{deck}With its 15-8 win, the ages 10-11 all-star team advances to the state tournament{deckc}

TIGARD — The Murrayhill Little League ages 10-11 all-star baseball team started strong, answered every Tigard rally and ended up with a district championship.

Murrayhill claimed the crown by battling its way to a 15-8 win over Tigard in the District 4 Tournament championship game played Sunday at Cook Park.

With the victory, Murrayhill, which went 6-0 at the district tournament, advances to play at the Oregon State Tournament, which starts Friday in Hermiston.

In Sunday’s District 4 title game, Murrayhill broke open a scoreless contest by notching six runs in the bottom of the second inning.

Pono Van Dusen got the big inning started with a leadoff single. He would then score the game’s first run on an RBI single by Spencer Stevens. Benjamin Pak followed with a single to center field. One out later, Harrison Moore singled in both pinch-runner Ryo Furutaka and Pak to up the Murrayhill lead to 3-0 at that point.

After Blake Sims singles, Mason McLaren belted a two-run triple to left field. McLaren would go on to score on a two-out double by Jackson Barnum, upping the Murrayhill advantage to 6-0.

Tigard scored a pair of runs in the top of the third inning to make the score 6-2, but Murrayhill answered right back. Adam Jorgensen, Sims, McLaren and Barnum all had RBI singles in the bottom of the third inning. Murrayhill scored a total of five runs in the frame to push its lead to 11-2.

Tigard kept fighting back. The Tigers scored runs on back-to-back double steals and Caden Stinson doubled in Vaughan Williams to trim the Murrayhill lead to 11-5. Tigard then notched another run in the top of the fifth inning to close the gap to 11-6.

But Murrayhill was able to pull away again.

Barnum had an RBI triple in the bottom of the fifth inning. McLaren and Van Dusen added RBI singles in the frame and Sims scored on a groundout by Zach Hald to help Murrayhill push its lead to 15-6.

Still, Tigard tried to battle back one more time.

Bobby Carter laced a ground-rule double to left field to lead off the top of the sixth inning. Williams followed with a walk and, one out later, Ian Lewis singled to left field. Griffin Williams then singled to center, driving in both Carter and Vaughan Williams to make the score 15-8.

But Murrayhill, coaxing back-to-back fielder’s choice grounders, got the final two outs of the inning to end the Tigard threat and wrap up its district title.

Barnum picked up the pitching win for Murrayhill. Starting the game on the mound, Barnum gave up five runs on four hits while striking out 10 and walking six in four innings of work. Moore pitched the final two innings.

Murrayhill, as a team, pounded out 18 base hits in the title game.

Sims went 4 for 4 at the plate with a double, three runs scored and an RBI. Barnum and McLaren each had three hits. Van Dusen had two hits and Stevens, Pak, Moore, Furutaka, Jorgensen and Kade Hustler added one hit apiece.

Murrayhill scored a 14-4 win over Westview in Saturday’s semifinals to earn its spot in the district title tilt.

Murrayhill will open state tournament play Saturday when it faces Medford American, the District 6 champion, in a first-round game of the nine-team, double-elimination tourney. The state tournament runs through July 19, with a second championship game, if needed, to be played July 20.

Brian Anderson also plays for the Murrayhill squad. Brett Sims is the team’s manager with coaches Chris Hald and Jason Brooks.