Bantam Black Sox lose in semi-finals

The Elks 341 Black Sox battled to a pair of wins on Saturday to get to Sunday, only to see their hopes for a title dashed by the eventual champions.

The Black Sox opened up a 2-0 lead and held the game close through four innings only to see Petoskey blow the game open late en route to a 12-2 victory and a berth in the finals. Petoskey went on to beat Escanaba 4-3 in the championship.

In the game the Black Sox gave up 13 hits though much of Petoskey's offense came late in the game. Jimmie Gibson went 3-for-4 for Petoskey in the win, stroking three singles.

D.J. Carter hit a pair of singles for the Black Sox, who managed just five hits in the loss.

In the other semi, Escanaba scored eight runs on just five hits to offset a four-run first inning from Thunder Bay to seal a 16-5 win and the other championship berth.

Petoskey defeated Escanaba 7-6 in eight innings on Saturday after battling back from a five-run deficit in the seventh to take the lead during the round robin. Escanaba tied the game in the bottom of the inning only to see Petoskey win the game in extras.

*** TOURNAMENT RESULTS:

Scores and notes from the 2007 Sports Gold International Baseball Tournament:

* Suttons Bay 14, Sudbury 2 (Dan Holmes of Suttons Bay – Three runs scored) * Thunder Bay 14, Soo 4 (Lucas Scocchia of Thunder Bay – Homerun) * Petoskey 7, Escanaba 6 (Petoskey scores six runs in seventh inning to battle back from five runs down) * Thunder Bay 8, Suttons Bay 6 (Lucas Scocchia of Thunder Bay – two doubles and a single) * Petoskey 8, Ishpeming 1 (Adam Fila of Petoskey – three runs scored) * Soo 8, Suttons Bay 5 (DJ Carter of Sault Ste. Marie – two singles) * Thunder Bay 6, Sudbury 5 (Thunder Bay scores six runs to take lead; Sudbury battles back to within one and has tying run on base in seventh) * Escanaba 11, Ishpeming 6 (Escanaba scores six runs in first inning) * Soo 17, Sudbury 7 (Soo scores nine runs in third inning and five more in the fourth to blow the game open) * Semi-final 1 – Petoskey 12, Soo 2 * Semi-final 2 – Escanaba 16, Thunder Bay 5 * Championship – Petoskey 4, Escanaba 3

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