By By SCOTT NOVAK / Niles Daily Star
NILES – Benton Harbor completed its comeback from an earlier loss to Howard Township to claim the 2007 Cal Ripken Baseball U12 state championship.
Benton Harbor defeated Howard Township in the second championship game on Monday night, 9-1.
On Sunday, Benton Harbor defeated Howard Township 15-9 to force the second title game at Pepper Martin Park.
A six-run sixth inning by Benton Harbor broke open the close contest.
Benton Harbor grabbed a 2-0 lead after one inning of play and upped its advantage to 3-0 in the top half of the second.
Howard Township scored its lone run in the bottom of the second.
The team remained 3-1 until the sixth inning when Benton Harbor took advantage of several Howard Township errors to pull away to the victory.
Jake Brentlinger had a double for Howard Township in the game.
Benton Harbor advances to the regional in Logansport, Ind., while Howard Township will play in a regional at Lexington, Ky.
Howard Township reached the finals by defeating Clinton Township 15-0 in the opening round and then edging Benton Harbor 5-3 in the quarter finals.
In the semifinals, Howard Township defeated L'Anse Cruse North 19-6.
Against Benton Harbor, Fritz Findeisen had a double, while against L'Anse Cruse North, Findeisen had a home run, while Brenlinger doubled, James Krause had two doubles and Matt Scheile had a double.
In Howard's loss to Benton Harbor on Sunday, Alec Landon had a home run.
U11 Baseball
Howard Township is headed to Mt. Sterling, Ky. to take part in the Cal Ripken Baseball regional.
Howard captured the Michigan state championship on Sunday afternoon with a 14-6 win over Benton Harbor in the title game.
Against Benton Harbor, Landon Kuwicki, Tate Brawley, Taylor Weldy, Matt Miller and Chance Smith all had doubles.
Howard Township reached the finals by defeating Howard B in the first round 15-3, beating L'Anse Cruse North in the quarterfinals 9-8 and defeating Benton Harbor in the semifinals 19-12.
Against Howard Township B, Howard A got a home run from Weldy and doubles from Kuwicki, Brawley and Tate Rudaff.
In their win over L'Anse Cruse, Brawley homered and doubled, while Brad Miller also had a home run.
Liam Gritton homered against Benton Harbor in the semifinals, while Weldy, Brad Miller, Matt Miller and Smith all doubled. Nick Borkowski had a pair of doubles.