The Michigan Storm Maroon knew it needed to win Saturday night or it would be all over. All-Star Baseball Academy knew it would be playing in the Sandy Koufax World Series (14u) championship game Sunday – and could even think a little about next year.

The Maroon came through with a 10-7 victory over the host team at Surprise Stadium and moved on to Sunday’s 9 a.m. game against the Arrevica Warriors from Puerto Rico. The winner of that game is to play ASBA for the championship, 30 minutes after the conclusion of the first game.

“Arizona had a game to play with. We didn’t,” manager Mark McCoy said. “Usually you play better when there’s no pressure, but the pressure was on and we responded.”

Austin Collison went the distance for Michigan.

“Being from Michigan, we don’t have a lot of 100 (degree)-plus days,’’ McCoy said. “That was quite a performance.”

Once the Warriors eliminated the Owasso Rams from Oklahoma 11-3, ASBA knew it could do no worse than be in the championship game. A win would have meant that the Puerto Rico team would have to beat ASBA twice on Sunday. ASBA used all 19 of its players and pitched several 13-year-olds Saturday night with an eye on future development.

“We knew it would be good experience for the next year,’’ ASBA coach Roumaldo Romero said.

Collison tripled to drive in two runs in the third inning when the Maroon Storm blew open the game with four-run rally.  Will Jacobson, who hit a three-run homer in the second inning and drove in Collision with a single that gave the Maroon Storm an 8-3 lead.

ASBA had gotten back into the game in the top of the third. Michael Lucero -- who went 4-for-4 and raised his average for the tournament to .909 -- singled to score Brian Ebenson. Wyatt Hull doubled to score Eric Wagner. After a failed squeeze play,  Hull  scored on an error as ASBA cut the deficit to 4-3.

The Maroon Storm added two in fourth. Connor Owen singled to drive in a run and eventually scored on a sacrifice fly.

In the sixth inning. Lucero doubled to score Wagner, and Bradley Kuhlin singled to plate Lucero.

In the top of the seventh, Alec Anson triple to drive Ebenson and make it 10-7.

In the early game, Johnny Pozo Hance was the star for the Warriors. He tripled and drove in four runs the Warriors beat the Rams. Pozo Hance was 2-for-2 and upped his batting average for the tournament for .571 He also made a diving catch center field to end a Rams rally. Pedro Perez Fargas pitched a complete for the Warriors.

The Rams took a 3-1 lead in the top of the third on RBIs by Trae Bobo and Austin O’Brien. The Warriors came back with three in the bottom of the third. Kenneth Rodriguez Roman’s  two-run double was the big blow.