Norway's Ian Popp slides into second base as Escanaba's Bon LaChance makes the tag during the fourth inning of the District 10 Little League 11U All-Star tournament game at Dickson Field on Tuesday. Popp was called out by umpire Johnny Schlenvogt. (Mike Mattson/The Daily Press)

ESCANABA — Norway and Escanaba are determined to battle to the final out in the District 10 Little League 11U State Tournament championship game.

The teams played to a 3-3 tie through six innings Tuesday night at Dickson Field when the game was suspended because of darkness. Play will resume today at 6:30 p.m. in the top of the seventh inning.

If Norway wins the suspended game, it will be district champions and head to Schoolcraft for the state tournament starting July 27. If Escanaba wins, the two teams will play immediately afterward in the deciding game for the district crown.

“We didn’t want to come back, but we have to come back,” Norway head coach Brad Richtig said. “It’s not a big deal, we just have to have the boys ready. And we have to get some runs on the board, shut them down for three and hopefully we’re done.”

Not much appears to separate the two teams. Norway rallied from a 6-4 deficit in the sixth inning to defeat Escanaba in Sunday’s first meeting.

Escanaba built a 3-0 first-inning lead Tuesday as Zack Barron belted a two-run double and Gavin Sommers followed with an RBI single.

The game was delayed after the first inning for about 40 minutes due to rain.

Norway came right back and scored an unearned run in the second inning, added another unearned run in the third inning and tied the game at 3-3 in the fifth inning after Alex Ortman tripled and came home on Ryan Erickson’s groundout.

Esky threatened again as Sommers doubled to open the sixth inning and moved to third base, but Ortman pitching in relief escaped with a final strikeout.

Ryan Erickson was the starting pitcher for Norway.

Gavin Sommers and Lancour combined on a two-hitter for Escanaba.

There were a couple other good scoring chances: Norway had a runner cut down at home plate in the first inning and Norway executed a nice double play to throw out an Escanaba runner at the plate in the third inning.

“We scored three runs in the first and three runs for the game,” Esky head coach Paul LaChance said. “We had a guy thrown out at home at least once. We were one hit away from winning the game a couple different times.”

Richtig said Wyatt Spade will start out pitching today. Ortman threw 20 pitches Tuesday and is eligible to throw the second game if needed.

Esky will counter with Lancour.

“I feel good,” LaChance said. “We have Bryson Lancour on the mound. He threw 50 pitches today, but he’s got 35 more pitches (Wednesday) and he’s going to be rested. We have to play and hopefully it comes out in our favor.”