Members of the U.P. All-Star Baseball teams pose for a photo after the 2nd Annual Upper Peninsula All-Star Baseball game. (Adam Hinch/Daily Press)

ESCANABA — Team Superior came up with the big defensive plays when they needed them most in a 7-6 baseball victory over Team Michigan in the Second Annual Upper Peninsula All-Star game here Sunday.

Michigan got within a run on Desmond Gleason’s double to leftfield in the bottom of the eighth inning on this cloudy and seasonably cool afternoon at Al Ness Field.

The Marquette graduate, however, got thrown out trying to score on a double to center by Gladstone’s Trevor Thorbahn.

Hancock’s Chad Isaacson, who became the winning pitcher, then struck out the final hitter to secure the decision in the Cold Weather Baseball Coaches Alliance contest.

“That was a great game,” Team Superior (Ironwood) coach Cody Kurta said. “This is awesome. I wish we could have had this when I was in high school. This is something we really needed.”

The score was tied at five after seven frames before a sacrifice fly by Escanaba’s Ashton Rymkos gave Team Superior a 6-5 lead in the eighth

A double to center by Marquette’s Alex Brennan then provided Superior with its two-run cushion, setting the stage for a nail-biting finish.

Team Superior led 3-2 after five innings before Ishpeming Westwood’s Isak Ruspakka ripped a triple to left to make it 4-2 in the sixth.

Ruspakka then scored on a fielding error to make it 5-2.

Team Michigan answered with three runs in its half of the sixth.

Manistique’s Britt Fain led off the inning with a single to center, stole second and trimmed Michigan’s deficit to 5-3 on a fielding error.

Norway’s Owen Baij, who was selected Team Michigan’s Most Valuable Player, then tied the score on a two-run bloop single to shallow center.

“We had a great group of guys here,” he said. “It was fun to come over here and play with the other guys. There’s no other place I would have rather played high school ball than at Norway. It was a great family atmosphere with great coaches and teammates.”

Fain scored the first run on a single by Negaunee’s Aiden Steele in the second.

Team Michigan, taking advantage of four walks and a hit batsman, took a 2-1 lead in its half of the inning.

Esky’s Cannon Arnt, who plans to continue playing baseball at Bay College, was selected Team Superior’s MVP.

“It feels nice to get that,” he said. “That’s what you strive for, especially when all the fans are here supporting you. It’s fun playing with Owen (Fields) and Ashton on our team and Brian (Boutilier) and Graham (Johnson) on their team. It makes for a fun and enjoyable experience. Their pitcher (Gogebic’s CJay Wainio) did a pretty good job.”

Wainio will continue his career at Century College in White Bear Lake, Minn.

“CJay did a great job for us,” Kurta said. “He’s a tough kid with a great work ethic. I’m looking forward to working with him in Legion baseball.”

Thorbahn had two hits for Team Michigan and Baij finished with two RBIs.