Morrisville spoiled Abington’s hopes for a perfect season in 8-10-year-old Little League Baseball on the final day of July.
Abington turned around and ruined Morrisville’s dreams of a state championship on the first day of August.
Abington downed Morrisville in the winner-take-all championship game, 4-2, at the West Point Little League Field in the Pittsburgh suburb of Greensburg.
By going undefeated through district tournament, sectional tournament and the winners’ bracket of the state tournament, Abington gave itself two shots to beat Morrisville for a second time to take the title.
That extra chance proved necessary when Morrisville rallied for four runs in the sixth and final inning of the potential clincher, defeating Abington, 5-3, and denying the team a chance to celebrate a day earlier.
Abington had won the first of three meetings between the teams in the winners’ bracket final.
The 6-3 victory on July 29 earned Abington a chance to rest its pitchers for a day while Morrisville fought back through the elimination bracket final.
Jake Kwiatkowski went 4-for-4 with a home run in the winners’ bracket final. Shane Goldberg, who tripled, and Brady Nalevanko added two hits each.
Goldberg also supported the effort of starting and winning pitcher Jerry Jordan. After Jordan held Morrisville to three runs and four hits through five innings, Goldberg came on to get the save by working a scoreless sixth.
Abington opened the state tournament with a 14-4, five-inning victory over West Side, then shut out Hermitage, 4-0.
Jordan also got the win in the tournament opener when he held West Side to two runs on four hits for three innings.
Abington bashed 18 hits in the game, including multiple hits by Max Vazquez, Goldberg, Gabriel Thomas and Kwiatkowski.
Kwiatkowski got the win and Daniel Spanish the save in the winners’ bracket semifinal shutout. Kwiatkowski struck out nine in four innings.
Spanish also had a double and single.
John Kwiatkowski managed the team with Tom Hillebrand and Jerry Jordan serving as coaches.
The rest of the roster included: Dylan Lyle, Ethan Fanning, Henry Hillebrand, Jaxson Hizny, Patrick Donohue and Patrick Keeler.
Abington also won the 8-10-year-old title on the district level in 2021.
