When Tuesday's opening round contest of the District 18 11-12 Little League Tournament between Franklin Township and Hazle Township was called in the bottom of the first inning due to rain, it created a unique scenario for both sides.

Since the teams failed to complete the opening frame, all stats - including the 4-0 lead Hazle Township had built in the top of the first inning Tuesday - were wiped out when the squads reconvened at Phifer's Ice Dam Wednesday night.Franklin made the most of its second chance, striking early and claiming a 3-1 victory over Hazle Township.With the win, Franklin will now play at Valley East on Friday at 6 p.m. while Hazle Township will be at Freeland tonight.After getting through only one batter in the bottom of the first Tuesday, Franklin got the most out of its initial appearance at the dish this time around, striking for two runs in the top half of the inning."That made a big difference, getting the two runs right away," Franklin head coach Ron Steigerwalt said.Leadoff hitter Richy Failla (2-for-4) opened the game with a single and took second on an error before advancing to third on a groundout by Randy Bangiorno (2-for-4).Jack Lorenz opened the scoring with a sacrifice fly to bring in Failla before cleanup hitter Hunter Crum hit a laser over the right field fence to give Franklin a 2-0 lead after the first inning.Four of the five Franklin hitters that came to the plate made contact in the first inning, something Steigerwalt felt set the tone for the rest of the game."That's the biggest thing. If they put the bat on the ball they're fine," Steigerwalt commented. "If they struggle, they might get upset or think they can't do it. But even if it's a groundout, if they put the ball in play, they're fine."They came out ready to play. I think they were a little more excited after (Tuesday) night."Hazle Township answered in the bottom half of the first when Conner Sillman scored from third on a passed ball to make it 2-1. But that was all the offense the team would generate, as Franklin pitchers Josh Stiegerwalt and Brayden Lutz combined to keep Hazle Township off the scoreboard over the final five innings."That's always big with kids this age. Momentum is a big thing, and it can be up and down," Hazle Township coach Marty Biasi said. 'They (Franklin) hit the ball hard. They have some good hitters at the top of their lineup and they're tough to pitch around."The bottom of the order produced for Franklin as well. No. 6 hitter Dylan Bowman opened the top of the fourth with a single and moved to second on a bunt from Aaron Miller.A bunt from Jacob Neeb and a throwing error allowed Bowman to score from second to make it 3-1.After finally getting a chance to show what they're capable of, Steigerwalt believes the success can continue as the team moves ahead in the tournament."We think they're capable of going pretty far," he said. "They've been together awhile. That's the first thing they talked about at the first practices. This helps."FALSE START … Wednesday's game was initially slated to be played Monday but was rained out.MIX AND MATCH … Hazle Township's team also comprises players from White Haven and Weatherly. Mason Fanelli, Drew Sechleer and Hayden Greenberg represented White Haven, while Ian McLaurin was the lone player from the Weatherly area.TOSS UP … Though hosting Wednesday's contest, Franklin played as the visitor after losing the coin flip prior to the game.Franklin 200 100 - 3 8 1Hazle Twp. 100 000 - 1 4 4Stiegerwalt, Lutz (5) and Lorenz; Biasi, Yanac (6) and Ruby. W - Stiegerwalt. L - Biasi. HR: F - Crum (1st, none on).