(EDITOR’S NOTE: Since May of 1999, the Times News Sports Department has featured an On This Date practically every day, highlighting an event that happened in the past. With the coronavirus putting a halt to sports locally and nationally, the On This Dates have been expanded to the stories that actually ran in the next day’s newspaper. Today’s On This Date story is from June 25, 2012).

By Shawn McFarland

smcfarland@tnonline.com

Monday afternoon’s Carbon County Junior Babe Ruth Championship game figured to be a good one, as it pitted two teams with identical 13-2 records against each other.

After many hits, a couple of five-run innings and one tough error in the bottom of the sixth, a champion was finally crowned.

The top-seeded Jim Thorpe Bruins, who watched their four-run lead slip away in the top of the fifth, put together a game-winning rally in the bottom of the sixth without the benefit of a hit.

The Bruins plated two runs thanks to two walks and an error, and went on to win their third consecutive Junior Babe Ruth title, 8-7 over the second-seeded Franklin Township Falcons.

“I thought it played out beautifully,” said Jim Thorpe manager Sean Sterling with a little chuckle. “It was a back-and-forth game and I expected nothing less. (Franklin) is a good team. We played them once during the season and only won 1-0, so I expected a hard game.

“Our bats came in line, we stole a couple bags to get our runners in position to score and we got the crucial hits when we needed them.”

The Falcons led 7-6 heading into the bottom of the sixth. Franklin pitcher Ben Cordova got the first batter to ground out before walking Jim Thorpe’s Collin Green. Green would then take second on a wild pitch.

Two batters later, Cordova walked leadoff hitter Jordan McElmoyle with two outs. Green and McElmoyle partook in a double steal and set up teammate Dom Pompa with the tying and go-ahead runs.

Pompa hit a hot shot to Franklin shortstop Jordan Knappenberger, who had the ball get in on him and bounce off his forearm into the outfield. Green and McElmoyle scored on the play and gave Jim Thorpe the lead for good.

It was a shame for manager Glenn Hibbler Jr. as Knappenberger had made a handful of great plays throughout the game.

“These are two very good teams and we knew it was going to be close,” said Hibbler. “Unfortunately it was going to come down to who made the most mistakes and we made the last mistake.

“I am proud of our guys. There is a lot of fight in them and they wanted it. They gave it their all. They just came up a little short. It was our greatest year ever as a team. They were the best group of kids that I have ever worked with.”

Franklin jumped out to a 2-0 lead after one, but saw Jim Thorpe score five in the third to take the lead. Shane Snisky had a two-RBI single in the inning, while Alex Steigerwalt, McElmoyle and Pompa each picked up RBIs. Jake Burkhart (2-for-3) added an RBI single in the fourth to push the Bruins’ lead to four.

McElmoyle replaced Snisky in the top of the fifth and immediately got into some trouble. He allowed the first three batters he faced to reach base and eventually score.

The Falcons’ Taylor David delivered with a two-RBI single to get the scoring started. Teammates Eli Dekorte and Craig Serfass (3-for-3) added RBI singles, but those hits came off Pompa after he relieved McElmoyle.

Snisky had allowed six hits through his four innings of work and was never really in trouble after the first. However, he had to come out due to an innings limit. McElmoyle then needed to be relieved after some arm fatigue.

“(Jordan’s) elbow started hurting him so we had to make an injury switch,” explained Sterling. “Snisky inninged out and we decided to go with McElmoyle, but then his elbow started hurting him so we had to switch it up again on the fly.”

The win makes it three championships in a row for the Jim Thorpe Bruins. Sterling joked afterwards when asked about his mini-dynasty.

“Being a Steelers fan, I’m sure it feels just as good as it did for them,” Sterling joked. “It’s pretty neat to put a little dynasty together. I like it. The kids love it.”

FT Falcons 200 050 0 - 7 12 1

JT Bruins 005 102 x - 8 9 1

David, Cordova and Clements; Snisky, McElmoyle (5), Pompa (5) and Steigerwalt, Snisky (5). W - Pompa. L - Cordova.