News Photo by James Andersen Alpena Green won the 9U title during the 2017 Cal Ripken Michigan State Tournament in Alpena. Team members include Andy Tessmer, Brady Chapman, Camden McEwen, Clark Weir, Cruz Guthrie, Ethan Walker, Isaiah Bidwell, Justin Romel, Landen Gagnon, Lucas Dagner, Nathan Southard, Owen Kaiser, manager Eric Hackney and coaches Harry Guthrie and Justin Southard.

Before Sunday’s championship game, Alpena Green 9U baseball manager Eric Hackney told his players to get an early lead and keep pushing forward.

Alpena Green did just what Hackney said, defeating Alpena White 18-2 in the 9U final of the 2017 Cal Ripken Michigan State Tournament.

“It’s actually a pretty good thing for these guys to bring it home because we played in tournaments and stuff and they’ve been working their butts off all the way from the beginning of the year all the way until now,” Hackney said. “Just to be at this level they’re playing at now is a good thing.”

“I told my guys when we get up there we want to get as much as we can, get the lead as quick as we can get it and continue on with it and not stop. Show them what you got and put the effort in for it,” Hackney said. “The outcome of the game was what it was.”

Sunday’s win capped off a perfect weekend for Alpena Green. The team went 4-0 on the weekend and received a bye into the final after finishing 3-0 in pool play.

Alpena Green won each of its games by double digits and scored at least 17 runs in each of its victories.

Sunday’s win was Alpena’s Green’s second win over Alpena White in as many days as Alpena Green won the first matchup in pool play 20-0.

Hackney said pitching played an important role in his team’s state championship win as Alpena Green’s pitchers threw strikes when they needed them.

\”I think for us it was our pitching,” Hackney said. “We kept our pitches down to the minimum (of where) we needed it to be and got the strikes and got hits when we needed them.”

Alpena White finished 2-3 for the tournament, but it didn’t come from lack of trying. Alpena White lost a 20-18 slugfest against Brandywine on Friday and topped Macomb Clinton 17-14 on Saturday.

Alpena won another high scoring game just to reach Sunday’s final, defeating Brandywine 15-14.

James Andersen can be reached via email at sports@thealpenanews.com or by phone at 358-5694. Follow James on Twitter @ja_alpenanews.