Jr. Little League Squad Falls To PA, 11-7

Johnston's Junior Little League team lost its first game in the Eastern Regionals on August 8, falling 11-7 to Pennridge, PA in Freehold Township, NJ.

Both teams scored three runs in the first inning, with Pennsylvannia striking first on David Tatoian's two-RBI double to center off Johnston starter Korey Fijal. Tatoian later added Pennridge's third score on an error by Johnston first baseman Joe Bongiovanni.

Bongiovanni helped Johnston's cause with a three-run homer to right field that scored James Picchi and Zach Coro and evened the score at 3-3.

Johnston (1-1), the two-time Rhode Island Junior Little League Champion, took a 5-3 lead in the bottom of the third, but it didn't last long, as Pennsylvania tacked on five runs in the top of the fourth.

Pennridge (2-0), who defeated host team Freehold Township, NJ, to face Johnston, tacked on another run in the sixth and two in the seventh to make the score 11-5. Johnston put together a two-run rally in the bottom of the seventh, but that was as close as Johnston would get.

Johnston is next scheduled to play Connecticut this morning at 10 a.m. in the consolation bracket of the double-elimination tournament. The winner of today's game faces the winner of the New York-Massachusetts game set for 1 p.m. this afternoon.

Click the "Keep Me Posted!" link below to receive e-mail updates about the team's game today.

Information for this report was gathered from Gamechanger, a site hosted by the Freehold Township Little League.