By By SCOTT NOVAK / Niles Daily Star
NILES – The Niles Senior All-Stars advanced to the championship of the Michigan District 15 Tournament on Saturday with a win over Three Rivers on Thursday night.
Niles defeated Three Rivers 8-4 to advance to the championship game at Vicksburg.
Three Rivers will face Vicksburg tonight in the consolation finals with the winner advancing to Saturday where it would need to defeat Niles twice.
The All-Stars scored a run in the first and three times in both the second and third innings to account for the scoring.
Three Rivers scored two runs in the third and fourth innings.
Kevin Gross and Dustin Bell combined on a one-hitter with eight strikeouts.
Gross gave up one hit, while Bell struck out eight and did not allow a hit.
Five Niles errors aided in Three Rivers' four runs.
Offensively for the All-Stars, Cody Udell had two hits, including a home run and four RBIs. Niles also got two hits from Gross and three hits from Rashaad Harris. Harris drove in a pair of runs and Derek Nichols added a RBI.
8U All-Stars
The Niles 8U All-Stars rallied from a 7-1 deficit to defeat Three Oaks 9-8 in the Bridgman Tournament on Thursday.
Niles scored two runs in the bottom of the sixth on big hits from Dacille Cros, Corbin Eckenberger and Noah Davidson to tie the game.
The All-Stars got a game-winning double from Tayton Stevens.