Picture perfect moments accumulated to a 3-0 victory for Lehigh’s Little League majors (12U) over Pennridge in a District 20 all-star game on July 5 at Pennridge that saved Lehigh from exiting the double-elimination tournament.

Lehigh pitcher Miguel Medina delivered 11 strikeouts, including two on three straight pitches, third baseman Kole Sanford stole home, shortstop Jackson Ondria and first baseman Braden Beck turned a double play, and catcher Paxton Pavlish threw out a Pennridge runner at second base to end the game.

“I threw because it was a perfect pitch, and I saw him running, and I knew I could get him out, so I just threw it down,” Pavlish said. “When I threw him out, I was excited because that was my second time this year because nobody really steals.”

Medina, who played at shortstop for the last out of the game, was on the receiving end of Pavlish’s throw.

“The last out, he tried to steal, and [Paxton] just threw it right there,” Medina said. “It was a great moment.”

Pennridge’s Boston Gower had the first hit of the game with a single to right field, but with two runners on base, Medina struck out Jack Walter to end the first inning.

“It was relief because there was a guy on third, and I couldn’t believe I did it because they’re a really good team,” Medina said.

Sanford led off the second inning with a single that fell in short center, and after two strikeouts, Coltin Brozino’s line drive to center kept Lehigh’s inning alive until Sanford was called out at home on a wild pitch.

“He’s one of our faster guys,” said Lehigh manager Mark Pavlish of Sanford. “The [ball] kicked out, and it looked like he had a chance. We’re taking chances. We’ve got to win this game.”

Sanford had a second chance on the same play and scored in the fourth inning to put Lehigh ahead, 2-0.

“Right as it hit off the backstop, I tried to sprint as fast as I could home. I think the first one bounced off the backstop harder so it got to the catcher faster, and it was a better flip to the pitcher,” said Sanford regarding his first attempt.

Medina continued to build on the shutout with three straight strikeouts in the bottom of the second inning, and as he faced the bigger, hard-swinging Hunter Hansman, threw even harder.

“Yeah, I didn’t want him to hit it hard. I was throwing my fastball a lot, and then sometimes I’ll mix in my curveball. Yeah, I was just trying my best,” said Medina, who was congratulated by teammates running off the field. “They were saying, ‘Great job! How did you strike them out?’”

Then, with bases loaded and two outs in the top of the third, Pavlish’s RBI single to right gave Lehigh its first run of the game.

“I was really nervous because there were no runs, and their pitcher (Declan Grevy) was throwing pretty well, and I didn’t really want to get out because then we would score zero runs, so I tried to put the ball in play,” said Pavlish. “I was excited because I had an RBI, and it was the first run of the game.”

In the bottom of the fourth inning, Medina threw six pitches and retired the side in record time that included a grounder to Ondria who threw to first base from deep short.

“I was trying to throw strikes, and they were getting used to me, so they started to hit, and thank God for my infield, especially Jackson Ondria for making the play,” Medina said.

Gower, who relieved Grevy in the fifth inning, struck out three Lehigh batters, but Medina answered with three strikeouts for Lehigh.

Pavlish scored Lehigh’s third run on Sanford’s single to right field in the top of the sixth.

“It was right out of reach of the first baseman,” said Sanford. “Third game, I was feeling it. Right when I got to first, I saw [Paxton] coming home, and I was really excited and pumped.”

Just three outs away from surviving the elimination game with Pennridge’s Grevy on first base, Ondria fielded a grounder, stepped on second base and threw to Beck at first base for the double play.

“Anytime you can turn a double play in Little League baseball, it’s always exciting, and it’s not always easy; it’s pretty hard,” said Mark Pavlish. “Jackson made a great play. We turned two, and that totally turns the momentum of an inning. There were no outs, and then, bang, there were two outs and let’s get one more. That was it, and let’s end the game. Picture perfect double play.

“This group works so hard. We’re out every single day in the heat. Miguel pitched a great game, and the balls that were put in play, we couldn’t have played any better defense. I’m really, really proud of them. They deserve everything that they’ve achieved so far.”