SHAWNEE TOWNSHIP -- Closing games is Kyle Heyne's job.
    On Saturday, he was given the ball as the starter and closed out the Lima Locos' championship hopes.
    Heyne (Coldwater High School, Ball State) threw eight innings to lift Grand Lake to a 4-2 victory over the Locos that clinched the Great Lakes Collegiate League championship at Shawnee High School. The victory came in the winner-take-all championship game in the double-elimination tournament.
    It marks Grand Lake's third GLCL championship. The Mariners won titles in 1994 and 1997.
    The Locos (4-2 GLCL playoffs) forced the final championship game by routing Grand Lake, 15-0, in the early game Saturday. Locos right-hander John Frawley (North Florida) threw six shutout innings.
    "There's nothing negative I can say about this ballclub," Locos coach Rob Livchak said of his teams' runner-up finish. "They've listened and they've learned and they love playing the game. I love being around them and I've going to miss them when they leave."
    The side-arming Heyne gave up eight hits and two runs, one earned, in his eight innings to earn the victory. He used his fastball and slider and struck out four and walked two. He threw 121 pitches, 81 for strikes.
    Heyne had a win and two saves in the tournament and was named the most valuable player.
    Grand Lake grabbed the lead to stay, 2-1, in the sixth when Adam Abraham (Michigan) launched a tape-measure home run to left.
    "I started about a week ago (his only start in the summer). I can handle starting," Heyne said. "I'd rather start, but closing is a lot more fun with the adrenaline rush. When I start, I don't go out there trying to strike out guys like I do when I close. I just go out and work my sinker and try to get ground balls and get guys out."
    Heyne did that for eight innings.
    But in the ninth, he was clearly tiring.
    With the Locos trailing 4-2 entering the home ninth, Bryan Bonner and Martin Baker singled to put runners on first and second.
    Exit Heyne. Enter Abraham.
    Sean Boley put down a bunt, but Abraham flew off the mound and threw to third to get the force.
    Abraham then closed it out for the save by getting Evan Armitage to bounce out on a fielder's choice to second and getting Travis Jones popped up to short to end it.
    Heyne finished the regular season for the Mariners with three saves and a 0.68 earned-run average over 26 1/3 innings. He had 12 appearances, one start.
    "To start the day, we were going to have a committee," saod acting Grand Lake head coach C.J. Webb, who was taking over for coach Scott French, who had a commitment in California. "We wanted to win the first game and we had a couple of guys like Heyne and Abraham who were going to throw the first game. But, as the game started to progress, we started to realize it was getting more out of reach, so I saved him for game two. I talked to Heyne and he said he'd probably be good for three or four innings.
    "So every inning I kept asking him, �How do you feel?' And he said, 'I feel good. Keep letting me go out there.' And I did."
    Locos shortstop Jacob Robbins said, "Their pitcher did a great job. We battled throughout the game and battled throughout this whole tournament. We just came up a little short."
    Livchak said, "Heyne threw a good ballgame. You have to give that young man credit, being a closer all year. I don't know how many innings he threw this year, but he put together eight good ones tonight and I have to tip my hat to him."
    Locos right-hander Chris Rubio (Dayton) started the championship game on one-days' rest. Rubio posted a 5-3 victory over Cincinnati on Thursday. In that game, he went six innings.
    Rubio went 2 1/3 innings and gave up one run on one hit.
    Grand Lake took a 1-0 lead in the top of the second on a solo home run over the left-field fence by Dock Doyle.
    With the Mariners leading 1-0 in the home third, Drew Hoisington sent a parachute single to right-center field with runners on first and second with one out. Travis Jones tried to score from second on the hit, but was gunned out at the plate on a throw from right fielder Abraham.
    The Locos tied the game at 1 in the fourth on an RBI double by Boley over a leaping Abraham in right.
    Grand Lake added two runs in the seventh. The Locos got within 4-2 in the seventh on an RBI single to center by Jones.
    "It was a great summer and a fun summer for me," Robbins said.
    Jones added, "It was fun (this summer). Everything was there. It would have been that much better if we had pulled it off."
    Locos 15, Grand Lake 0

In the first game of the day, Frawley came back on two days' rest to throw six shutout innings. He gave up three hits, struck out two and walked none. That was coming off an eight-inning 11-2 victory over Lake Erie on Wednesday. In two starts for the tournament, Frawley gave up two runs in 14 innings. He struck out eight and walked one.
    Drew Hoisington went 2-for-5 with a home run with four RBIs. Travis Fultz went 3-for-3 with a double and three RBIs. Martin Baker went 3-for-6. Eric Severson went 3-for-4 with a home run and two RBIs.

    LOCOS NOTES: This was Grand Lake's sixth trip to the GLCL finals. It was the Locos' fourth trip, winning in 1993 and 2004. The Locos lost to Grand Lake in the 1997 finals.
    Locos shortstop Jacob Robbins entered Saturday with 13 hits in 18 at-bats for the tournament. He finished going 13-for-24. Bryan Bonner went 11-for-24 for the tourney. Travis Fultz drove in 12 runs.