8U Northville Broncos Bring Home The Under the Lights Championship

The 8U Northville Broncos rolled into Ortonville, Michigan ready to play, and came away with the Under the Lights Home Run Extravaganza Championship. The 14 man squad remained undefeated while winning their second consecutive tournament, raising their record to 8-0.

The Broncos announced their presence with thunderous authority this weekend.  Their first game was against the Grand Blanc Gladiators, with the Broncos defeating the Gladiators in a mercy shortened game 16-3. The Broncos set the tone for the entire tournament that game when Dominic Minghine led off with a solo shot to start the game.  

That was just a hint of what would follow. In all, the Broncos would hit 21 homers over the four game stretch. Joey Broughton led the way with four bombs. Nipping at his heels were Caden Besco, Nick Helner, and Will Boisineau each smashing three homers. Minghine would add a second lead off homer in game two, and James Redwine also blasted two out of the park. The homer parade was rounded out by Jack Wilczewski, Even Deak, Isaac Pace and Brady Heron all jacking one homer a piece.

Game two against the Orion Chargers was a slugfest. The lead would change hands several times over the course of the game. The Broncos needed some key defensive plays and Gabe Clark with a diving catch in Left Center to help shut down the Chargers. Trevor Schueller followed up with a great catch in right field robbing the Chargers of a home run. That catch would prove huge in this tight game. In the end, the Broncos would win it in the bottom of the 6th inning 29-28 .

Game three saw the Broncos go up against the East Side Niners. This was another back and forth battle. Carter Jurcisin made a stellar defensive play gunning down a Niner at first from his knees. The Broncos continued their never say die attitude when Andrew Miller hustled across the plate in the bottom of the 6th to give the Broncos the win 19-18 propelling them into the championship.

The Championship game saw the Broncos in a return match against the Orion Chargers. Although this was the Broncos 4th consecutive game, they 
were not to be denied. The Broncos opened the game with a 1,2,3 inning and never looked back. They jumped on the Chargers in the bottom of the first and would never give up the lead. When the dust cleared, the Broncos were champs having defeated the Chargers for the second time 15-9.

In addition to the Bronco's accomplishments as a team, Caden Besco was also honored for his individual effort. As a participant in the Home Run Derby, the 8 year old Besco defeated all comers in the 8-10 year old bracket when he jacked a tournament best 13 shots out of the park.