By By DAN WEISS / Vigilant/Argus
MISHAWAKA, Ind. -- If you want to win an all-star baseball tournament, you better make sure you have Billy Syrette, Nate Peak and Anthony Peak on your team.
That trio helped the Michigan All-Stars beat Indiana West 6-1 Thursday night at Bethel College to capture the inaugural Sports Fest championship.
Syrette, a Brandywine graduate, and the Peak brothers of Edwardsburg were also on the last Niles Babe Ruth All-Stars squad to win the 15-year-old State Tournament, an event hosted annually at Thomas Memorial Stadium in Niles.
All three players were also named All-State in Michigan's Division 3 earlier this week. Syrette was a First Team pick while the Peaks both made Second Team.
Nate Peak earned the pitching victory Thursday night after working the first six innings, which is the maximum a pitcher can throw according to tournament rules. He gave up five hits and no runs. Steve Terry of River Valley came on in relief and picked up the save over the final three innings.
The Michigan All-Stars, which beat Metro 4-2 on Tuesday in the semifinal round of play, exploded for four runs in the second inning to take a lead that proved to be enough for the win. They then added one run in the fourth and one in the seventh.
Indiana West's only run of the game came in the bottom of the ninth inning.
Syrette doubled, but was later thrown out at third base.
The Michigan baseball team was one of only two teams from Michigan to earn a spot in the championship round of Sports Fest. The Michigan girls' basketball team took on Indiana West Friday night in the Weikamp Center at Bethel College in the championship game.
In other championship contests Thursday night, the Metro softball team beat Indiana West 8-2; Metro girls' soccer beat Indiana East 5-0; Metro volleyball beat Indiana West 22-20, 21-11, 21-17; and Indiana East boys' soccer beat Metro 4-2.