LAURIUM — KBear 102 took an early lead with a four-run first inning and although it was a close battle held off Dean Kangas State Farm in a semifinal matchup. Henry Johnson and Max Harju lead off the game with walks, Max Spelich drove in Johnson as the game’s first run with a double. Owen Peterson followed with a three-run home run.

Dean Kangas State Farm answered with three runs in the bottom half of the third capped by an RBI single from Braden Beaudette, but KBear kept the hot bats going scoring five in the top of the second thanks to a two-run home run by Henry Johnson, an RBI triple by Spelich and an RBI hit by Peterson.

State Farm pulled back to within two with four runs in the bottom of the second, two of them driven in by Lukas Axford and another by Levi Anderson.

Both teams were held scoreless in the third with good pitching by Spelich for KBear and Brady Axford for State Farm. KBear put up four in the top of the fourth though to go up 13-7. Spelich drove in his third with a hit and Peterson two more with a triple. Clara Isaacson pushed Peterson in with a ground out.

State Farm tightened it back up with three in the bottom of the third. Josh Asiala hit an RBI double.

KBear put up four insurance runs in the top half of the final inning, building a 17-10 lead. Peterson cleared the bases with a triple and scored on a wild pitch. He finished up the pitching for KBear, preserving the win for Spelich and only allowing one more run in State Farm’s final at bats making the final score 17-11.

Six pitchers combined to strike out six KBear batters for State Farm. Spelich earned the win and struck out five. Peterson struck out four. Tyler Axford took the loss.

Johnson, Harju, Spelich and Peterson scored four runs each for KBear. Peterson was 4-for-4 with a two triples and a home run, just missing the cycle for the second time within two weeks and earning credit for an amazing nine runs batted in. Harju reached base all four times up with two walks and two hits. So did Johnson, who ended up with two walks, a double and a home run. Add Spelich to that list with a walk, single, double and triple. He batted in three.

Lukas Axford reached all four times to the plate for State Farm with two walks and two hits, he scored three time and drove in two runs.

No. 3 KBear will face the No. 1-seeded Superior Polymer in the championship game Saturday morning at 10 a.m. on the Gipp Field in Laurium.

Superior Polymer defeated NorthStar BP by a 14-0 score in the other semifinal. Tyler Halonen and Luke Pennala together shut out BP in the four-inning game.