After a relatively slow start, Negaunee’s bats exploded the rest of the way for a 20-0 victory over Keweenaw on Wednesday in a battle of the final two undefeated teams in the District 11 tournament in Little League Major Division baseball.

The visitors from Marquette County scored just one run in the first inning, but built upon that to explode for eight in the second, five in the third and six in the fourth to end the game early.

That advances Negaunee to today’s championship round against whoever comes out of the loser’s bracket. Keweenaw was part of that group that will have to work its way to the finals, facing Portage Lake on Thursday.

Today’s first title tilt is at 6 p.m., and if Negaunee loses that game, a second finals contest is at 2 p.m. Saturday.

Negaunee’s Wyatt Dost connects on a pitch during a District 11 tournament game in Little League Major Division baseball played against Keweenaw on Wednesday at the American Legion Field in Calumet. (Daily Mining Gazette photo by Daver Karnosky)

“Our guys came out and they executed,” Negaunee manager Joe Dost said about Wednesday’s blowout. “Our (No.) 12-hitter had three hits today, and they were barrels. So, everyone in our lineup is dangerous, and they did their job.

“I’ve been waiting for this offensive explosion for a while. We’ve had some flashes here and there, but really to see them with the right approach at the plate, that’s how they were successful.”

Dost wasn’t kidding. His son Wyatt, the seventh hitter, went 2 for 2 with a walk and three runs scored. Kalen Johnson, the No. 8 hitter, was 2 for 3 with a three-run home run. Ben Paananen, the ninth batter, went 3 for 3, all singles, with three runs.

Beyond that, Tanner Thompson, the No. 10 hitter, went 1 for 3 with a run scored, while Max Cody, batting 11th, was 1 for 2 with a run. And finally, Bazil Hill, that 12th batter, went 3 for 3 with three runs.

Keweenaw manager Josh Frantti felt that his team gave Negaunee chances early, which proved costly.

“They’re a well-oiled machine,” he said. “We kind of knew it, and we gave them a few outs early. You can’t do that against those teams. Credit to them, they pounded the ball well, and we used a bunch of pitchers just to get some kids some experience.

“We knew going into (the game) it was going to be tough, but we’re still alive.”

Despite the lack of success, Frantti felt his team learned a lot.

“We didn’t want to burn anybody, and just get the kids some experience, move some kids around, and the kids stayed in it,” he said. “It’s tough when you give up that many runs, but it wasn’t like we were giving up a lot of errors. They were hitting the ball hard.

“The eighth guy’s hitting home runs, and it kind of is what it is. Hopefully we’ll have a good game (Thursday) against Portage, and get to see them again (today).”

Evan Cardinal scored Negaunee’s lone run in the first inning, reaching on a leadoff bunt, moving to third on a Jonny Juntti sacrifice and scoring when Thomas Dix singled.

In the second, Wyatt Dost led off with a double to the left field fence before Johnson hit a ground-rule double over the center field fence to bring him home.

Paananen then singled to center, scoring Johnson, and after Thompson singled to left, Cody doubled to the left field fence to knock in a pair.

Hill then doubled to center field, knocking in Cody for a 6-0 lead.

The rally continued. Cardinal doubled to left before a Gavin Hermes sacrifice scored Hill. Nathan Harvala tripled to the right field fence, scoring Cardinal.

Keweenaw switched pitchers, and Juntti welcomed relief pitcher Colton Bastian with a single to center field to score Harvala and make it 9-0.

Negaunee nearly batted around again in the third. Wyatt Dost started things with a single to left, while two batters later, Bastian came off the mound in favor of Tanner Frantti.

Paananen then singled to right, scoring Dost. Two batters later, Cody walked. With runners in scoring position, Hill singled to right, scoring both.

Then came an epic moment in the annals of Little League. Cardinal stepped to the plate and quickly went down in the count 0-2. From there, he stretched the at-bat to 17 pitches before tripling down the left field line all the way to the fence and scoring Hill.

“It’s what we preach all year and throughout Negaunee baseball,” Joe Dost said. “It’s a next-pitch mentality. It’s never give up, it’s never say die. It’s keep battling until somebody tells you you can’t anymore.

“Evan is one of the leaders on this team, so for him to go up there and do that, and show everybody what it’s all about, that’s awesome.”

Zac Therrian replaced Tanner Frantti on the mound for Keweenaw after that at-bat. Hermes greeted him with a single to left, scoring Cardinal and pushing the score to 14-0.

In the top of the fourth, Negaunee kept hitting the ball hard, this time off Keweenaw reliever James Haapala.

Maddox Halamka led off with a single down the right field line. Wyatt Dost walked to put two men on. Then on the first pitch Johnson saw, he drove a ball over the right field fence for a three-run homer.

Paananen doubled to the center field fence and later scored on an error as Hermes reached, loading the bases. Harvala doubled to deep center field, knocking in two more.