THUNDER BAY -- Jack Pineau says he`s been dreaming of a trip to nationals all his life – all dozen years of it.

The wait is over.

The 12-year-old helped his own cause on Wednesday night at George Burke Park, crushing a three-run home run in the first inning and striking out nine in 4.2 innings on the mound, leading the Port Arthur Nationals to a 9-4 win over the High Park Braves to win the Ontario Little League Major Provincials and a spot at the Canadian championship next week in Vancouver.

It’s the first time in 34 years a Thunder Bay team captured the provincial crown, which puts them one step – and several wins – from a spot at the Little League World Series in Williamsport, Penn.

“It feels pretty good because I’ve tried all my life and I finally got there,” said the youngster, whose father Dave heads the Superior Secondary Schools Athletic Association.

It’s a game the Nationals, who dropped a 5-4 decision to the Toronto-based Braves on Monday to close out round-robin play, were in control of from start to finish.

Pineau’s blast gave them all the confidence the team needed, said coach Tony Lachimea.

“It set the tone,” he said.

They’d add one more in the first, an error on a Ewan Menard grounder allowing Mike Danchuk to score the Nats fourth run of the inning off High Park starter Max Zentil.

With Pineau chugging along tossing shutout ball for two innings, Liam Willmore added to the Port Arthur lead in the third, driving in a run with an infield roller that made it 5-0.

The Braves, winners of four of the past five Ontario Little League titles, got one back in the third, Nolan Pridmore scorching a single to left that plated Myles Wall.

The Nationals answered right back, Danchuk singling home Evan Lachimea, who took second on a ball in the dirt and brazenly stole third.

Pineau retired two of the first three batters he faced in the fifth, but ran into trouble, loading the bases with walk and a hit batsman. A two-run double by High Park’s Matt Reynolds ended his night on the mound, Lachimea turning to Willmore out of the pen.

The youngster, the hero of Tuesday’s semifinal win, needed just one pitch to get out of the jam, but after his team scored three more in the sixth to go up 9-3, the nerves kicked in. Willmore walked three straight batters before being lifted for closer Porter Jorgenson.

Jorgenson had command of the strike zone, set aside the first two batters and, after an RBI single closed the gap to five, induced a grounder to short to secure the championship.

“I was fairly calm because I knew we had a fairly big lead, 9-3 or something,” the 12-year-old Jorgenson said.

“I just knew I had to come in and throw good for my team. I know I have a good defence who can handle a lot. If I put something on the ground I know they’ll get me an out.”

Manager Tony Lachimea, who guaranteed a win, said he took a lot of heat for his statement, but stands by it.

“I just felt we played good,” he said.

“We battled hard and what can you say about Jack Pineau tonight and Liam Willmore and Porter Jorgenson?”

Port Arthur opens the Canadian Little League Championship on Aug. 4 against Alberta.

THUNDER BAY -- Liam Willmore made the most of limited playing time Tuesday night.

The Port Arthur Nationals right-fielder, who pinch hit and drew a two-out walk in the fourth inning, slammed a game-winning two-out, two-run single to right in the fifth to lead the local favourites into Wednesday night’s final at the Ontario Little League Major Provincials against the High Park Braves.

Then, with the South Ottawa Blues threatening, loading the bases with one out in the bottom of the fifth, the 12-year-old Willmore snagged a line drive off Jack Matsukubo’s bat and gunned a throw to first that doubled off Aidan Suri to quell the threat.

The Nationals would hold on for a 5-4 win, Alex Gautier setting the side down in order to set up a rematch with the powerful Braves, who edged Port Arthur by a single run in round-robin play on Monday.

“That at bat I was thinking I’ve just got to get that run in somehow – just get a walk or I could get a nice base hit and drive in two runs. I couldn’t ask for more,” he said.

Willmore said he wasn’t necessarily thinking of doubling off the runner at first, he just wanted to make sure the runner on third didn’t advance to tie the game 5-5 if a fly ball came his direction.

“I thought I’ve got to catch the ball in the air and throw out any runners that were running or had already left,” he said, adding he expected Suri to tag up and then head for second.

“It came to me and I made the play. Most of the guys on this team would have made that play.”

It was a comeback win for the Nationals, who gave up four runs in the second under unusual circumstances.

Reliever Mike Danchuk allowed the first two runners to reach, retired the next two batters and appeared to get out of trouble when No. 9 hitter Nathan Cook grounded weakly to second. But the home-plate umpire ruled catcher’s interference and the bases were loaded.

Giving the Blues an extra out proved costly. 

Leadoff hitter Caleb Davis walked to tie the game 1-1, Jeremy Oliver following with a two-run single. Matty McCaw added another run off Gautier, who took over after Oliver’s hit, to put Ottawa up 4-1 after two.

Gautier then set the Blues down in order in the third and fourth, the Nationals adding a run on an errant throw to the pitcher that allowed Kohl Johnson to race home from third with Port Arthur’s second run.

Gautier, who struck out five to earn the victory -- and also scored the winning run -- said the team is pretty pumped.

“I think we can beat High Park and it feels good,” he said.

“I didn’t feel like I was throwing very hard, but I stayed in there and got the win.”

The youngster, who played for the Nationals a year ago as an 11-year-old, said they tried to ignore the scoreboard in the early going.

“I knew we were going to score more than one run, so we felt confident,” he said.

The final is scheduled for 6 p.m. on Wednesday at George Burke Park.