SECTION 3 LITTLE LEAGUE (JUNIORS): ATHENS FALLS TO INDIANA, 15-9, IN ELIMINATION GAME (24 PHOTOS) (2023-07-25)
Valley Sports ReportATHENS - Indiana raced out to an early lead, held off an Athens rally midway through the game, and posted a 15-9 win here in an elimination game Tuesday evening in the consolation bracket of the Pa. Little League Junior Baseball Section 3 championships.
Indiana opened the game with three runs in the top of the first inning, but Athens answered with a run in the home half of the inning on a lead-off double by Brendan Cooke, who later scored on a steal of home to close the gap to 3-1.
Indiana added a run in the top of the second, four more in the third inning, and led 8-1 after 3 1/2 innings.
Athens took advantage of three errors, and a walk to score two runs in the bottom of the fourth inning to trim the deficit to 8-3.
After Indiana scored twice in the top of the fifth to make it 10-3, Athens took advantage of three base on balls, an error, and two wild pitches to plate three runs, and Shaine Strickland capped the rally with a two-out single, with Cooke scampering home on a subsequent outfield error on the play, to close the gap to 10-7.
That was as close as Athens would get, however, as Indiana outscored them 3-2 in the sixth inning, and capped the scoring with two runs in the top of the seventh to provide the final margin.
Indiana outhit Athens, 12-2, in the win, as the Valley team took advantage of seven errors and nine base on balls to score its nine runs.
Cooke doubled and scored two runs, and Strickland singled and scored one run to account for Athens’ two hits, while Jake Shores scored one run and had one RBI, Sam Cheresnowsky, Zac Fisher, Kamdyn Wheeler, Hunter Vanderpool and Kade Rowe each scored one run, and Chase Gombocz, Duncan Thetga, and Brady Flynn each had one RBI.
Cooke (two strikeouts in 1 2/3 innings), Wheeler (two strikeouts in three innings), and Flynn (one strikeout in 2 1/3 innings) shared the pitching duties for Athens.
——————
PHOTOS BY MATT PATTON.
Print Friendly Version
