BC put its stamp on this game with a decisive six-run fifth inning that accounted for half of the game’s scoring and ended the game by invoking the 10-run rule.

“This is our farthest we’ve gone, and these girls are working hard,” Marquette head coach Justin Gustafson said in the game’s aftermath about his team of 12- and 13-year-old players. “Bullock Creek is a great team, and they’re going to be right in the mix for tomorrow’s championship.”

Results from Wednesday’s semifinals and finals borne that out. BC defeated Georgetown of suburban Grand Rapids 4-1 in the morning semis, then came back to the Kaufman fields that afternoon and shut out Grosse Pointe 4-0 to win the state championship.

In other Wednesday morning semifinal, Grosse Pointe outscored St. Clair 10-6 in a battle of Detroit-area squads.

Teagan Fossitt, bottom left, was tagged out trying to score to end the top of the fourth inning during the Little League Major Division state softball tournament held at the Kaufman Sports Complex in Marquette on Tuesday. (Journal photo by Caden Sierra)

Gustafson emphasized the importance of looking at the positives and maintaining a long-term perspective.

“We just keep telling our girls, they’ve got years of playing more softball,” he said. “We want them to keep their heads up, work on their weaknesses and continue to grow.

“We’ve got many years and many tournaments to go, and one of these years, we’ll have the success that these other programs are having.”

Rylei Yager delivered an excellent performance on the rubber on Tuesday morning to earn the pitching win for Bullock Creek, throwing five strong innings and allowing just one hit. She struck out five and walked three.

Marquette hurler Makayla Gustafson, despite an impressive second inning where she struck out all three batters on nine pitches, took the loss. She finished with eight strikeouts and six walks in the game’s five innings.

Bullock Creek’s Rylei Yager winds up to pitch in the second inning of a quarterfinal game against Marquette during the Little League Major Division state softball tournament held at the Kaufman Sports Complex in Marquette on Tuesday. (Journal photo by Caden Sierra)

Clare Dewitt stood out offensively for Marquette, going 1 for 2 and driving in its only run. For the Midland team, Brylie Herron went 3 for 3, while Alexa Hamilton and Sage Lavigne each contributed two RBIs.

BC took the early lead with Herron’s RBI single in the bottom of the first inning. Lavigne followed with a two-run single, while

Hamilton’s sacrifice bunt added another run, giving Bullock Creek a commanding 4-0 lead at the end of the opening inning.

Bullock Creek managed just one more run over the next three innings following a Marquette error to make it 5-0.

Then the host team showed signs of life in the fourth with a crucial defensive play that temporarily kept them in the game. But BC exploded with its six-run fifth as Nev Weideman drew a bases-loaded walk to score the first run, followed by a Lavigne RBI single and Hamilton being hit by a pitch to bring in another run.

In the day’s other quarterfinals, St. Clair edged Escanaba 6-5 in eight innings, Grosse Pointe slid past Rogers City 3-2 in seven innings, and Georgetown of suburban Grand Rapids defeated Alpena Huron 16-0.

In the background, Bullock Creek players yell out a chant in the first inning with several Marquette players standing in the infield as the downstate visitors kept driving in runs to build an early 4-0 lead during the Little League Major Division state softball tournament held at the Kaufman Sports Complex in Marquette on Tuesday. (Journal photo by Caden Sierra)

Caden Sierra can be reached at 906-228-2500, ext. 551. His email address is csierra@nmu.edu.