Michigan beats Ohio to win state’s first Little League World Series championship since 1959

Twice, Jackson Surma walked to the plate with runners in scoring position in the biggest game of his young life. Both times he delivered.

Surma drove in four runs and Ethan Van Belle struck out eight as Michigan beat Ohio 5-2 on Sunday in the championship game of the Little League World Series.

“The first one, I knew I had runners on second and third,’’ Surma said. “There weren’t two outs, so I needed just something in play. He threw me a curveball, I sat on it and drove it to left. The second one, he threw me a high fastball and I went up there and got it.’‘

The team from Taylor North Little League delivered the first LLWS title for the state of Michigan since 1959 when Hamtramck National Little League won it all.

“We’re just excited we’re mentioned with them,’’ manager Rick Thorning said. “To be in that group and say that a team from Michigan won the LLWS, it still doesn’t sound right when you say it.’‘