MISHAWAKA, Ind. — Team Michigan needed only one inning to dispose of Indiana West at Bethel College on Tuesday evening.

Michigan scored six runs in the top half of the first and was never headed in defeating Indiana West 17-3 to advance to Thursday’s championship game against Indiana East.

Michigan sent 11 players to the plate in the opening inning and took advantage of four Indiana West walks and a pair of errors to drive in six runs.

In fact, only Dowagiac’s Katie Lorenz had a hit in the inning off of losing pitcher Janyl Zachary.

Indiana West tried to get back into the game in the third inning as it scored twice on a double by Jessica Craft of LaPorte and a single by Triton’s Katie Claxon.

An inning later, Michigan sent 11 more players to the plate against Zachary, who allowed seven runs on four hits. Indiana West also committed an error and Zachary walked three more batters.

Buchanan’s Devinn Adams had an infield single to drive in a run, while Lorenz singled to plate two more runners before St. Joseph’s Lesy Schalk singled and drove in three runs.

The final run scored on a double by Edwardsburg’s Victoria Hurst.

Michigan added four more runs in the sixth on a single by Adams, a two-run single by Niles’ Charissa Spear and a run-scoring double by Schalk.

Indiana West completed the scoring with a run in the bottom of the seventh.

“I told the girls before the game I was just going to let them play,” Michigan coach Mike Behnke said. “We’re not going to worry about sacrifice bunts or things like that to start the game. They came out in the first inning and scored six runs but I don’t think the swung the bats real well. But they relaxed and in the later innings they started pounding the ball, which is what I thought we would do.”

Lorenz had three hits and a pair of RBIs to lead Michigan, which also got two hits from Adams and two RBIs. Schalk finished with a hit and three RBIs. Both Spear and Hurst had a hit and drove in two.

Craft had four of the five Indiana West hits.

St. Joseph’s Sam Helsley started and worked the first four innings to earn the victory. Dowagiac’s Tara Sova worked the final three innings.

“Sam started out a little tight I think,” Behnke said. “I don’t know if she warmed up as much as she should have. But once she did, the last three innings she just mowed them right down. She had a good change-up going.”

Michigan will now face Indiana East, an upset winner over Indiana Metro on Monday night, in Thursday’s championship game at 5:30 p.m.

Michigan 600 074 0 – 17 8 2

Indiana West 101 000 1 – 3 5 4

Sam Helsley (W), Tara Sova (5) and Devon Ownby

Janyl Zachary (L), Natalie Korpak (2) and Katie Claxon

2B: Victoria Hurst (M), Jessica Craft (IW)