Bellefonte rolls past State College for District 5 Little League championship

As the Bellefonte Little League players posed for photos in front of the District 5 Major League tournament championship banner, one player swung the team’s red good-luck charm shirt.

Bellefonte had lost its first game of the district tournament, but battled back through the loser’s bracket before capturing the title with an 11-1 win over State College in five innings Monday night.

After that opening loss to Big Valley, one of the players’ parents brought the shirt — “Willy’s shirt” — to every game out of superstition. And soon after Bellefonte recorded the final out against State College, the players started chanting for the shirt.

They posed with it before taking a victory lap around their home field with the banner.

Braedyn Kormanic led the way for Bellefonte, pitching a complete game to earn the win and hitting a three-run home run in the first inning to build an early lead. Bellefonte scored five runs in the first inning and added six in the fifth, which proved to be more than enough run support with Kormanic on the mound. The Bellefonte right-hander allowed five hits and one run and clinched the win by getting a groundout to third base.

“My heart was just pounding,” Kormanic said. “I was so happy that I think I would have jumped up and down a million times.”

Bellefonte advances to the Section 4 championship, with the winners from Districts 6, 7 and 11, at the State College Little League fields beginning Saturday.

Bellefonte’s 11-12 year-old team overcame the loss to Big Valley in its opener in the double-elimination tournament, rolling through the loser’s bracket to set up a championship matchup with State College. Bellefonte coach Duane Grove said the team’s defense faltered in the loss to Big Valley, but his players bounced back. In the second game of the tournament, Quinn Tooker threw 52 pitches in six innings to lead Bellefonte past Penns Valley.

“That’s pretty much unheard of in Little League,” Grove said. “He was on, the defense was on and right then I knew they were clicking together.”

That defense was on display immediately Monday night. In the bottom of the first inning, Bellefonte third baseman Kaden Clark ranged to his left on a hard-hit ground ball and fired to first for the second out. In the bottom of the fourth, Bellefonte center fielder Ethan Struble snared a shot heading toward the fence, bringing a smile to Kormanic’s face.

Kormanic was cruising with his team ahead 5-0 at that point.

Bellefonte built the comfortable lead with four hits and two walks in the five-run first inning, highlighted by Kormanic’s three-run shot. But Grove thought his team needed a bigger cushion.

“I always think we need more,” Grove said. “It’s Little League — one bad bounce can change a game.”

Bellefonte put the game away in the fifth inning, scoring six runs with two outs. Dom Capperella delivered the big hit, sending a two-run single to left-center field to push Bellefonte ahead 10-0.

“That was my first solid swing,” Capperella said. “I think I kind of put the game on ice.”

Kormanic and Bellefonte were soon celebrating their district championship, chanting “Willy’s shirt,” posing for photos and taking their victory lap.

“They’re playing as a team,” Grove said. “You can’t ask for anything more.”

This story was originally published July 10, 2017 at 10:00 PM with the headline "Bellefonte rolls past State College for District 5 Little League championship."