Valley Sports ReportATHENS — Athens scored four runs in the top of the sixth inning to break open a tie game, and four more in the seventh to put away a 12-6 win over Southern Tioga-Brant in the consolation bracket finals of the District 15 Little League Juniors Division baseball playoffs here on a scorching hot Monday evening.
Athens advances to championship round against Southern Tioga-Breon in the double-elimination tournament. The game is set for Wednesday at Athens.
ST-Breon, which beat Athens 11-1 in the winner's bracket finals, needs one win to advance to Regionals, while Athens needs two wins.
Athens, playing as the visiting team, took a 2-0 lead with runs in the top of the first and second inning, but ST-Brant answered with a run in the bottom of the second, and three more in the third to take a 4-2 lead.
Athens tied the game at 4-4 with a pair of runs in the top of the fifth inning on a two-out, two-run single by Brady Boor.
In the sixth, Anthony Johnson singled, stole second base, and scored on an RBI single by Evan Westerfield to give Athens the lead for good at 5-4.
Emmitt Kingsley closed out the four-run rally with a two-out RBI single to make it 8-4.
Athens added some insurance in the seventh inning with four more runs in a rally that featured a two-run single by Anthony Johnson, and a two-RBI single by Westerfield.
Anthony Johnson stroked three singles, scored two runs, and drove in one run to pace Athens' 11-hit attack, while Westerfield singled twice, scored twice, and had three RBI, and Kingsley singled twice, scored one run, and drove in one run.
Cooper Hugo and Kenson Hugo each singled and scored two runs in the win, while Wes Alderfer doubled and scored one run, Boor singled and knocked in two runs, Elijah Delancey drove in one run, and Brad Shores and Cam Johnson each crossed the plate once.
Anthony Johnson had the best turn on the mound, striking out three and walking one in 2 2/3 innings of one-hit relief.
Alderfer earned the win, allowing two runs on two hits, while striking out three and walking one in 1 1/3 innings of relief.
