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Lebanon gets final strike to beat A-C, 3-2


Lebanon's Michael Deleon and Alec Barr of Annville-Cleona got into a good, old-fashioned pitchers' duel Friday before a large crowd at Coleman Park.

The L-L League crossover victory went to Lebanon 3-2, but not before Deleon had to preserve the win by striking out cleanup hitter Hunter Long in the seventh with the bases loaded.

A-C (6-2) pushed across its two runs in the first on a pair of walks, a Mitch Long double, a wild pitch and a passed ball.

Barr, who gave up 11 hits, kept pitching out of trouble until the sixth, when Lebanon (5-5) struck for all three runs, with the winning run scoring on Cody Kissinger's third single of the game.

"This was a big win," said Kissinger, who was 3-for-4 with an RBI. "This makes us even on the year, after we lost at Donegal our last game. This also makes up for last year, when Annville beat us 10-8."

Little Dutchmen coach Scott Shyda might be somewhat concerned at this point, considering his team got just two hits Wednesday off Lancaster Catholic ace Dillon Marsh, and three off Deleon, who struck out 10 with six walks.

Lebanon coach Mike Toomey, on the other hand, was bursting with pride.

"Probably the No. 1 thing I'm most proud of is we kept fighting," Toomey said. "We were down 2-0 the whole game to a good-hitting team, but we didn't give up. This team doesn't give up. We kept fighting and everybody in our lineup came through at one point."

Lebanon's winning rally started with a single by Logan Blouch. Jorge Garcia followed with a perfect bunt down the third base line for a hit, and Dharlim Vazquez sacrificed the runners to second and third. Andy Ortiz then hit a chopper to second. Instead of going for the sure out at first, A-C tried to nail Blouch at the plate and he was safe.

Camryn Shaak then lifted a fly into left-center that would have been the third out; instead, Shaak's sacrifice fly drove in the tying run, setting up Kissinger's game-winning hit.

Deleon and Lebanon weren't home free just yet. Darian Peris gained life to lead off the seventh when he swung at a third strike that got away from the catcher. Barr then singled with one out. After the second out, Mitch Long walked to load the bases.

Hunter Long worked a full count. On the final pitch of the game, Deleon threw an inside fastball that missed the bat.

Toomey said, "Michael pitched great when he had to. You can't simulate a bases-loaded, full count situation in practice. But he bore down and threw a great pitch to win the game."