GLENBURN TWP. — Abington bounced back from an opening loss to reach the championship game, but a second straight loss to Greater Pittston Township forced it to settle for second place in the Section 5 Minor Little League Baseball Tournament that it hosted at Ackerly Field.
Rocco Skula held Abington to one hit over the first 3 2/3 innings July 15 and GPT held on for the championship with a 6-4 victory.
Abington would have needed two straight victories over GPT to take the title after climbing out of the elimination bracket.
GPT scored four runs in the bottom of the fourth for a 6-1 lead before Abington answered with three in the fifth to make things interesting.
Timmy Deschaine had two hits and an RBI to lead the Abington offense.
Abington 20, Carbino Club/Archbald 4
David Kalechitz went 4-for-4 with four RBI and three runs scored as Abington earned its title shot with the July 14 five-inning rout of Carbino Club/Archbald in the elimination bracket final.
Abington took the lead with a nine-run top of the second and invoked the Mercy Rule with the help of eight runs in the fifth.
Timmy Deschaine went 2-for-3 with a home run, three RBI and two runs.
Jake McCormack, who tripled, and Jordan Schoenberg, also dorve in three runs.
Julian Armezzani went 2-for-2 with a double and two runs scored.
Connor Mitchell struck out two in two scoreless innings on the mound and also scored twice. Noah Troy reached base in three of four plate appearances and scored twice.
Abington 7, Greater Wyoming Area 4
Abington matched Greater Wyoming Area’s four-run, fifth-inning rally with one of its own July 13.
David Kalechitz closed the scoring with a game-winning, three-run double that allowed the hosts to defeat GWA in the first elimination br6acket game.
Noah Try held GWA to one hit in 4 2/3 innings, but GWA came up with five straight two-out singles in the fifth for a 4-3 lead.
The first four Abington batters in the bottom of the inning drew walks off two GWA pitchers, creating a tie and loading the bases.
One out later, Kalechitz ripped a line drive through the gap in right-center field, clearing the bases.
“David’s been just a tremendous player for us all year,” Abington manager Justin Tunis said. “There have been times when the ball has been put in his hands whether he’s on the mound or at the plate and he’s always come through for us.”
Kalechitz finished 2-for-2.
Greater Pittston Township 15, Abington 14
Greater Pittston Township scored six times in the top of the first inning of the July 12 tournament opener and a series of Abington comebacks ultimately fell short.
After building the lead as high as eight, GPT escaped a bases-loaded jam for the game’s final out.
The six-run first was the result of three singles, a costly Abington error and some aggressive GPT baserunning.
GPT pushed the lead to 12-4 in the third.
Abington made things interesting with five runs in the fifth and four runs in the sixth as well as stranding five runners.
Doubles by Kaysen Simmons and Basile produced three GPT runs in between for the needed insurance.
Stephen Strauch drove in three runs, Jack Keeler had two runs and two hits and Connor Mitchell had a homer and single for Abington.
Elliot Karam, who tripled, and Jake McCormack each had two hits and two runs scored.
Abington 6, Moosic 5
Abington scored four runs in the bottom of the sixth inning July 5 to pull out a victory over Moosic to complete an unbeaten run through the District 17 tournament.
Timmy Deschaine’s one-out double drove in the tying and winning runs.
Deschaine’s hit followed a David Kalechitz run-scoring single and capped a four-run rally.
Julian Armezzani and Deschaine each had two hits.
Noah Troy struck out two while pitching 1 2/3 hitless, scoreless innings.
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