Upper Providence’s run comes to end

Their season ended two games short of a trip to Williamsport, and with a lopsided loss in the Mid-Atlantic Regional’s championship play-in game.

Upper Providence’s run to the Little League World Series ended Friday.

Their season ended two games short of a trip to Williamsport, and with a lopsided loss in the Mid-Atlantic Regional’s championship play-in game.

Thurmont (MD) dispatched UP by a 14-4 margin at Bristol, Conn. It scored 11 times in the top of the fourth inning to effectively break open a 3-3 deadlock, and the output proved sufficient for the Maryland champion to bring the “mercy rule” into play when Upper Providence managed just one more run in the bottom half of the frame.

Thurmont will now play Holbrook Little League, of Jackson, N.J., 7 p.m. Saturday. Holbrook had dispatched UP Wednesday, 106, to qualify for the regional’s title game.

Upper Providence, which topped Thurmont by a 10-5 count Monday, opened a 3-0 lead through the second inning. But Thurmont pulled even in the top of the third, then went on a game-deciding run in the fourth.

Joey McMannis swung one of Thurmont’s hotter bats, hitting safely twice and driving in four runs. He also threw 3-2/3 innings with seven strikeouts.

Logan Simanski blasted a grand slam to put a cap on his team’s 11-run fourth inning. He, Josh Skowronski (three walks) and Braden Manning drew a combined seven bases on balls for the night.

Cole Nilles hit safely twice for Upper Providence to emerge as its leading hitter. He threw one inning while Ryan Garvey, who worked two, recorded three strikeouts.

Upper Providence’s storied 2017 season featured championships in District 27, Section 8 and Pennsylvania. It opened the MidAtlantic by edging Milton, Del. Sunday, 4-3, before dropping Thurmont into the losers’ bracket Monday. It was then handled by Holbrook Wednesday, 10-6.