HAMMOND – The streak lives on for the Hammond Chiefs.

The Chiefs’ distinction of never having lost a game in the Senior Babe Ruth Northern Indiana state tournament was in serious jeopardy Sunday night at Riverside Park. But the hosts got a run in the seventh to send the game into extra innings and finally broke through with two runs in the ninth for a 3-1 win over the Schererville Indians in the winners’ bracket final.

Hammond (25-9), which is 82-0 all-time in this tourney, now needs one win in two games on Tuesday to capture its 18th Northern Indiana title and a berth in the Ohio Valley Regional in Dodgeville, Wis.

Schererville (21-8), which squandered bases-loaded opportunities in the seventh and eighth innings, will play at 8 tonight against the winner of a 5:30 p.m. elimination game between the LaPorte Lakers and the Kokomo D’backs. Tonight’s survivor plays the Chiefs at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday with a second game to follow if necessary.

LaPorte eliminated South Bend Clay Atlas 8-0 and Kokomo ousted the Maconaquah Braves 6-5 earlier Sunday. In the day’s first game, Maconaquah eliminated South Bend Clay I 5-3.

The Chiefs took their first lead of the game against Schererville when Tyler Sroczynski punched a single to right with the bases loaded and two out in the top of the ninth, scoring Danny DeBoer. Jeremy Briggs then scored an insurance run on a wild pitch.