The District 5, Major Little League Baseball Tournament will ramp up the intensity on Friday when State College and Bellefonte meet in the winners’ bracket finals.
Both teams are 2-0 so far in the playoffs and will go head-to-head at 6 p.m. in Bellefonte with the winner advancing to the district finals on Wednesday, July 7.
Since the tournament is double-elimination, the losing team will play in the lower bracket final with a chance to set up a rematch.
As of June 30, Moshannon Valley, Four Leaf, Clearfield, and Bald Eagle Area are still alive in the Losers’ Bracket.
State College began play with a 13-0 victory over Four Leaf on June 24 and then took on Clearfield on June 28 in the quarterfinals.
Despite a big 6-run, second-inning rally by Clearfield, State College banged out 10 hits and eventually overcame Clearfield, 13-7.
Bellefonte opened in Philipsburg and collected 17 hits — including two home runs — in an 18-2, five-inning victory over P-O.
The game was competitive until the fifth inning when Bellefonte erupted for 11 runs and put things out of reach.
Then on June 28 at home, Bellefonte broke open a tight pitching duel with four runs in the top of the sixth inning and outlasted Moshannon Valley, 6-0.
Bellefonte led just 2-0 after five innings, but then two hits, two walks, and three MoValley errors led to four runs and a trip to the winners’ bracket final.
Braedon Fortney led the Bellefonte offense with three hits, and Zach Lehman chipped in with two hits and two runs scored.
In the losers’ bracket, Four Leaf will play MoValley and Clearfield will take on Bald Eagle Area.
The two winners will play on Friday, July 2, and that team will play the loser of the SC, Bellefonte game in the losers’ bracket final.
The winner of the losers’ bracket will have to beat the winners’ bracket champion twice to claim the District 5 Championship and advance to the Regional Tournament.
