Baseball: With 4th place finish, Northern Lebanon Little League Completes Successful Season

After winning the Section 4 Championship, the Northern Lebanon 12u All-Stars were one of eight teams who qualified for the Pennsylvania State Little League Championship Tournament in Newville, Cumberland County. The winner of this double-elimination tournament will advance to the Regional Tournament that will be held in Bristol, Connecticut and will be televised on ESPN.

On Saturday night, Northern Lebanon saw their run come to an end with a close 4-3 loss to Greencastle. They went 2-2 in the tournament and 10-2 overall to finish 4th in the State. However, more important than wins and losses, we are attempting to chronicle the journey of these young athletes who are having fun, competing together, and making memories together. At the bottom of this page is a full roster of players and coaches that were part of this memorable experience.

Below are recaps of each of the games that Northern Lebanon played in the State Championship Tournament, with the most recent contest highlighted in green.

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For any questions, comments, or discrepancies, please reach out to dan@lebcosports.com.

Photos provided by Susan Dengler (Owlcatraz Photography)

Game 1 – Wednesday, July 24th

Northern Lebanon 3, St. Marys 0 [F/7]

McQuaide’s Blast Secures Walk-Off Victory for Northern Lebanon in State Little League Opener

Northern Lebanon opened the State Little League Tournament against St. Marys, the District 10 winner out of Elk County. The clash between these two teams was highlighted by solid defense that kept fans on the edge of their seats, something this group of NL All-Stars has made a habit of in recent weeks.

Parker Wright got the start on the mound for NL and worked out of an early jam when two St. Marys baserunners got on base, forcing a grounder to Jacob Anspach to end the 1st inning threat. St. Marys returned the favor when NL recorded two hits in their half of the 1st. This would be a trend in the game, as both teams made smart plays in the field to limit the number of runners on base.

By the 5th inning, neither team had scored, and the atmosphere became even more tense. Up for the challenge, pitchers Shelbie Fry and Nolan Anspach combined for four straight strikeouts to keep St. Marys off the board through their next two plate appearances. St. Marys used their strong defense yet again to limit NL in the Bottom 6th inning, which sent the game into extra innings.

Nolan Anspach set St. Marys down 1-2-3 in their half of the 7th. After a ground out and a fly-out to start the inning for NL, it looked like the game would be headed to the 8th inning. However, Nolan Anspach then hit a liner to center field, which resulted in a clutch double. In another defensive move by St. Marys, Isaac Good was issued an intentional to put runners on first and second to give them more options to get out of the inning. That chess move did not matter, as they then chose to pitch to the next batter, Greyson McQuaide, who connected on the first pitch of his at-bat with a line drive over the centerfield wall to walk it off in dramatic fashion.

NL had seven hits in the game, with McQuaide leading the way with a 2-3 performance that included the three-run homer that ended the game. Nolan Anspach had the team’s only other extra-base hit.

On the pitching front, four NL pitchers were used in the game, and they combined to only allow one hit. Wright pitched 3.1 innings, giving up a hit and striking out four while walking two. Good came on in relief, pitching 0.2 innings. Fry followed with 1.2 innings of her own, striking out three and facing the minimum number of batters. Nolan Anspach finished the game and was credited with the victory, pitching the final 1.1 innings where he did not allow a baserunner while striking out two.

Game 2 – Thursday, July 25th

Council Rock – Newtown 10, Northern Lebanon 0 [F/5]

Northern Lebanon Will Look to Rebound Following 1st Loss in Little League State Tournament

Thursday afternoon’s game against Newtown did not go according to plan for Northern Lebanon. The game remained close, with Newtown picking up a run in the Bottom 1st inning and then not scoring again until the half of the 4th. Unfortunately, once they pierced the armor, it led to four runs in the 4th and then five runs to walk it off in the 5th under the mercy rule.

Newtown pitchers combined for a one-hit shutout, with Nolan Anspach picking up a single to lead off the 5th to account for the lone NL hit.

Despite the final score, there were some positives. First, NL pitchers were fairly efficient with their pitches and only walked five Newtown batters while combining for six strikeouts. Additionally, NL’s fielders were not charged with any errors in the contest.

Game 3 – Friday, July 26th

Northern Lebanon 10, West Point 6 [F/8]

McQuaide Smacks Two Home Runs as Northern Lebanon’s Cardiac Kids Secure Extra-Innings Victory, Advance in State Championship Tournament

In an elimination game on Friday afternoon, Northern Lebanon suited up as the away team when they faced West Point, a team from the suburbs of Pittsburgh. Against West Point, NL once again lived up to its reputation as a team that finds victory in the most stress-inducing ways possible.

It got started with a Luke Copenhaver bunt, giving NL an early baserunner. The inning ended following a double play and a strikeout, but the aggression at the plate would become this game’s hallmark. In the Bottom 1st, Nolan Anspach took the mound for NL, and he was impressive in striking out the side following a lead-off single. After a Taven Zang NL single and Parker Wright reaching base on an error in the Top 2nd, West Point was able to make its way out unscathed. They subsequently hit a solo homer to lead off the Bottom 2nd to make the score 1-0. Nolan Anspach then worked through some nerves to keep the game at the slimmest of margins as the inning ended.

In the Bottom 3rd, West Point used a lead-off single and a two-out home run to make the score 3-0. NL was not going to go away that easily. In the Top 4th, Nolan Anspach used a lead-off single of his own to get on base prior to Greyson McQuaide’s trip into the batter’s box. McQuaide, the hero of Game 1, again used his big bat to crush the ball over the left field wall. The two-run shot cut West Point’s lead down to 3-2.

West Point would continue to hold onto the 3-2 lead as NL came to the plate in the Top 6th, marking their final chance to tie or take the lead before the clock struck midnight on their season. Copenhaver and Isaac Good both drew walks to give NL some hope. With one out, McQuaide hit a hard grounder into center and scored Copenhaver to tie the ball game. Zang then walked to load the bases. Jacob Anspach hit a liner into the center for a one-run single to make the game 4-3. McQuaide then scored on a passed ball during the next at-bat. At the end of the Top 6th, NL held a 5-3 advantage.

Winning outright would have been too easy, and to West Point’s credit, their players did not back down from the challenge. With two outs, a double followed by their third homer of the afternoon knotted the game at 5-5. Pitcher Shelbie Fry worked her way out of the inning as the game went into extras.

In the Top 7th, Brody Harding and Connor Kapp each drew walks, but NL did not score. Fry then struck out two West Point batters in the Bottom 7th to push the game into the 8th frame.

In the Top 8th, Nolan Anspach singled to lead off, scoring Copenhaver, who stood at second base to start the inning, to give NL the 6-5 lead. Isaac Good was then hit by a pitch. With two runners on, McQuaide again went yard for the second time in the game. The three-run shot gave NL the 9-5 lead. After two outs, NL then hit three straight singles to load the bases before Nate Marley was hit by a pitch that resulted in Jacob Anspach crossing home to make the score 10-5.

West Point went on to score a run in the Bottom 8th, but solid defense, along with strong pitching by Fry and Good slammed the door on the attempted rally.

McQuaide was the main thrust in NL’s offensive effort as he went 3-4 with two home runs, along with a run-scoring single, that resulted in 6 RBI. Nolan Anspach who had the game-winning RBI with his single in the 8th inning went 2-4 and scored twice. Jacob Anspach joined his brother going 2-4 with an RBI.

On the mound, Nolan Anspach pitched five innings, giving up three runs, five hits, while striking out seven and not walking any batters. Fry pitched 2.2 innings and gave up three runs (two earned) on five hits while striking out two and walking two. Good came into the game to record the final out.

Game 4 – Saturday, July 27th

Greencastle 4, Northern Lebanon 3

After a thrilling eight-inning victory on Friday evening, the Northern Lebanon All-Stars were back in action on Saturday as they played to keep their season alive when they faced their counterparts from Greencastle.

NL turned to Isaac Good to serve as the starting pitcher. He got off to a hot start, striking out the side in the Top 1st after surrendering a leadoff single. In the Bottom 1st, Good helped his own cause by putting NL on the board with a solo home run.

The score would remain 1-0 until the Top 3rd when Greencastle scored two runs to take the lead. The damage could have been far worse, but Good stared down the challenge to end the inning with two straight Ks. In the Top 4th, a pair of singles combined with a fielding error led to another Greencastle runner crossing home. They added another run in the Top 5th to run their advantage to 4-1.

While NL continued to get runners on, Greencastle was able to hold them to just a lone run. In the Bottom 5th, NL began applying more pressure as Jacob Anspach reached base on an error, followed by Parker Wright being hit by a pitch. Then, on a Nate Marley fly ball, an error allowed him to reach base, thus loading them up. Connor Kapp then drew a walk that allowed Jacob Anspach to score, making the game 4-2. The next batter, Shelbie Fry, also drew a walk that forced home Wright.

With the score 4-3 entering the 6th inning, there was reason to believe that NL might be able to pull off another the dramatic comeback. After Jacob Anspach held Greencastle scoreless, things were made interesting when Greyson McQuaide was walked with one out. Unfortunately, that would be it, as Greencastle was able to close out the game before NL could again create fireworks.

In the game, Good, Fry, and Kapp were each credited with an RBI. Greencastle’s exceptional pitching held NL to just three hits, with Good, McQuaide, and Brody Harding each successfully reaching base. McQuaide and Taven Zang each had two of NL’s six walks.

Where did they finish?

The loss capped off an amazing run by Northern Lebanon 12u All-Stars, as they finished 4th in Pennsylvania.

Full Bracket

Northern Lebanon Little League Wins Section 4 Championship

Northern Lebanon Little League Wins District 6 Championship

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Northern Lebanon Little League Roster

Batting Order

#6 Luke Copenhaver

#22 Nolan Anspach

#3 Isaac Good

#16 Greyson Mcquaide

#4 Taven Zang

#17 Parker Wright

#2 Gunner Noel

#7 Brody Harding

#1 Nate Marley

#19 Connor Kapp

#13 Jacob Anspach

#28 Shelbie Fry

Coaches

Mike Good

Ron Copenhaver

Jerome Noel