No one figured this to be a walk-in-the-park for Franklin Township’s 10-12-year-old Little League All-Stars.

Valley West entered Tuesday’s District 18 winner’s bracket final looking like the team to beat in the tournament. West had been putting up big numbers - averaging nearly 20 runs per game in two previous victories in the tourney.

When Valley West took an early four-run lead, it seemed as if it was on its way to a third straight mercy-rule victory.

But Franklin Township was never backing down. Township hung around and battled the pre-tournament favorites before eventually falling, 13-5.

“We didn’t expect to come in here and have an easy win,” said Valley West manager Bob Tranguch. “Franklin Township always gives us a hard time. They’re a very good team and we never took them lightly.”

“We got off to a rough start, which is not characteristic of us,” said Franklin manager Travis Hunsicker. “Typically, we’re a sound defensive team. We didn’t pitch well, we didn’t throw strikes, and that got us behind.”

Indeed, that was the undoing early on for Franklin. West took advantage of five walks and nary a base knock to jump ahead 2-0. They then went up 4-0 in the second with just one hit - a Cole Jordan double.

Franklin did answer with a run in the second on a walk to Alex Bedocs, a Braylon Hunsicker sacrifice, and an RBI groundout from Aiden McCarroll.

But Valley West took charge in the third, scoring eight runs on four hits, a couple more free passes, and some Franklin miscues in the field.

Trailing 12-1, Franklin answered with a three-run outburst in the home half of the third. Cash White and Brayden Ulshafer got the stove cooking before Parker Rodgers smacked a run-scoring single. Both Chase Llewellyn and Brock Atwood then followed with run-scoring hits.

“Franklin’s always been our competitor, and we never come here thinking otherwise,” Tranguch. “They hit our No. 1 pitcher (Lucas Tranguch). They ran his pitch count up, and they did a very good job of staying in the game.”

Valley West turned to hard-throwing Christopher Knelly, who fired up nine strikeouts over the final three plus-innings of work, to calm the storm. Knelly allowed just one run - that coming on a double by Atwood and an RBI single by White in the final inning.

Knelly also accounted for the final Valley West run when he drilled a bomb off the scoreboard in dead centerfield in the top of the sixth.

HIT PARADE

… The winners had eight hits, Nathan Heller led the way with two hits and two RBIs. Franklin registered five hits of its own. Atwood led the way with a double, single and an RBI. White, Rodgers and McCarroll had the other hits.

STILL ALIVE ... Despite the loss, Township is still alive in the double double-elimination tournament. It will now need to earn three straight victories to capture the District 18 championship. Its next game comes Thursday when it hosts Valley East in the loser’s bracket final. East ousted Jim Thorpe Tuesday night. Franklin and East did meet in the tournament opener, with Franklin hanging a 9-5 loss on them. “We’ve got a great group of kids, and I expect us to come out and be ready to play Thursday,” Hunsicker said.

HOW IT CAN PLAY OUT

… Thursday’s 6 p.m. game between Valley East and Franklin is an elimination game. The winner goes to Valley West Saturday at 6 p.m. West needs only one win to capture the tourney.

OFF TO SOUTH CAROLINA

… Mark “Bucky” Onuschko, who umpired the bases last evening, will take his exceptional skills to the Big-League World Series in South Carolina next month. Onuschko was originally scheduled for the event last summer, but was knocked out because of COVID-19.

Valley West 228 001 – 13 8 1

Franklin Twp. 013 001 – 5 5 4

Tranguch, Knelly (3) and Klinger; Llewellyn, Rodgers (3), Ulshafer (4), Hunsicker and Atwood and Mriss (4). W – Knelly L – Llewellyn