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MERRILL -- Onalaska American Legion baseball coach Zeb Allert didn't think who would start on the mound in Tuesday's Class AA state championship game was much of a decision after Monday's 4-3 loss to Kaukauna. Allert planned on going with ace Kyle Stewart, who'd only thrown 2 1/3 innings since Friday's opening 10-9 win over Kaukauna.

But Allert ran into Jordan Guth Tuesday morning at the team's hotel when Guth told him his arm was fine after Saturday's five-plus inning outing in a 6-5 win over Beaver Dam. Allert's faith in Guth more than paid off, as the right-hander earned a complete-game win in Onalaska's 11-1, six-inning win in a third tournament meeting with Kaukauna.

“He came to me and wanted to pitch,” Allert said. “I was planning on going with Kyle and Brandon (Rude), but he said his arm was good.

“I just wanted him to get five innings for us. But with as well as he was pitching, we let him keep going.”

Guth appeared to be cruising along after not allowing a hit to the first six hitters he faced, before three straight singles from Kaukauna's No. 7, 8 and 9 hitters got them within 3-1. But Guth did not allow another hit until a one-out single in the fifth, at which point the Legion had broken the game open. Guth, and tournament Most Valuable Player and catcher Andy Mills ended the tournament in classic fashion with a looking strikeout.

“Pitching on that short (two days) a rest is something I haven't done a lot,” Guth said. “But my arm usually recovers pretty quickly.”

Onalaska never trailed after a Jerry Rank three-run home run in the top of the first after singles from Tyler Adams and Jordan Tredinnick. Rank joined Mills on the all-tournament team.

“It was a hanging breaking ball about waist-high,” Rank said of the home-run pitch. “I was licking my chops waiting for it.”

The championship provides a measure of atonement for Guth, Rank, Tredinnick, second baseman Mason Sedlacek and center fielder A.J. Mick. All were key players on Onalaska High School's 2007-08 hockey team, which saw an undefeated season end two games before the state tournament.

“JT (Tredinnick) and I talked between the title games at the regional about not going out like we did in hockey,” Rank said. “We completed the job this time.

Guth said, “I've had a great bond with our seniors both here and in hockey. It's a great way to end their careers.”

Mills helped clinch the MVP honors with a bases-clearing double to left in a seven-run fifth gave the Legion a 9-1 lead. Rude, pinch hitter Zak Knutson and Mick also had RBI singles earlier in the rally, with Adams following Mills with another RBI single.

“It's been a heck of a roller-coaster ride,” Mills said. “We thought Kaukauna was the better of the two teams we might see tonight (Merrill).

“They snuck one out on us once and almost snuck another one out on us. We needed to bury them early, which we did.”

Onalaska brought the 10-run rule into play when Rank doubled, moved to third when Kyle Stewart reached on a dropped fly ball and scored on Rude's second RBI of the game in the sixth. But the Mills double seemed to remove doubt about the outcome, with Mills the second hitter after Kaukauna swtiched pitchers from starter Jimmy Dercks to Garrett Dorn.

“I was a little confused after he threw me two curve balls to start,” Mills said. “But the 2-0 pitch was right down Main Street. It was just like the big double I had in the regional final.”

Mills and Allert are the team's connections to the 2004 state champion. Mills was promoted to the varsity from the Junior Legion due to a player shortage that season and never looked back. Allert was the assistant coach on the 2004 team, but also made a lot of the game decisions at state that year due to work commitments for then-head coach Sean Gavagahn.

“Both team had big hitters, so they're similar in that sense,” Mills said. “But this team is a lot looser in tight spots.

“That team pressed when they knew what was at stake. To this team big games were just another game.”

Allert said, “That first one can never be replaced. That was my first state experience in anything. So it's not necessarily better, but this one is definitely different.”

Also all-tournament were Adams, Stewart and Tredinnick.