Sports

1 Down, 2 to Go

The junior level of Upper Moreland Little League defeated Gettysburg in the team's first of three games leading up to Sunday's state championship.

Upper Moreland Little League's junior level team came a game closer to becoming state champs Thursday with a crushing defeat over Gettysburg.

Upper Moreland won 22-5 in the game, which was played at Cranberry Little League Field in Seneca.

When reached Thursday afternoon, coach Mike Searles was still overwhelmed by the huge win.

"There's an awful lot that happened," Searles said. "We had 22 runs on 20 hits."

Casey Decker led with 4 RBIs; followed by Jon Searles and Nick DeLucas with 3 each.

Searles said the team, which batted in three of five innings, played great all around. 

"By the end of the game we were starting to tell our kids just swing at anything," Searles said. "You really don’t want to embarrass them. You want to be a sport about it."

Searles touted good pitching from winning pitcher Dan Howald, as well as Spencer Berwick and Jon Searles. 

Thursday's game was the first of three leading up to Sunday's state championship game. Upper Moreland will take to the field against North Pocono on Friday at 10 a.m. 

For now at least, Searles said the celebrations are being kept to a minimum. Instead, he said he wants the players to hang out, "relax and be ready for the next game." 

"If we win it all on Sunday there’ll be plenty of time for a big party after that," he said. 

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