Mercer Island 10/11 Little League All Stars Win State Championship

The bested Bonney Lake/Sumner Little League 7-3 in six innings on Sunday, July 24 in Cheney.

The Little League District 9 champs compiled a 9-1 record throughout the District and State tournaments and relied on great pitching and solid defense.

"They loved hitting in the hot Eastern Washington climate," said All Stars coach Steve Poore.

All Stars Nikhil Nayar, Alex Shanks, Jack Smith and Matt Boissoneault led the offensive threat. Nayar doubled in the second inning and singled in the fifth while scoring two runs and adding one RBI. He also pitched 4 innings allowing only one hit. Alex Shanks had 2 hits and drove in two while Smith and Boissoneault add RBI's as well.  

The defense responded with 2 rally killing double plays in the 4th and 5th innings to erase any hopes of a Bonney Lake/Sumner comeback.

Justin Ho rose to the occasion out of the bullpen, hurling two innings of shutout ball while racking up one strikeout and giving up one hit and one walk to seal the championship for the MI All Stars.

Many members of the team will likely represent Mercer Island Little League in the "Majors" tournament next year, which offers winning teams a route to the Little League World Series in Williamsport, Pennsylvania. In 2009, the Mercer Island Little League Majors All Stars played in the Little League World Series.

In other Mercer Island Little League All-Star action, the 9/10 All Stars face either Federal Way National LL or Pacific LL in the state championship tonight at 6 p.m., July 25 at Hartman Field in Redmond. They defeated both teams earlier in the tournament. The Juniors All Stars were knocked out of the state tournament by South Kitsap Western LL, 11-4. The Majors All Stars were eliminated in District 9 play. And a combined Juniors division softball team of players from Bellevue and Mercer Island will play in the Softball Junion Little League World Series in Kirkland next month.

The Mercer Island Little League is organized and administered by the .