Following back-to-back home runs by Evan Johnson and Riley Juneau in the opening inning, Kingsford took advantage of several wild pitches and passed balls while scoring a run in each of the next four innings.

“The home runs definitely set the tone,” Kingsford head coach Hank McRoberts said. “Our baserunning was good. It was a case of manufacturing runs and we took advantage of opportunities to take extra bases when we could.”

Kingsford was scheduled to play Grosse Pointe Woods-Shores in a semifinal game this morning, which was to be preceded by the other semifinal between Bay City Northwest and Dexter. The winners advance to the 10 a.m. Wednesday state championship game.

Birmingham starter Noah Wood retired the first two Kingsford hitters before Johnson launched a solo shot to leftfield. Juneau followed with a homer to right for a 2-0 lead.

Kingsford second baseman Evan Johnson, left, catches the ball for an out at first base ahead of Birmingham runner Joe Simpson, center, in a Little League baseball Major Division state quarterfinal game at Howes Field in Gladstone on Monday. (Escanaba Daily Press photo by Mike Mattson)

“Those were two no-doubters,” Birmingham head coach Mark Simpson said. “I liked our pitching. I like throwing outside. Only we didn’t have an outside corner today and that’s on me. They (Kingsford) hit the ball well.”

Dylan Bousley scored Kingsford’s third run on a passed ball in the second inning and Johnson made it 4-0 on a wild pitch in the third.

Hunter Skoglund added Kingsford’s fifth run on a passed ball in the fourth and Johnson scored again on a wild pitch in the fifth.

Juneau pitched 5 1/3 innings for the win. He struck out eight, walked two and allowed just four hits despite playing with a sore back.

“Riley is an excellent pitcher and he did a terrific job today,” McRoberts said. “We had to ride him (Monday) in order to get to (today)’s game. He had a gutsy performance.”

Kingsford center fielder Dylan Bousley plays a baseball in front of him against Birmingham during a Little League baseball Major Division state quarterfinal game at Howes Field in Gladstone on Monday. (Escanaba Daily Press photo by Mike Mattson)

Grant Stice’s homer to left got Birmingham on the board in the sixth, but it was too little, too late for the suburban Detroit crew.

Wood pitched the first two innings and absorbed the loss. He fanned four, walked none and gave up three runs on four hits.

Birmingham missed an excellent scoring chance in the first when it had baserunners on second and third with one out. Juneau, however, got out of the jam by striking out Stice and Bradley Babitch.

Ben Catlin then drilled a triple to right with two out in the third. But Juneau again fanned Stice to end the threat.

Kingsford finished with seven hits, including two each by Johnson and Henry McRoberts.

The teams committed one error apiece.