Little League’s District 20 majors (12U) all-stars opened tournament play on June 23 with six teams looking for their first wins to maintain position in the winners’ bracket of the double-elimination series.

Lehigh scored a 16-3 victory over Northwest, Southern Lehigh was a 10-0 winner over East Side Memorial, and Pennridge topped Hellertown/Lower Saucon, 8-2.

North Bethlehem drew a bye on June 23 but hosted Pennridge on June 28 after two weather-related postponements.

“Pennridge came hitting,” said North Bethlehem manager Colin Hutchinson after his team’s 10-0 loss. “There’s not much we could do. We had a few little errors, but Pennridge put the ball where it dropped in. That was tough. They’re a good team.”

Pennridge took a 2-0 lead in the first inning on Weston Ritter’s RBI double to center field and Connor Lowe’s RBI ground out.

In the bottom of the second, North Bethlehem pitcher Joseph Raneiri had a one-two-three inning, including two strikeouts with one on three straight pitches.

Pennridge scored two more runs before Eli Miller relieved Raneiri on the mound.

“Today we kept Raneiri at 64 (pitches) because we would want to throw him again on Sunday,” Hutchinson said.

North Bethlehem’s Dalton Sherry led off the fifth inning with a bunt single, followed by Jayden Ortiz’s base hit to center, and Raneiri reached first base on a fielders choice.

“Dalton Sherry laid down a beautiful bunt. Everybody was so excited. We needed that to feel better, and then we got another hit right after that, and I thought things were going to come around,” said Hutchinson. “I’m glad our kids kept their heads up even though we were getting beat on pretty good. That says a lot about us, I guess. I was proud of them.”

Also on June 28, Southern Lehigh won its game against Lehigh, 8-4, and East Side Memorial was a 9-8 winner over Northwest, eliminating Northwest from the tournament.