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STANTON - What could be better than winning Jack Pastore Memorial Most Valuable Player? Wolverine-Luigi's pitcher Luke Peterson can name at least three things; having his team win the title for the second time in three years, throwing a no-hitter in the championship game and winning tournament MVP for the second time in three years.

Peterson earned the MVP moments after helping his team earn the Pastore Trophy with a convincing 7-0 victory over Snap Fitness/Superior Lube Sunday afternoon in Stanton.

"Winning the tournament is the best thing," Peterson said. "At the beginning of the year every team has three goals, and this is step one."

For Wolverine-Luigi's, it was a two-game sweep to win the tournament as it defeated Quincy's 8-2 on Saturday after receiving a bye in the first round (only seven teams participated).

SF/SL had a much more difficult route to the finals, as it defeated tournament host Pat's Foods 13-8 Saturday and survived a late-game rally by Toivola (which topped the Barnstormers Saturday morning in quarterfinal action) in the semifinals Sunday morning to win 11-7.

The stage was set for Sunday's championship, and Wolverine-Luigi's did the work early.

Peterson, Matt Helminen, Brad Salmen and Marcus Pennala all scored in the top of the first inning, while two additional runners were left on base during the inning.

Luigi's added another in the second inning, and from there it became a defensive battle between pitchers Steve Nordstrom and Peterson.

Neither team rallied again until the bottom of the fifth inning. Down by five, SF/SL used patience to load the bases after getting two quick outs.

With the bases loaded, SF/SL leadoff hitter Mark Nordstrom stepped up to the plate. On the third pitch, he pulled one deep. The ball soared high, but landed foul.

Peterson then took control and struck him out, his only strikeout of the day.

"I had to bear down on that one," Peterson said. "Mark is a dangerous hitter."

Luigi''s scored two runs in the top of the seventh, the first by Salmen off a Jeremy Kinnunen double, and the second one plated by Kinnunen on a Brad Isaacson double.

Peterson finished the game 2-for-3 with a walk, two runs and a homer, while Salmen scored two runs and Kinnunen was 2-for-4 with a double, two RBIs and a walk.

Peterson pitched a complete game, allowing no hits with one strikeout and three walks.

"I try not to overthrow and hit the corners (of the strike zone)," Peterson said.

"I don't have an overpowering throw, and the nice thing is when I don't overthrow it, it tumbles a bit, a natural sink," Peterson said.

For SF/SL getting to the championship game is just a sign of how the team has started to grow through its first season in the Twilight League.

"I think right now we're a team that's starting to gain some confidence, especially in the field, but also batting," Mark Nordstrom said.

Nordstrom and Superior Lube/Snap Fitness will play a make-up Tuesday night against Pat's Foods at Hancock Driving Park, while Wolverine-Luigi's is off until Thursday.

Michael H. Babcock can be reached at mbabcock@mininggazette.com.