DISTRICT 15 LITTLE LEAGUE (MINORS): ATHENS ADVANCES TO WINNER'S BRACKET FINALS WITH 11-1 WIN OVER SUSQUEHANNA AREA (21 PHOTOS) (2019-07-02)
Valley Sports ReportATHENS - Duncan Thetga fired a two-hitter, and the offense scored in every inning to lift Athens to an 11-1 five-inning win over Susquehanna Area here Tuesday evening in the semifinals of the District 15 Little League baseball playoffs.
Athens advances to the winner's bracket finals Sunday afternoon against winner of Towanda-Wellsboro game.
Thetga allowed an unearned run, while striking out 13 and walking none in the complete-game five-inning performance. He threw just 68 pitches.
Athens took a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first on a bases-loaded fielding error by Susquehanna Area that allowed Kamdyn Wheeler and Sam Cheresnowsky, who each reached via base on balls, to score.
Kamdyn Wheeler stroked a two-out single in the second inning for Athens' first hit of the game, moved to third base on a pair of passed ball, and scored on an error to make it 3-0.
Thetga, who struck out the side for the second inning in a row in the top of the third, led off the home half of the frame with a single, advanced to second on an outfield miscue on the play, and later scored on an error to make it 4-0.
Eli Hicks re-ignited the rally with a single, stole second base, and scored on a pair of passed balls to extend the lead to 5-0.
Susquehanna Area got on the board in the fourth inning on a two-out error and a double to cut the deficit to 5-1, but Athens answered with three runs - on an RBI double by Connor Davidson, and back-to-back RBI singles by Alex McQuay and Hicks - to extend the lead to 8-1.
Athens finished off the game in the fifth inning, scoring three runs without the benefit of a hit to win the game via the 10-run "mercy" rule.
Hicks singled twice, scored one run, and drove in one run, and Davidson doubled, scored two runs, and drove in two runs to pace Athens' six-hit attack, while McQuay singled, scored one run, and had four RBI.
Wheeler singled and scored two runs in the win, while Thetga singled and scored one run, Cheresnowsky scored a pair of runs, and drove in one run, and Graham Wanck and Zach Fisher act scored one run.
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IN PHOTO 1: Athens' Duncan Thetga. ... PHOTOS COURTESY OF MATT PATTON.
