The Portage Lake Little League Minors softball team won the District 11 championship Tuesday over Marquette at the Houghton High School field. The team includes: Avery Pietila, Allie Mettlach, Anna Hanson, Reagan Riley, Miina Heinonen, McKinley Soli, Kylie Helminen, Ivy Biekkola, Hadley Koski, and Ivy Markham. The team is coached by Travis Hanson (left), Dan Mettlach (right), and Phil Pietila (not pictured). (Daver Karnosky/Daily Mining Gazette)

HOUGHTON — The Little League Minors District 11 softball tournament championship had plenty of intrigue on Tuesday evening, with Portage Lake jumping out to a 4-0 lead early, only to have Marquette close that gap to one, 4-3, before the hosts extended their lead back to three, 6-3, only to have Marquette cut the lead to two, 6-4.

From there, however, Portage Lake took control of the game in the third inning, scoring 13 runs to close out the game and the championship, 19-4, at the Houghton High School field.

Portage Lake, a team loaded with veteran players, was happy to earn the win, especially since they had to find a way to dig deep to do it.

“It was exciting for the girls,” said Portage Lake assistant coach Travis Hanson. “They had to battle a little adversity. They (Marquette) put some runs up on us, which (was because) we made some errors in the field, but they made it work at the plate. Our girls made it work.”

The game changed strictly in Portage Lake’s favor in that third inning where 15 of 16 batters made plays at the plate.

“It was just battling that adversity, coming back, and then being patient at the plate, because there weren’t a lot of strikes, but the ones that were, we had to sit on it and wait for the ball to come to us,” Travis Hanson said. “We had some great hits by Ivy Markham out there. Reagan Riley had a big hit. So, yeah, it was just being patient, and letting the ball travel to us before we got on it.”

Markham, who played her first game of the tournament, went 2-for-3, McKinley Soli walked twice and reached on a fielder’s choice in the slot ahead of Markham in the lineup. Kylie Helminen walked twice. Ivy Biekkola walked once, and Hadley Koski walked twice. Four of the five scored twice.

“Up and down the lineup, we put any of our girls in there,” said Travis Hanson. “We talk about making some defensive changes, or making some lineup changes in the batting order now that Ivy’s back. It’s like really throwing (them all in) a basket and picking out numbers, because all those girls can hit anywhere in the lineup, and all those girls can play a lot of positions.”

On the other side of the field, Marquette assistant coach Corey Hanycz was proud of the way his team battled back from the early 4-0 deficit with three runs in the second inning.

“It was a good game,” he said. “I knew if we started hitting the ball, we’d get runners on and be scoring. I knew that was going to be the case.

“They stayed energetic. They kept their heads up, and they just have a fight attitude. They never give up. They work hard, and they just keep grinding. That’s what I respect about these girls.”

Hancyz feels that his team learned a lot from the tournament and that should bode well for their futures in the sport.

“Our Marquette girls are talented,” he said. “They have a lot of talent. They’re hard workers. They’re good, coachable kids. I think it just comes (down) to an experience thing. They’re (Portage Lake) a little bit more experienced. This group of girls, I think, will move up and play in the years to come, and they’re going to grow, and they’re going to be bigger and better players.”

Portage Lake got to work quickly. Avery Pietila was hit by a pitch to lead off. She stole second just before Allie Mettlach was hit with a pitch. Anna Hanson sacrificed to move both into scoring position. Pietila scored on a passed ball and a Reagan Riley single to center field scored Mettlach.

Riley then stole second and got third on a passed ball. Miina Heinonen walked. A passed ball scored Riley. Heinonen stole second and third before Soli walked. A passed ball scored Heinonen to put Portage Lake up 4-0.

Marquette worked their way back in the second.

Ada Mohrman walked and then stole second. Kynlee Hanycz walked. Mohrman scored on a defensive error, and another error scored Hanycz. Emily Trdan laid down a bunt and reached first safely. She later scored on a single to right field by Everly Ventimeglia, making it 4-3 Portage Lake.

In the bottom half of the inning, Portage Lake got two runs back.

Koski walked. Pietila singled back to pitcher Ella Dickinson. Both runners stole a base, putting them both into scoring position. Koski scored on a passed ball and Pietila scored on another passed ball a little later.

There were two close plays, Koski called safe at third and Koski later scoring, that Marquette appealed, but neither call was overturned.

In the top of the third, Marquette cut the lead back to two.

Kelsey Anderson walked. She stole second and got to third on a defensive error. She later scored on a single to center field by Dickinson, making it a 6-4 game for Portage Lake.

Riley led off the bottom of the third with a single to center field. Heinonen singled to second. Soli walked to load the bases. Riley scored on a passed ball. Markham doubled to center field, scoring Heinonen and Soli. Helminen walked. A passed ball scored Markham. Another one scored Helminen and Portage Lake led 11-4 at that point. Koski walked. Pietila doubled to center field, scoring Koski, and she got to third before the play ended.

Marquette brought in Mohrman in relief.

Pietila scored on a passed ball. Mettlach walked. Anna Hanson singled to third. Riley singled to left field, scoring Mettlach. Heinonen was hit by a pitch, loading the bases. Soli reached on a fielder’s choice, but Riley was tagged at home. Markham doubled to center field, clearing the bases.

Markham later scored on a passed ball. Helminen walked and later scored on a passed ball, which ended the game.

The Portage Lake Little League Minors softball team celebrates on the field after winning the District 11 championship over Marquette Tuesday at the Houghton High School field. (Daver Karnosky/Daily Mining Gazette)