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No one else Brandon Kinneman would rather have in key spot


There was no one else that West York senior Brandon Kinneman would have wanted at the plate with the game on the line on Tuesday.

After all it was his brother, sophomore Brett Kinneman, in the batter's box with the tying run at third and winning run at second, of the PIAA Class AAA semifinal.

"I am nervous, but at the same time am confident," Brandon said. "He's a great athlete, a great baseball player and he thrives in those situations. He won a game for us a couple months ago the same way."

Of course, the left-hand swinging Brett ended the game with his walk-off double to left, sending the Bulldogs to their second straight state championship game.

"I knew he was going to hit the ball hard and get us at least a tie game. He's been hitting the ball the other way so well and was able to again," Brandon said. "He's not a typical sophomore, his maturity has rose beyond his age, particularly his mental approach to the game. He knows how to handle baseball that is why he is one of the top players for us."

The brothers shared a prolonged hug afterward.

"We are really close. We argue - everyone argues when they are kids, but that's who I do everything with. I love him," Brandon said. "This is unbelievable, experiencing this with a team is one thing, experiencing with a brother is something only a handful of people do. It's something that doesn't happen very often. It's special."