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By RAY WILDE
Sports correspondent
WILLIAMSPORT-- Every baseball game comes down to the last swing. On Sunday evening, the last swing belonged to Mifflin County's Landon Pecht.
Pecht ripped a 300 plus shot to right field just beyond the scoreboard with the bases loaded, giving Mifflin County a 5-4 win over South New Jersey (Atlantic Shore).
The win puts Mifflin County into the Mid-Atlantic Regional final. This marks the 16th time that Mifflin County has been in a regional final. Mifflin County has won six of those contests.
In the bottom of the seventh, Mifflin County trailed 4-2. Luke Shawver led off with a single. Cam Kauffman was sent in as a courtesy runner. Jett Powell hit into a fielder's choice. Caden McClure was sent in to pinch run for Powell.
Haven Bridge then drew a walk. Max Trawitz flew out to center for the second out. Maverick Smith followed with a base hit to load the bases.
Pecht was the next man up. With a one strike count on him, he drove the next pitch into right field and into the history books of Mifflin County Babe Ruth League. Pecht, a 15-year-old, landed on second base as all three runners scored to win the game.
"He really hit that on the screws," said a happy Denny Yetter, the Mifflin County manager, "I worked with him all winter to improve his swing. He will remember this for the rest of his life."
Mifflin County scored two runs early. In the first, Kooper Walters led off with a single and stole second. Colton Aumiller tripled Walters home and he scored when Liam Shaffer had a sacrifice fly to right field.
On the mound, Shaffer went five innings. He gave up four runs on five hits. He struck out five and walked three. Bridge closed out the game and got the win. He struck out four and faced only six batters.
"Liam pitched a heck of a game," said Yetter. "He got hit by a line drive in the fourth, but didn't come out of the game. Havern then finished in strong fashion."
Mifflin County only had eight hits. Smith and Pecht each had two. Mifflin County had three errors and turned in a double play in the fifth inning as Trawitz had an unassisted double play at second base.
West End 11, Mifflin County 7
WILLIAMSPORT--Mifflin County scored seven runs in the fifth inning, but it wasn't enough for a win. West End of Williamsport won the game by an 11-7 score. It was the last game of pool play on Sunday.
Mifflin County’s big inning came in the fifth as it sent 13 men to the plate. Mifflin County had four hits in the inning. Max Trawitz had an RBI triple and Liam Shaffer had a two-run double. Haven Bridge had a single and Luke Shawver had an RBI base hit.
Maverick Smith was hit by a pitch and Jude Zook reached on an error. Kooper Walters, Bridge and Trawitz drew walks. Trawitz's walk knocked in his second run of the inning. Colton Aumiller also had an RBI with a sacrifice fly.
Mifflin County had a 7-6 lead going into the bottom of the fifth, but couldn't hold it as West End scored two runs in the fifth and three runs in the sixth.
Mifflin County had eight hits. Bridge was the only multiple hitter with two. Mifflin County only had one base runner in the sixth and seventh.
Mifflin County had five errors in the game.
"We didn't play very well in the field," Yetter said of the first game. "We had five errors. We battled back and got the lead, but couldn't hold it."