LEWISTON – July 9, 2005 – The Huron Central North minor league baseball all-stars defeated Huron Shore 6-1 on Saturday to advance to the District 8 semifinals, while West Branch saw its tournament run come to an end with a 19-9 loss to Alpena.

Beginning with Saturday’s quarterfinal contests, district tournament play has moved into its single-elimination phase. Huron Central North was set to face Alpena on Tuesday in a semifinal match. The winner plays for the district title in Lewiston on Saturday, July 16 at 1 p.m.

The district champion will advance to the state finals, hosted this year by West Branch, beginning Saturday, July 23.

Huron Central North got a big boost from Tyler Janish, who tossed a one-hitter and struck out 14 in the six-inning game. Janish had a no-hitter until two were out in the sixth, when Huron Shore’s Jimmy Schepke doubled into the left-center field gap. Schepke later scored on North’s only error of the game.

Janish and Tyler Schulte both scored on a Huron Shore error in the first to give North a 2-0 lead. The Whittemore-Prescott-Hale based team added two runs in the third on a double by Austin Dewald and RBIs from Janish and Ross Kulek. Kulek added a two-run single in the fifth, scoring Janish and Schulte for North’s final two runs.

Janish whiffed at least two in all but one inning and struck out the side in the first, fifth and sixth innings.

West Branch had plenty of offense in its 19-9 loss to Alpena, but errors proved costly, especially in the first two innings.

Alpena opened up an 11-2 lead after the first inning and a half, scoring seven unearned runs. But West Branch fought to get back into the game, scoring in every inning.

Seth Roy’s RBI single scored Nate Rau in the second to make it 11-3, and Garrett Hartley doubled and scored on an error to make it 11-4 in the third. West Branch’s fortunes improved in the third when Roy doubled home Tyler Palm and Tim Howard to cut the deficit to 11-6.

Alpena added a run in the fifth, but RBI singles from Tristan Hewitt and Brandon Benac cut it to 12-8 heading into the final inning.

Alpena, though, put the game away with a seven-run sixth inning. Kyle Bachelder’s RBI groundout scored Garrett Hartley with West Branch’s final run.

Roy and Jeremiah Hanes each scored on passed balls to give West Branch its first two runs in the opening inning.

Benac and Roy each had three hits, with Hartley and Hanes each adding doubles.