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Mainline Pharmacy successfully defended its AAABA Tournament championship in a hard-fought 5-2 victory over perennial power New Orleans Boosters and made history as the first Johnstown squad to win the crown in back-to-back seasons.
A Sargent’s Stadium at the Point crowd of 2,768 watched the local team build a 5-0 advantage through five innings and then hold off a determined New Orleans group that had mounted late-inning comebacks in victories during both the semifinal and quarterfinal rounds.
The Boosters (5-1) had the bases loaded in the top of the ninth when Johnstown reliever Bryce Madden fanned the only batter he faced to close the game and set off a celebration near the mound and throughout the stands.
Mainline Pharmacy (6-0) claimed the 2025 AAABA Tournament championship and also won in 2023, as the team has three titles in the past four tournaments. Overall, Johnstown has four AAABA Tournament titles, including Martella’s Pharmacy’s win in 2018. Three of the four host city titles came in games against New Orleans, which has 18 championships and 14 runner-up finishes in 75 appearances.
Manager Chance Osborne’s team produced 10 hits against New Orleans to increase its tournament total to 63 hits — 16 for extra bases. Johnstown had a cumulative batting average of .320 in six wins and scored 52 runs.
Mainline Pharmacy second baseman Xander Richardson earned AAABA Tournament MVP honors after batting .562 (9-for16), with a double, a triple, one home run, three RBIs and eight runs scored. Richardson led the tournament in batting average most of the week until going 1-for-3 in the title game. He only struck out one time in 19 plate appearances.
New Orleans pitcher Robert “Trey” Turnage was named AAABA Tournament top pitcher after winning two games for the Boosters.
Johnstown center fielder Tanner Stroup was recognized as the AAABA Tournament RBI leader with 12. He also had a tourney-high three triples and took home The Tribune-Democrat local MVP honor.
Mainline Pharmacy pitcher Chase Williamson, who threw 3 2/3 innings in middle relief during the title game, tied for the tournament lead with 13 strikeouts. New Orleans pitchers Aidan Grab, who started in the championship game, and Micah Wascom each also fanned 13 hitters.
Johnstown pitcher Dom Delio also was among the tournament leaders with 10 strikeouts in seven innings against Buffalo in the semifinal round. Delio finished with 11 strikeouts overall after throwing an inning against Youngstown on the second day of the tourney.
Altoona-1 Imler Poultry second baseman Gavin Fowler took the tournament batting crown with a .600 average (9-for-15). Youngstown won the Sportsmanship Award.