Portage Lake's Jed Heinonen (right) takes a lead off second during a District 11 Majors tournament game Tuesday against Ishpeming in Calumet. (Eddie O’Neill/For the Gazette)

CALUMET — What a difference a day makes in the world of Little League. Monday, Portage Lake’s majors team couldn’t put three hits together. In fact, in the 10-0 loss to Negaunee, they didn’t even make it to second base. 

Contrast that with Tuesday, where the Portage Lake boys not only made it past second, they made it home 23 times in a 23-3 win over Ishpeming in District 11 tournament play. 

“I think there was a lot of frustration in how we played or didn’t play yesterday, and that came out tonight,” said Portage Lake manager Marty Thompson. “I told them to get the bats going, and they responded with 23 runs.”

Thompson was quite pleased that five of them came in the top of the first.

“We went around the order in the first,” he added. “They were hungry and were excited to be back in the game.”

The first run of the game was Landon Kinnunen who reached on an error. Cal Johnson followed with his first of four hits on the night. James Thompson was right behind him with a double and Louis Kilpela came in after reaching on a single. It was 4-0, and no one was out. 

After Parker Linna struck out, Oliver Pennala poked a single up the middle and was run number five. 

Ishpeming countered with three of their own in the first. Liam Hunter reached base on a fielder’s choice. Leyland Holsworth and Miles Giotto both got base hits and scored. It was a 5-3 Portage Lake lead after one. 

That morphed into an 8-3 lead after two and a 10-3 difference after three. Then came the fifth where the Portage Lake bats came alive to the tune of 13 runs. Everybody hit twice except for two batters.  Swinging a big bat that inning were Johnson and Kilpela who both had bases-clearing triples. Errors by a frustrated Ishpeming field certainly helped Portage Lake, as did patience at the plate.

Seven Portage Lake batters reached first on walks. A fly-out to first by Kilpela finally got Ishpeming off the field with out number three.  However, they went down in order in the bottom of the fifth to end the game. 

“Game ball goes to the team,” said Thompson. “Everybody stood out. It was so good to see that fight spirit.”

Marquette advances

In the other game Tuesday evening, Marquette defeated Baraga LOTC, 8-2, in six innings. Baraga was eliminated with the loss while Marquette advanced to face Portage Lake Wednesday afternoon.