Justin St. Ours | Daily Press Gladstone’s Addy Sanville (4) scores the tying run in the top of the sixth inning as the crowd cheers and West Portage’s Kristina Adams (left) waits for the ball Tuesday during a Minor Little League All-Stars softball state semifinal in Gladstone.

GLADSTONE — The Gladstone Minor Little League All-Stars (age 8-10) came very close but couldn’t quite extend their softball season here Tuesday.

Abigail Parr’s walk-off single to leftfield in the sixth inning was just enough as West Portage squeezed past Gladstone 3-2 in a state semifinal contest.

West Portage returns to the Gladstone High School field to face Croswell-Lexington in the state title game this morning at 10.

C-L advanced with a 6-2 triumph over Grosse Point in Tuesday’s other semifinal.

Gladstone tied the game at 2-2 on a two-out triple to left by Ruby Tuljus in its half of the sixth, but the area girls were unable to score the go-ahead run.

“These girls showed more fight than any other team I’ve had, and I’ve been around a long time,” said Gladstone manager Joe Larson. “We had a heck of a run for a team that didn’t have a banner to raise. Reaching the final four is something to be proud of.”

West Portage scored first on Kristina Adams’ single to left in the opening frame.

Gladstone knotted the contest on Jordyn Drielick’s single to right and an error in the fifth.

West Portage regained the lead on a throwing miscue in its half of the fifth.

“We had two very key bunts today,” said West Portage manager Dave Jewell. “We’re very proud of the way the girls executed. They have a very good team. Like Escanaba, they’re well-coached and disciplined. Fortunately, we had a little left in the tank at the end. It was a battle for the full six innings.”

Tessa Jewell tossed a three-hitter, struck out 16 and walked two in the complete-game victory.

“They got a couple hits late, but Tessa kept her composure,” said manager Jewell. “Her change-up worked well again, and she got some strikeouts.”

West Portage catcher Kristina Adams went 3-for-3, and Tuljus led Gladstone with two hits.

Addy Sanville went the distance for Gladstone on the mound and absorbed the loss. She fanned eight, walked three and allowed four hits.

“I thought Addy battled real well,” said Larson. “There were a lot of nerves early in the game, but she settled in after the first inning. Giving up just one run in the first inning was huge. It’s hard to generate offense against a pitcher of her caliber. She’s really good. We started swinging earlier in the count and generated some offense.”

In the second game, Croswell-Lexington’s bats came alive in the fourth after both teams failed to hit in the first three frames.

Consecutive singles by Gray Shaw, Cora McGarvie and Taylor Westendorf helped C-L gain a 3-0 lead in the fourth.

Grosse Pointe got on the board in its half of the fourth before Olivia Young gave C-L a 4-1 cushion on a single to left by Kinsley Westendorf in the fifth.

Catherine Foka scored on a double steal to bring Grosse Pointe within 4-2 in its half of the fifth.

C-L scored its fifth run on an error and concluded the scoring on Payton Masi’s single to right in the sixth.

“It was a nailbiter,” said C-L manager Scott Young. “Finally in the fourth inning, our bats came around. I think the girls finally calmed down. Once you see a pitcher the second time, you have a better idea what to expect. At this age, it’s real important to get the first run. We just told them to put the ball in play and put pressure on the defense.”

Winning pitcher Olivia Young tossed a two-hitter, struck out 10 and walked nine.

Foka, who took the loss, whiffed nine, walked one and gave up eight hits. McGarvue led C-L with two hits.

“Even though we had a few errors today, our defense was stellar through the whole tournament,” said Grosse Pointe manager Mark Julien. “We had that game with Gladstone in the beginning, which was kind of crazy (in a 3-2 loss in nine innings). That was an unbelievable game. Croswell-Lexington is an unbelievable team. When we made mistakes, they were compounded. We stranded a couple runners and couldn’t plate enough runs in the middle innings.”