JAMISON – It was a good opening round game for the Franklin Township 8-10-year-old Little League All-Stars on Monday in the Section 6 Tournament.

The Maroon Marauders wasted little time in building a comfortable lead against Stroudsburg on their way to an impressive 15-9 victory.

By the time the third inning came to a close,Township was sitting on a rather envious 15-2 lead.

The only time the District 18 champs stumbled came after a rumble of thunder put a pause in the game, forcing a half-hour delay. Stroudsburg’s bats came alive after the interruption, but the game’s had been well decided at that point.

“We came out, hit the ball hard, the boys were playing well,” said Franklin Township manager Ben Moyer. “Our pitcher Miles Mann was throwing well and had good stuff.

“Then we hit the rain delay and it kind of took the wind out of us.”

After an unearned first-inning run put Stroudsburg in front, Franklin Township never fretted. The Marauders cracked out three hits in the bottom of the frame to take a lead they never relinquished. Textbook baseball produced the runs as Ethan Laible singed, Roman White bunted him over a base and Owen Moyer slung a run scoring triple to tie the game. Moyer then raced home on an alert baserunning move as Stroudsburg was trying to get the ball back to the infield.

Franklin Township used a pair of walks, a stolen a base, and Laible’s RBI on a groundout that plated Miles Meek to add a run in the second.

With their lead sitting at 3-2, the Maroon Marauders broke the game open in the home third inning, sending 14 batters to the plate and scoring 12 runs. Meek had the big bash in the rally with a two-run double. Moyer had two singles during the outburst, while Carter Spotts and Corby Solt both drove in a pair of runs.

Stroudsburg caught a breath of encouragement and kept the game alive to go full six innings when it plated six runs in the fourth, using four hits and three walks. Frankie Nicholson’s two-run double was the big blow.

However, the deficit was too much to overcome. Franklin Township never wavered and stayed the course to send Stroudsburg into the loser’s bracket.

STAYING CAUTIOUS

… The delay in action was more a safety matter. The sound of thunder was the main culprit. There was never a bolt of lightning and only a small spritz of rain.

HE DA MANN … Township’s starting pitcher Mann threw just 38 pitches in three innings of work, so he will be available if needed today. Mann tossed 28 strikes - showing his pinpoint control.

UP NEXT ... The Maroon Marauders will return to Jamison to continue play in the double-elimination tournament at 6 p.m. They will face either Lehigh or Newtown in the winner’s bracket final.

Stroudsburg 101 600 – 8 9 1

Franklin Twp. 21(12) 00x – 15 10 2

Binkos, Nicholson (3), Svenson (3) and Svenson, Yetter (3); Mann, Spotts (4) and Spotts, White (4). W – Mann L – Binkos.