By Matt Michelone

For the Mirror

CRESSON — Thursday night’s Dean Patterson Little World Series featured a matchup that went down to the wire and another one that ended quickly.

When it comes down to it, late East End entry Kabello’s Contracting will meet Altoona’s Holsinger Plumbing in Saturday’s championship at 8 p.m. at the Sankertown VFW Field.

Kabello’s started the evening winning a back-and-forth affair with Altoona qualifier L.S. Fiore, 8-4.

Kabello’s entered the tournament after Greenwood Meadows was unable to participate.

“This season has been difficult for us,” Kabello’s coach Jeff Frye said. “We got several injured players back at the end of the season, and we’re playing good ball.”

Kabello’s put its first two runners on to start the game, and then after Khyaire Hall scored on a wild pitch, Liam Winters drove in Bryson Miller on a single for an early 2-0 lead.

Keagyn Cassidy and Vinnie Hite answered in the bottom of the first with an RBI single and a double, respectively, to tie the game at two.

Kabello’s put the game away in the fourth as it scored three runs and from there. the team was able to hang on for a victory.

“A lot of good fundamental baseball,” Frye said. “The kids wanted it, and it showed on the field. These kids listen, they practice hard, and it’s a pleasure to be their coach.”

Holsinger Plumbing — in the nightcap — had two outs in the bottom of the second, but that didn’t stop the bats from going to work, and scoring in droves. That resulted in a 15-0 win over Sheetz from East End in two innings.

The 15-run rule was activated in the second inning as a result of a rule change that started during this year’s tournament after having been a three-inning rule. That was something that surprised Holsinger Plumbing coach Brian Farabaugh.

“I completely forgot that they changed the rule,” he said. “For us to get that many runs with two outs, that’s pretty impressive. These guys hit the ball hard up and down the lineup.”

The explosion started with an RBI double by Dan Lechner to help put Holsinger up 7-0. That was later followed by a Taden Pincherri two-run double to the outfield to put the winners up 13-0.

Lechner put the game on ice as he registered a two-run single as his team captured its spot in Saturday’s championship.

“I’ve had most of these kids since they were five-, six-years old,” Farabaugh said. “These kids are just phenomenal kids, and they work so hard. I can’t say enough about them.”

L.S. Fiore and Sheetz will meet in the consolation game at 6 p.m.

KABELLO CONTRACTING 8, L.S. FIORE 4

SCORE BY INNINGS

Kabello’s 200 312 – 8 10 0

L.S. Fiore 200 200 – 4 5 3

Multiple hits – Kh. Hall 2, Winters 2 (KC); Hite 2, Cassidy 3 (LSF). 2B – Barnes (KC); Hite (LSF). RBI – Hertzler, Bordack (KC); Cassidy, Hite (LSF).

HOLSINGER PLUMBING 15, SHEETZ 0

SCORE BY INNINGS

Sheetz 00X XXX – 0 2 0

Holsinger’s 5(10)X XXX – 15 13 0

Multiple hits – Lechner 2, T. Farabaugh 2, N. Farabaugh 2, X. Farabaugh 2. 2B – Lechner 2, Pincheri. RBI – Lechner 4, Gority 2, T. Farabaugh, N. Farabaugh, X. Farabaugh 3, Pincheri.