Plains shortstop Denny Stark makes a throw to first in Sunday’s opening inning to put out Abington’s Jerry Jordan. Fred Adams | For Times Leader DALLAS TWP. — One out. That’s all Plains needed Sunday to exit the fifth inning unscathed.
But by the time that out was recorded, Abington had done significant damage.
Jake Kwiatkowski’s grand slam capped a five-run fifth for Abington — with all baserunners and runs happening with two outs — as the District 17 champion defeated District 16 champion Plains 10-6 in a Section 5 Little League Major baseball game.
Abington will play District 31 champion Back Mountain National at 8:30 p.m. Monday in the winners bracket finals. Plains will face District 32 champion Valley View in an elimination game at 6:30 p.m. The entire tournament is at the Back Mountain Little League.
“The kids knew coming in we were underdogs,” Plains manager Don Stark said. “They had nothing to lose. We’ve had nothing to lose the entire postseason, so I think they will bounce back. They will play with fire tomorrow.”
Plains led 6-5 and recorded two quick outs to start the fifth. Then Abington’s Henry Hillebrand singled up the middle, Brady Nalevenko walked and Kevin Conaboy was hit by a pitch to load the bases.
Jerry Jordan kept the inning alive by legging out an RBI infield single to tie the score. Kwiatkowski followed with a grand slam to left for a 10-6 lead. Kwiatkowski had a solo homer in the third that hit off a vehicle searching for a parking space and cut the deficit to 6-5.
(Jordan) did a fantastic job,” Abington manager John Kwiatkowski said. “He got down the line quick and that set the table for our No. 2 hitter (Jake Kwiatkowski). He had to do everything he could to hang back on that pitch. It was a curveball and he got all of it.”
Plains scored all its runs in the second inning. Bennett Tommaselli and Ashton Dutter walked and Jacob Antolik hit an infield single to load the bases with no outs. Jayce Miller walked to force in a run and two outs later Will McKeown hit a two-run double to left-center field. Another bases-loaded walk, this one to Braedon Hollingshead, brought home another run before Brayden Tarnalicki capped the inning with a two-run single down the left field line.
Plains, though, had just three baserunners over the final four innings. Landon Havard opened the third with a single, Alex Dutter walked with two outs in the fourth and Hollingshead singled with an out in the fifth. None of them advanced past first base.
Section 5 Major Baseball
Abington 10, Plains 6
Abington`AB`R`H`BI
Jordan 2b`3`1`1`1
Kwiatkowski ss`3`2`2`5
Thomas 1b`3`0`0`0
Wilson p`3`1`3`0
Volchoff eh`2`1`1`0
Spanish rf`3`0`0`0
Goldberg 3b`3`0`1`1
McIntyre c`3`0`0`0
Donohue cf`2`0`0`0
Hillebrand eh`2`2`2`0
Nalevenko lf`2`2`1`0
Conaboy eh`1`1`0`0
Totals`30`10`11`7
Plains`AB`R`H`BI
McKeown 2b`2`1`1`2
Stark ss`2`1`1`0
Hollingshead 1b`2`0`1`1
Tarnalicki p`2`0`1`2
Vincente-Sanchez cf`3`0`0`0
Havard c`3`0`1`0
Tommaselli lf`2`1`0`0
As.Dutter 3b`1`1`0`0
Antolik rf`2`1`1`0
Miller eh`1`1`0`0
Paulino eh`2`0`0`0
Al.Dutter eh`1`0`0`0
Totals`23`6`6`5
Abington`023`050 — 10
Plains`060`000 — 6
2B — Wilson 2, Hillebrand. HR — Kwiatkowski 2.
Abington`IP`H`R`ER`BB`SO
Wilson`1.0`2`3`3`3`3
Goldberg`2.2`3`3`3`4`2
Jordan (W)`2.1`1`0`0`1`2
Plains`IP`H`R`ER`BB`SO
Tarnalicki`2.0`4`4`4`1`2
Hollingshead (L)`2.2`3`3`3`1`3
Stark`0.2`4`3`3`0`0
Vincente-Sanchez`0.2`0`0`0`0`0
Most Popular
Comments / 0