PORTLAND – As one of the wild card teams entering district and state action, The Dalles 10U Little League team made believers out of a lot of people. With a group of seven 10-year olds and six 9-year olds, and only three players with previous all-star experience, The Dalles captured a District 5 title and wound up with a 2-2 record at the Oregon State Championships for fourth place honors.

With two weeks to soak in the moment of capturing a District 5 title, The Dalles’ 10U Little League All Stars embark on another journey – the Oregon State Championships starting this Saturday at Erv Lind Field in Portland with a start time set at 6 p.m. against the District 1 winners.

Avery Schwartz went 5 for 5 with three runs scored, Nolan Cates allowed one run in three innings of relief with four strikeouts in The Dalles’ 9-5 triumph Saturday in the 10U District 5 Little League championship played in Redmond.