The Abington Little League 11-year-old, all-stars finished fourth in the state after going 2-2 in the Pennsylvania Little League Baseball 9-11-year-old tournament in Hermitage July 20-26.
Abington reached the elimination bracket semifinal by coming back from its first loss to defeat DuBois, 9-8, July 23. It was eliminated the next day with a 15-0 loss to Aston-Middleton.
Against DuBois, Abington opened an 8-0 lead after three innings, then withstood a seven-run rally in the last inning, the top of the sixth, to escape with the win.
Evan Gonzalez went 2-for-3 with a walk and two runs scored from the leadoff spot for Abington.
Raphael Thomas and Teddy Pietryka each had a double and two RBI.
Reese Zalewski and Harshal Patel each had a hit, run and RBI.
Abington scored three times in the first, three in the second and two in the third.
Gonzalez, Zalewski and Patel started the first with singles to load the bases with none out. Gonzalez opened the scoring on a passed ball with Thomas at the plate and one out.
Thomas then doubled in two runs.
Chase Durkin led off the second with a walk, went to second on a wild pitch, stole third and scored on Pietryka’s double.
Two errors helped Abington extend the three-run inning and Zalewski added a sacrifice fly.
Matthew Boyd started the third with a single and Jordan Shaffer walked.
Noah Kayal sacrificed both runners into scoring position.
Pietryka drove in one run on a groundout and Gonzalez singled in another with two out.
DuBois and Abington each scored once in the fifth inning.
Kayal singled and scored on a Patel sacrifice fly.
DuBois scored seven times in the sixth inning and had runners on the corners before Boyd made a catch in left field to end the game.
Shaffer started on the mound and worked 3 2/3 scoreless innings while Abington was building its lead. Shaffer gave up just two hits and did not walk a batter while striking out four.
Seamus Kelly got the final out in relief.
Aston-Middletown scored in each inning to end the elimination bracket semifinal in four innings. It had four runs in the first inning, two in the second, five in the third and four in the fourth.
Kelly had a double for the only Abington extra-base hit. Gonzalez had a single and Zalewski drew a walk as the other Abington base runners.
