In tournament play, it’s always key to get off to a good start.

For Jim Thorpe, it got off to a great start offensively and overall Friday with an opening round win in the District 18 11-12 year-old tournament with a 17-13 victory over Towamensing.

Thorpe started hot, scoring five runs in the first. Michael Strucko and Braden McHugh came through with hits in the inning, with McHugh coming up with the big hit of the frame – a bases-loaded triple that scored three runs.

“Early on, we got some runs on the board, we got some baserunners on and we got some big hits,” said Jim Thorpe head coach Nelson Ulshafer. “Really, from top to bottom we hit the ball well today and our substitutes came in and hit the ball hard too. We really just had the one bad inning there later in the game, but other than that we played five innings of good baseball.”

Leading 7-3 heading into the top of the fifth inning, it looked as if Thorpe put Towamensing away with a huge nine-run effort to extend its lead to 13 runs.

Aiden Sterling had the big hit of the fifth, knocking in three runs with a double that was a missile to center field. McHugh added a hit and an RBI in the inning with TJ Rey and David Butler also collecting hits.

With zero momentum and not much going on offensively, Towamensing had every reason to fold up shop, but instead it went on a surging rally that put the Olympians on the defensive. Towamensing improbably put together a 10-run fifth to close within just three runs heading into the sixth.

Towamensing collected six hits in the frame with Cameron Pengelly and Mason George leading the way with two RBIs apiece. George had the bomb of the night, sending one to deep center that sailed over the fence to bring Towamensing within three runs. Luke Matsko, AJ Borger and Caleb Jacoby also came through with RBIs in the fifth.

“Hey, I have to give our kids credit, because they kept their heads up and they believed they could come back from anything, and they almost did,” said Towamensing head coach Matt George. “We’re down 13 runs and they put together a 10-run inning to get back in it.

“They really battled. It just shows you that these are great kids.”

Thorpe tacked on an insurance run in the sixth when Strucko came through with an RBI single to give Thorpe a four-run lead heading into the bottom of the inning.

With the pressure on, the unsung hero of the evening was Ethan Moore, who came in the game in relief in the bottom of the fifth during Towamensing’s offensive explosion and got the job done for Thorpe. He helped shut the door on Towamensing in the fifth to stop the bleeding, and in the bottom of the sixth he allowed just one baserunner and struck out three to give Thorpe the win.

THREE AND FOUR … Thorpe’s No. 3 and 4 hitters were the difference in this one. Sterling and McHugh combined for five hits and nine RBIs.

PLENTY OF OFFENSE … The game had a combined 30 runs and 20 hits.

NEXT UP ... With the win, Jim Thorpe will travel to Hazleton on Monday for a 6 p.m. matchup.

Jim Thorpe 500 2 9 1 - 17 11 4

Towamensing 200 1(10)0 - 13 9 7

McHugh, Strucko (5), Moore (5) and Sterling; George, Borger (3), Pengelly (5) and Anthony. W - McHugh. L - George. HR: Towamensing - George (5th, one on).