SECTION 3 LITTLE LEAGUE (SENIORS): SOUTH WILLIAMSPORT BEATS ATHENS, 12-7, IN DECISIVE GAME 3 TO WIN TITLE (24 PHOTOS) (2024-07-03)
Valley Sports ReportATHENS -- Athens rallied from an early five-run deficit, but South Williamsport pulled away late for a 12-7 victory here Wednesday evening to win the best-of-three District 3 Little League Seniors Division championship series.
South Williamsport, which lost Game 1 Monday, but bounced back to win Tuesday, scored five runs in the bottom of the first inning to take a 5-1 lead.
South Williamsport was poised to blow the game open in the second inning, with the bases loaded and one out, but Athens center fielder limited the damage to one run by throwing out a runner at the plate to keep the score 6-1.
Connor Davidson led off the top of the third with a single, and Brendan Cooke and Matthias Welles followed with base on balls to load the bases.
Athens scored its first run on an error, then scored runs on back-to-back sacrifice flies by Alex McQuay, and Brady Flynn to close the gap to 6-4.
After a walk to Duncan Thetga, Hunter Vanderpoel delivered an RBI double to trim the deficit to 6-5. Athens tied the game at 6-6 on an error.
South Williamsport answered quickly, however, plating three runs in the bottom of the third inning to take a 9-6 lead.
Kamdyn Wheeler’s one-out RBI single in the top of the fourth inning closed the gap to 9-7, but Athens only managed one hit — a Cooke single in the sixth inning — the remainder of the game.
South Williamsport added two insurance runs in the fifth inning to make it 11-7, and finished the scoring with a run in the sixth.
Wheeler singled twice and had three RBI, and Davidson singled twice, stole two bases, and scored two runs to pace Athens’ six-hit attack, while Vanderpoel doubled and drove in one run, and Cooke singled and scored two runs.
Duncan and Welles each scored a run for Athens, and McQuay and Flynn each had one RBI.
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IN PHOTO 1: Athens’ Eli Hobday uncorks a throw home. IN TOP PHOTO: Athens catcher Connor Davidson tags out a runner at the plate. … PHOTOS BY TIM BIRNEY.
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