Lehigh Little League 10U All-Stars held Southern Lehigh to two runs while Lehigh captured the District 20 championship with a 13-2 victory over the Spartans on July 9.

“We practiced two days in between last game and this game, prepping them on the mistakes we made in that last game and trying to rectify those and work through those and come out and play a really good game,” said Lehigh manager Tom Cser. “It’s always great to see the boys turn it around.”

Lehigh second baseman Ben Hartenstine opened the contest with a triple to right field.

“I took off running right away. It rolled to the fence, and my third base coach told me to come to third,” Hartenstine said. “You’ve got to get on base so other people can knock you in and score runs.”

First baseman Hunter Roth drove in Hartenstine for Lehigh’s first run.

“I was looking for a pitch at the stomach, and I got it, so I decided to pull it a little bit and put it in the gap so I could score [Hartenstine] in,” said Roth. “Really important because it gave our pitcher more confidence on the mound, giving him more of like a length where he feels more comfortable and if he gives up a run or two, it’s nothing.”

Southern Lehigh threatened in the second inning with two runners on base, but Lehigh pitcher Harrison Cser delivered a strike out, a fielder’s choice, and a ground out to end the inning.

Roth and right fielder Nolan Steiner sent doubles to center field in the third inning where Lehigh plated four runs.

“I was just trying to put a poke in and try and swing because we had a decent lead there, so I was trying to get a hit down the line or something, but then it falls in the gap, so I think that was kind of huge because it scored more runs,” said Roth.

Pierce Steiner, Cser, and Cooper Horlick had singles in the frame.

Cser then hurled three straight strikeouts in the bottom of the third.

“I gotta give it to our pitcher, Harrison. He was huge for us,” said Roth.

Five more runs in the sixth inning with singles by Hartenstine, Roth, and Simon Walter put the game away for Lehigh.

Lehigh will host the Section 6 tournament, scheduled to begin on July 18.