Moore Township’s Connie Mack team jumped from a fourth-place finish in the regular season to earning the Lehigh Valley league’s runner-up trophy after Northwest Bethlehem claimed a 14-10 victory in the championship final on July 16 at Northampton Area High School.

“Coming in here tonight, we won 16 games in a row. We started the season 1-3, and these guys continued to battle, so this isn’t a normal feeling for us to lose one, so it’s tough for sure,” said Moore Township Redhawks head coach Jarad Haupt. “It’s a privilege to be here and play against a team like that. They make us stretch our limits and push us to the brink of things.”

Moore shortstop Sam Erschen led off with a line drive past third base to set the stage for three runs in the bottom of the first inning. Aiden Maltese laid down a perfect bunt, and Isaiah Alicea had a hard hit single over Northwest’s third baseman.

But Northwest matched the Hawks run for run in the top of the second inning to tie the game.

Erschen’s 2 RBIs in the bottom of the third were matched by Northwest again, but it was the fifth inning when the Cyclones racked up six runs for an 11-5 lead.

“They’re a solid team, offensively and defensively,” said Haupt. “I don’t think there’s anything we did wrong or would change. Good teams get it done. We’re a very good team too. We gave some things away, and it could’ve been a little different, but I’d take these guys day in and day out.”

Moore second baseman Mason Haupt added a run for the Hawks with his RBI single that brought Erschen home after the Redhawk shortstop’s triple to left field in the bottom of the fifth inning.

Northwest tacked on three more runs in the sixth inning while Moore Township chipped away at the Cyclones’ lead with an RBI apiece by Erschen and Maltese.

“It was a good baseball game, and I’d take these kids next year and the following year if I could,” said Haupt.

The Redhawks, which also include Owen Laury, Michael Jordan, Jacob Nothstein, Aaron Schmoyer, Brody Graff, Jed Colyer, Brandon Downey, Kaiden Gehret, Tommy Hensel, Ben Karc, and Brayden Rader, along with assistant coaches Steve Ellis, Nate Rex, Chuck Sanno, and Tim Wolfe, are competing in the Connie Mack State Tournament this week.

“It’s great for the kids to play at Limeport Stadium under the lights,” Haupt said. “We go in there as a three seed, and we think we’re gonna be successful.”