JAMISON – This one got away early.

The easy plays were not made, and the tough plays got tougher.

Franklin Township’s shining All-Stars had a rough go of things Tuesday in the winner’s bracket final of the four-team 8-10-year-old Section 6 Little League Tournament.

Unable to get out of its own way at times, Township stumbled early and the end result was a 14-3 loss to an outstanding Newtown team.

The difference was on display early. When Newtown put the ball in play, which was often, the Maroon Marauders just didn’t seem their selves.

Normally a sure-handed defensive team, the District 18 champions just couldn’t make the plays they had become so accustomed to making.

“We weren’t ourselves - in the pregame - that’s for sure,” said Franklin Township manager Ben Moyer. “Oh, that team is very, very good we played.

“But we came in tight. We didn’t even look like ourselves when we were taking grounders before the game.”

The top of the first said it all Newton scored four runs - taking advantage of four errors by Township. The District 30 champs outhit the Maroon Marauders, 13-5, drilled a double and triple and when opportunities were handed to them, they pounced like a cat on the chances.

After batting around in the first inning, Newtown pulled off another four-run rally in the top of the third. Again, Franklin Township lost its focus with two more muffs as the winners pushed the margin to 8-0.

Gamely, Franklin Township didn’t stow the bats away. It produced a fruitful two-run rally in the home third as Jake Kistner got things rolling by drawing a walk, Ethan Laible reached on an error before Roman White’s single loaded the bases. Owen “Big O” Moyer and Carter Spotts then both brought in runs with groundouts.

That rally gave the Maroon Marauders hopes. They looked as if they were finding in a groove and starting to look like the Franklin Township team that was dominate in getting to this point of the All-Star postseason.

But much to its credit, Newtown came flying back in its next two at bats - posting back-to-back three-run innings.

In the fourth, Ethan Leavy two-run hit was the key blow. In the fifth, Ty Neel smoked a triple and Santino Longo singled home two runs,

Franklin Township wasn’t going down silently. White picked up his second hit of the game with one out in the bottom of the fifth. After a pop out for the second out, Spotts laid into a fastball driving it into the gap in right center for an RBI triple. But Spotts over-slid the bag at third and was tagged for final out of Newtown’s mercy-rule victory.

“We’re going to be OK,” manager Moyer said. “We just got to get back to being ourselves … we a good team.”

AT THE DISH … White and Myles Meek led Franklin in the hitting department with two hits apiece. Newtown - the District 30 champion - was extremely aggressive in their approaches at the plate. Four different batters had multi-hit game. Neel singled and doubled, while Braydon Piffer, Dean Hamilton and Noah Scholes all had a pair of singles.

LEATHER NECKERS … Some terrific plays were made on both sides of the ledger. Franklin shortstop Laible came up with a dynamic play in the fifth. However, the play of the day, and perhaps the tournament, came from Newtown’s right fielder Scholes in the bottom of the fifth sliding to his knees on a fast-sinking liner that Laible peppered to rob him of a sure hit.

UP NEXT … Franklin Township remains alive in the double-elimination tournament. It plays at 6 this evening against familiar foe Lehigh - the District 20 champs. Lehigh ousted Stroudsburg 9-3 last evening in a loser’s bracket game.

Newtown 404 33 - 14 13 2

Franklin Twp. 002 01 - 3 5 9

Longo, Hamilton (3) and Uhi; Laible, Meek (4) and Spotts. W - Longo. L - Laible.