboard first in the bottom of the second inning with an RBI double from Freddy Jehle followed up by a two-run single by Randy Rihter giving Birmingham a 3-0 lead. This was the first game in which Bay City SW started with a deficit.

With a captaincy hometown crowd chanting "we want a rally, we want a rally", Bay City SW did just that. In the top of the third inning, Bay City SW got back in the game with a doubles from Seth Freed and pitcher, Scott Badour to cut the Birmingham's lead to 3-2. After facing just one batter in the top half of the fifth inning, Birmingham's pitcher Randy Righter had reached his pitch count limit for the day. As anyone in Little League will tell you, when your starting pitcher has to leave the game, your opponent can take an advantage and that's what Bay City SW did.

With a new pitcher in the game for Birmingham, Jacob Alarie had a RBI double to tie the game at 3-3 and then Brian Feinauer also had a double and Bay City SW took the lead 4-3 and never looked back.

Birmingham changed pitchers two more times in the fifth inning but it didn't seem to matter to Bay City SW. Justin Gorr and Brendan both had singles. Freed had another double and an RBI fielders choice by Logan Eby gave Bay City SW added to six-run fifth inning and a 8-3 lead.

In the top of the sixth inning, Bay City SW added to their lead with five more runs with singles by Hayden Clements, Kollin Slachta, Taylor Schepper and Brendan Taberski. There were two bases loaded walks and then a two-run double by Scott Badour sealed the fate of Birmingham and the final was 13-3 and put Bay City SW into the semi-final.

I have the plate for the semi-final game between Bay City SW and Georgetown tonight at 6 PM and I'll have first base for the Championship game tomorrow. I'll try to write a post after tonight's game which should be another great one.