Mateo Cepullio hit a two-run double in the top of the seventh, and Johnstown-2 Martella’s Pharmacy turned three consecutive inning-ending double plays to hold off New Orleans Boosters 5-4 in the AAABA Tournament semifinal round at Sargent’s Stadium at the Point.
Martella’s Pharmacy (5-0) earned a spot in the championship game of the 80th AAABA Tournament on Saturday night at the Point. Martella’s won the host city’s first AAABA title in 2018.
New Orleans (4-1) pounded out 13 hits, but the Boosters stranded 12 baserunners and left the bases loaded three separate innings.
New Orleans was poised to break open the contest early, scoring three times in the bottom of the first. Drew Bourgeois singled and scored on Rhett Centanni’s triple to center field. Josh Hoffman and Joe Monaghan each singled. Cooper Smith was hit by a pitch, and Will Delaune singled before Johnstown-2 starter Jared Dowey worked out of the jam.
Martella’s Hunter Smith homered to lead off the top of the second to make it 3-1.
In the Johnstown-2 fourth inning, Jack Messina and Smith each singled and eventually scored on Boden Fernsler’s two-out, game-tying single to center.
Cepullio’s two-run double in the seventh gave Johnstown-2 a 5-3 advantage.
New Orleans cut it to 5-4 in the bottom of the seventh as the first four Boosters reached base. Bourgeois singled, Centanni walked, and Hoffman and Monaghan each singled. A strikeout and an close play at first on a 6-4-3 doubleplay prevented the tying run from scoring and ended the inning.
Fernsler led Johnstown-2 with three hits. Smith, Hunter Troiano and Messina each had two hits. Dowey pitched five innings for the win, and Peter Janoski threw the final four frames, allowing one run.
New Orleans’ Centanni had three hits. Bourgeois, who finished the tournament week with 12 hits and a .706 batting average, went 2-for-4 with two runs, and Hoffman and Monaghan each had two hits.