MICHAEL PISTELLA Hancock 11-12 year-old All-Star Hunter Bontrager waits to go back on the field during his team’s District 9 Tournament loss to South Fort Myers Thursday night. Bontrager pitched a five-inning complete game. More photos are available online at: cu.cape-coral-daily-breeze.com.

Watching both teams after their game Thursday at Fleishman Park, it appeared they had just finished a regular season game in March instead of the District 9 Little League Tournament championship game in the 11-12-year-old division.

South Fort Myers, which had just shut out Hancock 9-0, shook hands as if it was just another win.

Hancock players shed a few tears, but their worlds weren’t exactly rocked, even managing to laugh a little after head coach Michael Pac made a snide remark.

A little flat after its emotional win over Cape Coral American the previous night, Hancock was hit early and often by South Fort Myers, which hit three home runs. South pitcher Donovan Duvall stymied Hancock’s bats in a four-hit shutout.

“We didn’t show up,” Pac said with a laugh. “We were a flat team and we didn’t hit the ball against a great team. That’s how it is.”

MICHAEL PISTELLA Hancock 11-12 year-old All-Star Nick Lamoureux (7) smacks a single to left field Thursday night in the championship game of the District 9 Little League Tournament at Fleishman Park. Hancock lost to South Fort Myers 9-0. More photos are available online at: cu.cape-coral-daily-breeze.com.

Duvall allowed only one walk and struck out six, with some great defense thrown in, including a play at the plate that derailed Hancock’s only chance to get back in the game.

He also benefitted by pitching with a lead. Gus Cunningham led off the bottom of the first with a towering home run into left-center off Hancock starter Hunter Bontrager for a quick 1-0 lead.

The next batter, Ben Hourigan, was hit by a pitch and Mike Morris walked. After Bontrager retired the next two batters, Jack Mora smacked one over the fence to make it 4-0.

“Early in the tournament we were nervous, not aggressive. We got more confidence after the first,” South Fort Myers coach Wilson Lorenzo said.

Duvall’s only jam came in the third inning. With two out, Nick Lamoureux and Michael Pac singled. Bontrager then knocked a single to left, where Grant Boland threw a strike to catcher Giovany Lorenzo, who tagged out Lamoureux at the plate to preserve the shutout.

“In the heat of the moment, we were trying to score. If I were more in tune with the runner, I might not have sent him,” Pac said.

Duvall helped his cause in the bottom of the inning with a leadoff double. After a wild pitch, he scored on Mora’s ground ball off reliever Clayton Glover to make it 5-0.

In the fourth, Cunningham, who went 4-for-4, singled ahead of Hourigan’s two-run blast. After Morris reached on an error, Lorenzo doubled to make it 8-0.

Cunningham singled home Drew Dwyer in the fifth to end the scoring.

As for the South’s muted celebration afterward, that was part of the plan.

“We know it’s another level we have to go. Our goal is to keep going,” Lorenzo said.

“South Fort Myers is a class organization. If there was any other team out there we wanted, it was them,” Pac said.

Hancock 000 000 0 4 3

South FM 401 31x 9 11 0

W – Duvall. L – Bontrager.

2B – Duvall (SFM), Lorenzo (SFM), Dwyer (SFM). HR – Cunningham (SFM), Mora (SFM), Hourigan (SFM).