LITTLE LEAGUE: Ashland 8-10’s historic state run ends in extras
KAYLEE LINDENMUTH / SHENANDOAH SENTINEL - Ashland's #5 Conner Damiter hits during Tuesday's game.
DALLAS, Luzerne County – Ashland Little League’s second state title run in three years came to a close Tuesday in Luzerne County’s Back Mountain.
The 8-10 squad — Section 3 and District 24 champions — faced tournament host Back Mountain in the elimination portion of the double elimination bracket tournament.
Tuesday’s performance was reminiscent of their elder predecessors in 2021: if they were to go home, all would be left on the line.
Ashland opened scoring, thanks to Jax Deeter in the bottom of the 2nd and would maintain a 1-0 lead until the top of the 4th.
Back Mountain rallied to score three in the top of the 4th, and a sacrifice fly allowed Jordan Rollins to score for the Section 5 champions.
Down by three, Ashland closed the gap in the bottom of the 5th, scoring Jax Deeter, Nico Sajone, and Geno Fanelli.
Back Mountain knotted the score back up in the top of the 6th, putting Ashland in position for a walk-off that wasn’t to be.
In extra innings, Back Mountain opened up a 9-5 lead in the top of the 7th.
Ashland clawed back two of those runs before, with two outs, Ashland’s Trevor Staudenmeier sent a fly-ball sailing into midfield, into the glove of Back Mountain’s Ethan Wielgosz.
Ashland represented much of the Anthracite Region and east-central Pennsylvania and has much to be proud of in their historic accomplishments this year.
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