Luke Denman and Jarrett McDonald both went 3-for-3 as Morehouse National upended West Monroe North 13-6 Saturday evening in the District 5 Rookie League Tournament at Carter Park.

With the victory, Morehouse advanced to the championship game against West Monroe East and secured a spot in the State Tournament (the top two teams from district advance to state).

West Monroe North will play in a round robin Sunday at Carter Park, with the winner earning a wildcard bid to the State Tournament in DeRidder.

Trailing 2-1 in Saturday’s early game, Morehouse tallied three runs in the bottom of the second and never relinquished the lead.

Gage Riles scorched a one-out triple to right field and scored the tying run when Jacob Farrar unloaded a double to deep left-center. Grant Girtman singled Jacob Farrar across to put the Nationals up 3-2. After Brayden Spigner singled and Patrayvious Johnson hit into a force play, A.J. Fenceroy chased Spigner across with a base hit over the second base bag.

North closed the gap to 4-3 with a run in the top of the third.

Cayden Pierce lined a leadoff single down the first base line, Tanner Zordan legged out an infield single and Garrett Kahmann grounded into a fielder’s choice, leaving runners at the corners with only one out. Luke Farrar singled to bring the North within a run, before the Nationals retired the side on a line drive to third baseman McDonald and a fielder’s choice grounder to shortstop Denman.

Morehouse seized control of the game with a five-spot in the third.

Base hits by Denman and Austin Carroll set the table for McDonald’s two-run single to left-center. McDonald advanced to third on cleanup batter Cadge Wallace’s safety to left-center — the Nationals’ fourth consecutive single — and scored on a throwing error.

With one down, Danny Hill singled and Gage Riles hit into a force play, erasing Wallace at third base. Jacob Farrar and Girtman both collected their second RBIs of the day with back-to-back singles, pushing the Morehouse lead to 9-3.

Continuing to battle, North put three runs on the board in the fourth.

Caleb Crockett led off with a triple and was awarded home when the throw to third sailed into the dead ball area.

Brodie Graham singled to left with one away. One out later, Daniel Hawthorne cracked an RBI double to left and Tucker Moore delivered an RBI single to draw the North within 9-6.

Morehouse replied with four in its half of the fourth.

Singles by Johnson and Layton Rainbolt left runners at first and second with one out for the top of the lineup. Denman’s shot just inside the left field line went for a double, driving both runners across. Carroll followed with an opposite field triple to right and scored on McDonald’s base knock, enabling Morehouse to carry a comfortable 13-6 lead into the final frame.

Morehouse retired the side in order in the top of the fifth to punch its ticket to DeRidder.

Tanner Zordan led off the game with a base hit to left, but Fenceroy made a shoestring catch in left-center for the first out to help the Nationals hold the North scoreless.

Doubles by Denman and McDonald helped the Nationals grab a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first.

WMN went up 2-1 in the second.

Austin Acree, Crockett, Zach Lenard and Brodie Graham singled to start the inning, tying the game with the bases loaded and still only one out. Tucker Moore’s two-out single briefly gave North the lead.

Twelve different batters contributed to the Nationals’ 19-hit production. Denman thumped two doubles and a single and scored three runs from the leadoff slot. McDonald contributed a double, two singles and four ribbies. Carroll clubbed a triple and single, Jacob Farrar doubled and singled, Girtman singled twice, Riles tripled and Wallace, Danny Hill, Spigner, Johnson, Fenceroy and Rainbolt singled.

Crockett spearheaded the North’s 13-hit attack with a triple and single, Zordan, Graham and Moore popped two singles, Hawthorne doubled and Luke Farrar, Acree, Lenard and Pierce singled.