Lady Fortune has a way of smiling down on some in the world of sports.

She sometimes makes one glad, sometimes sad, but whatever one thinks, there is no rhyme or reason.

When Jim Thorpe and Tamaqua 12-year-old Little League all-stars met in a winner-take-all District 18 championship game, the outcome didn’t tell the entire story on Wednesday.

Tamaqua found a way to dig in and pull away from a very good, young bunch of Thorpe players, rallying in the top of the sixth inning by scoring five runs before holding the Olympians at bay for a thrilling 6-1 victory.

No Tamaqua, No Party!

Its mantra throughout this tournament came to the fore and proved to be spot on.

These young warriors know how to look defeat square in the eyes and come out winners. This has been ongoing for the past three summers for the players who rose through the ranks at ages 10, 11 and now 12. Three straight District 18 championships at all three levels is a feat that is difficult to accomplish, and a rarity indeed.

“These kids just know how to grind. They know how to flip the switch. We may do it late, but they do it and find a way to win,” said Bryan Smith, the A-positive manager who has guided the team to those three title runs.

Yet, Smith stood on the first-base side wiping away a few tears, thinking of one lost coach.

“This one was for coach Scott Murphy. He was part of our coaching staff, and his passing has been with us all. It was very fitting, too, that his son Mason got that big hit to drive in a run,” Smith explained about the popular man who passed away late last summer and coached Marian boys basketball.

The decisive rally in the sixth was the icing on the cake.

Tamaqua sent 11 batters to the plate to capture the victory, while collecting five hits and taking advantage of two errors, and to think it left three men on base.

It all started with the top of the order. Abram Graver, the winning pitcher, drew a walk before Grayson Smith ignited the rally with a single. When Finnegan Davis reached on an error, sending Graver across the plate, the Tamaqua faithful could feel their hearts pumping. Bryce Bailey reached on a fielder’s choice before Aidan Sabol pumped his fist after an RBI single.

Jacob Kufro delivered a two-run single. Nolan Runk followed with an RBI single. Bryce Tuckett singled to load the bases, and Murphy flicked his bat for an RBI single that all but sealed the championship.

Before all of that chaos, the game came down to play after play on both sides.

The play of the game that preserved the tie came from slick-fielding second baseman Preston Weschler in the bottom of the fifth.

Jim Thorpe had runners at first and second with no outs. Liam Thompson hit a grounder just behind the pitcher’s mound, and from seemingly nowhere Weschler dove to snag the ball near the bag and, while fully prone, had the presence of mind to touch second base.

Lady Fortune had a plan for Weschler and his teammates.

“Oh wow, he made a great play. It really gave me a boost,” Graver said while lauding his teammate.

Weschler knew he had to come up with the ball.

“I just dove,” he said. “I didn’t want it to go into the outfield. I had to make that play for us to win.”

Smith, the shortstop, was all smiles when asked about the defensive gem.

“I was so happy for Preston,” Smith said. “He saved the game for us.”

That is what the heart of this team is all about. It finds ways to make plays even in the darkest moments.

Yet, things were also in the hands of the two starting pitchers — Graver, the eventual winner, and Owen Hosier for Thorpe.

The outset found Tamaqua leaking out to a 1-0 lead after Graver singled, advanced on an error and scooted home when Sabol slapped a clutch RBI single back through the box.

Graver started rocky. His rhythm was out of kilter, and Jim Thorpe revved it up by tying the game 1-1.

Eduardo Camacho walked, moved to second on a wild pitch and advanced to third on Julius Calcano’s groundout. After Alex Eckert walked, Hosier roped a single to right, plating Camacho while Eckert raced to third.

Graver never gave in. He struck out the next batter before getting Nick Dedinsky on a grounder to third baseman Sabol, who laid some leather on a fine play that took away a possible hit.

“That’s baseball,” Steve Heydt, the Thorpe manager, said. “They made a lot of great plays behind (Graver), they got that big inning and they took advantage.”

Thereafter, Graver and Hosier dueled like a pair of epee maestros. Hosier allowed just three hits over his first 4 1/3 innings, while Graver scattered three hits of his own.

Finally, the suspense hit a high note, first for Thorpe in the hectic bottom of the fifth, where Weschler again threw up a roadblock with his superb defensive play.

Then Tamaqua cranked it out in typical fashion: five runs, five hits.

Graver and company were in the catbird seat. The starting pitcher had maxed out, Smith came on in relief and polished off the championship run with a strikeout.

“To go into Jim Thorpe two days ago and play on that challenging field in that atmosphere, Bailey pitched phenomenal. We knew we had our ace coming back. You look at all levels of the game, it was just fantastic the way we played,” Smith said.

Now the ride moves to sectional play next weekend.

The fun ride is just a short jaunt to Orwigsburg. For now, Tamaqua is enjoying the nectar of the gods — another District 18 championship banner raised at Billy Angst Field.

CLASS ACT… Angst, the president of Tamaqua Little League, made sure the American flag was at half-staff in honor of fallen state trooper Mike Pahria. Bravo to a guy — and his bride Karen — who are the king and queen of this program.

GREAT PLAYS… Fantastic defense from both teams. Thorpe’s right fielder Jagger McElmoyle and third baseman Nick Dedinsky both shined. Weschler stood out, as did first baseman Finnegan Davis, who made a terrific play early in the game corralling a short pop-up behind the bag. Sabol also came up big at third on more than one occasion, while Graver and Smith handled their respective positions well.

BLASTERS… Tamaqua banged out 10 hits. Smith doubled and singled, Sabol had two singles and two RBIs, while Graver, Weschler, Bryce Tuckett, Jacob Kufro, Nolan Runk and Mason Murphy each added a single. Thorpe’s three singles came off the bats of Eckert, Hosier and Vinnie Montefour.

THEY’LL BE BACK… Thorpe returns a loaded team next summer with eight starters in the fold.

Tamaqua 100 005 — 6 10 0

Jim Thorpe 100 000 — 1 3 4

Hosier, Pruitte (5) and Eckert; Graver, Smith (6) and Runk.

W — Graver. L — Pruitte.