GRAND CHUTE – With a shot to play for the first team sport title in Bay Port school history, this is exactly where Dominic Utrie wanted to be.

With the bases loaded and one out in the bottom of the seventh, the junior third baseman delivered with a looper over the second baseman’s outstretched glove to score Brad Klimek and give Bay Port the 3-2 WIAA Division 1 state semifinal victory at Time Warner Cable Field at Fox Cities Stadium.

“It’s what every kid dreams of; bases loaded, bottom of the seventh,” Utrie said. “You just have to ‘clutch up.’

“It was a fastball that I was a little late on and hit it down on the handle, but it was just over the second baseman’s head. It was just what we needed.”

Bay Port coach Mike Simeons had a drill just for that occasion and was glad to see if pay off in the clutch.

“It’s something we try to do with less than two outs and runners on second and third,” Simeons said. “We work on getting something up you can elevate and that’s exactly what he did. He got jammed a bit, but he muscled it up over the drawn-in infield and that’s all he had to do.”

The win gives Bay Port (25-5) the spot against Wilmot in the Division 1 title game Thursday night at 6.

“We haven’t had a team sport at Bay Port even win a silver trophy,” Simeons said. “So this is a first for the whole school not just the baseball program, so it is exciting for everybody.”

The heroics in the bottom of the seventh were needed because Middleton (21-7) came through in its half of the seventh.

Travis Martin’s double brought pinch runner Luke Meeteer around to tie the game, 2-2, which only made the bottom of the seventh sting that much more.

“It was a well-played game on both sides and it hurts for someone to have to lose, but that’s how it works in this game,” Middleton coach Tom Schmitt said. “I told them there was nothing I could say to take the sting away because (we’re) as good as any team up here.”

The game was played in rain from about the second inning on, but didn’t become heavy until late in the game when Diamond Dry was put in the batter’s boxes and the pitcher’s mound.

But both teams said afterward it didn’t play a factor in the game that was well-played on both sides.

“I’ll remember this for the rest of my life and I know all these guys will, too,” Utrie said.

FULL GAME STATS