Major Little League: Houghton Building Supply edges Superior National Bank 2-0 for championship
Houghton Building Supply center-fielder Terrence Nolan makes a catch against Superior National Bank during a Portage Lake Little League Majors championship on Tuesday, June 29, 2021, at Range Town Veterans Memorial Park in South Range, Mich. (Adam Niemi/The Daily Mining Gazette)
Houghton Building Supply pitcher Benny Keranen throws against Superior National Bank during a Portage Lake Little League Majors championship on Tuesday, June 29, 2021, at Range Town Veterans Memorial Park in South Range, Mich. (Adam Niemi/The Daily Mining Gazette)
Houghton Building Supply in action against Superior National Bank during a Portage Lake Little League Majors championship on Tuesday, June 29, 2021, at Range Town Veterans Memorial Park in South Range, Mich. (Adam Niemi/The Daily Mining Gazette)
The Houghton Building Supply Major Little League team poses after defeating Superior National Bank in the Portage Lake Little League Majors championship on Tuesday, June 29, 2021, at Range Town Veterans Memorial Park in South Range, Mich. (Adam Niemi/The Daily Mining Gazette)
Superior National Bank in action against Houghton Building Supply during a Portage Lake Little League Majors championship on Tuesday, June 29, 2021, at Range Town Veterans Memorial Park in South Range, Mich. (Adam Niemi/The Daily Mining Gazette)
Houghton Building Supply in action against Superior National Bank during a Portage Lake Little League Majors championship on Tuesday, June 29, 2021, at Range Town Veterans Memorial Park in South Range, Mich. (Adam Niemi/The Daily Mining Gazette)
Superior National Bank pitcher Porter Markham throws against Houghton Building Supply during a Portage Lake Little League Majors championship on Tuesday, June 29, 2021, at Range Town Veterans Memorial Park in South Range, Mich. (Adam Niemi/The Daily Mining Gazette)
Houghton Building Supply in action against Superior National Bank during a Portage Lake Little League Majors championship on Tuesday, June 29, 2021, at Range Town Veterans Memorial Park in South Range, Mich. (Adam Niemi/The Daily Mining Gazette)
Superior National Bank pitcher Porter Markham throws against Houghton Building Supply during a Portage Lake Little League Majors championship on Tuesday, June 29, 2021, at Range Town Veterans Memorial Park in South Range, Mich. (Adam Niemi/The Daily Mining Gazette)
Superior National Bank in action against Houghton Building Supply during the Portage Lake Little League Majors championship on Tuesday, June 29, 2021, at Range Town Veterans Memorial Park in South Range, Mich. (Adam Niemi/The Daily Mining Gazette)
Houghton Building Supply center-fielder Terrence Nolan, left, is congratulated by a teammate during a Portage Lake Little League Majors championship on Tuesday, June 29, 2021, at Range Town Veterans Memorial Park in South Range, Mich. (Adam Niemi/The Daily Mining Gazette)
Houghton Building Supply center-fielder Terrence Nolan makes a catch against Superior National Bank during a Portage Lake Little League Majors championship on Tuesday, June 29, 2021, at Range Town Veterans Memorial Park in South Range, Mich. (Adam Niemi/The Daily Mining Gazette)
Houghton Building Supply pitcher Benny Keranen throws against Superior National Bank during a Portage Lake Little League Majors championship on Tuesday, June 29, 2021, at Range Town Veterans Memorial Park in South Range, Mich. (Adam Niemi/The Daily Mining Gazette)
Houghton Building Supply in action against Superior National Bank during a Portage Lake Little League Majors championship on Tuesday, June 29, 2021, at Range Town Veterans Memorial Park in South Range, Mich. (Adam Niemi/The Daily Mining Gazette)
The Houghton Building Supply Major Little League team poses after defeating Superior National Bank in the Portage Lake Little League Majors championship on Tuesday, June 29, 2021, at Range Town Veterans Memorial Park in South Range, Mich. (Adam Niemi/The Daily Mining Gazette)
Superior National Bank in action against Houghton Building Supply during a Portage Lake Little League Majors championship on Tuesday, June 29, 2021, at Range Town Veterans Memorial Park in South Range, Mich. (Adam Niemi/The Daily Mining Gazette)
Houghton Building Supply in action against Superior National Bank during a Portage Lake Little League Majors championship on Tuesday, June 29, 2021, at Range Town Veterans Memorial Park in South Range, Mich. (Adam Niemi/The Daily Mining Gazette)
Superior National Bank pitcher Porter Markham throws against Houghton Building Supply during a Portage Lake Little League Majors championship on Tuesday, June 29, 2021, at Range Town Veterans Memorial Park in South Range, Mich. (Adam Niemi/The Daily Mining Gazette)
Houghton Building Supply in action against Superior National Bank during a Portage Lake Little League Majors championship on Tuesday, June 29, 2021, at Range Town Veterans Memorial Park in South Range, Mich. (Adam Niemi/The Daily Mining Gazette)
Superior National Bank pitcher Porter Markham throws against Houghton Building Supply during a Portage Lake Little League Majors championship on Tuesday, June 29, 2021, at Range Town Veterans Memorial Park in South Range, Mich. (Adam Niemi/The Daily Mining Gazette)
Superior National Bank in action against Houghton Building Supply during the Portage Lake Little League Majors championship on Tuesday, June 29, 2021, at Range Town Veterans Memorial Park in South Range, Mich. (Adam Niemi/The Daily Mining Gazette)
Houghton Building Supply center-fielder Terrence Nolan, left, is congratulated by a teammate during a Portage Lake Little League Majors championship on Tuesday, June 29, 2021, at Range Town Veterans Memorial Park in South Range, Mich. (Adam Niemi/The Daily Mining Gazette)
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SOUTH RANGE -- It was a pitcher's duel Tuesday night in the championship game of the Portage Lake Little League majors.
Houghton Building Supply ace Benny Keranen got the best of it, striking out 11 of the 22 batters he faced for a 2-0 championship win.
The 12-year-old faced 22 SNB batters and struck out 11 of them. He allowed just one base on ball and almost got the complete-game shutout if not for the 85-pitch count rule. With two outs in the sixth, he reached his limit and Davis Moyle came in to face one batter for the final out.
"Benny is the best pitcher in the Copper Country," said HBS coach Andy Moyle. "He goes in there and doesn’t get down on himself. He just throws strikes."
It was also a rare quiet night at the plate for Houghton Building Supply. Porter Markham toed the pitcher's rubber for Superior National Bank and kept HBS hitters out of rhythm. Houghton Building Supply, who had scored 97 runs in 11 games coming into Tuesday, had to rely more on pitching and defense in the championship game. After all, Moyle said it was hitting that got them to a 9-3 regular season record and a spot in the championship game in the first place.
"We outscored our opponents 99-47," he said after Tuesday's win. "I would take this team anywhere against any other team right now. It is just a solid team that can hit from the top to the bottom of the lineup. These kids played awesome baseball all season."
This was the fourth meeting between these two rivals with SNB winning once and HBS winning the other two before their third victory on Tuesday.
Houghton Building Supply wasted no time in getting on the scoreboard as they struck first in the top of the first with Keranen helping his own cause with a lead-off triple. He came home on a Casey Hiller base hit two batters later. Interestingly, he would be the only other score of the game when he crossed home in the top of the sixth. After a single through the right-side of the infield, he came home again thanks to Hiller who rapped a double up the middle.
Superior National Bank ended their regular season at 6-6 and came into the tournament seeded third.
"That was good baseball," said SNB head coach Daron Durocher. "In the end, they outplayed us in a game that mattered the most. I was really pleased with Porter on the mound. He had eight strikeouts and has done a great job all year round."
The best of the Portage Lake Little League will coalesce into the Portage Lake All-Star team, which hosts Negaunee at 7 p.m. on Monday, July 5 in South Range. The Keweenaw All-Star team hosts Marquette at 5 p.m. in South Range.