WEST BRANCH - July 27, 2005 - Western Little League of Grand Rapids pulled off yet another stunning sixth-inning comeback, and Grosse Pointe Woods-Shores rode the pitching of Jonathan Dixon to advance to Thursday afternoon's state Minor League championship game at West Branch.

Western, which stunned Midland Northeast with a seven-run sixth inning the previous day, only had to come from one run back in the sixth for a 5-4 victory. Roosevelt Park took a 4-3 lead in the top of the sixth, but Western loaded the bases with one out. Travis Rosinski was hit by a pitch to force in the tying run, and Cody Riutsema belted a sacrifice fly to left center that scored Adam Rooney just ahead of the throw home.

Roosevelt Park contended that Rooney should have been called out due to a head-first slide, which is prohibited at the Minor and Major League levels. But it appeared that Rooney had stumbled or tripped as he tried to get past the RP catcher, turning the play into a judgement call, rather than a rule interpretation.

The second game had no such controversy at its finish as Dixon shut out Taylor Northwest for five innings. Grosse Pointe Woods-Shores put two runs on the board in the sixth inning to make it 4-0, then held on as Taylor had the tying run at the plate when the game ended on a pop-up to the catcher.

Western faces Grosse Pointe on Thursday at 4:00 p.m.