Travis Hunsicker had mixed emotions after his Franklin Township 12 squad captured the Panther Valley Little League 11-12 tournament championship Sunday night.

On the one hand, the feeling was great to go undefeated and close out the title with a convincing 14-4 victory over Jim Thorpe’s 11-year-old club.

But on the other hand, it marked the last time this team was competing together.

“It’s bittersweet,” said Hunsicker. “You never want to end your Little League career. Little League is awesome. But we won our last game to win a tournament, and that was our goal coming into this.

“The kids have been playing together since they’ve been 5 years old, the same group of kids ... They played awesome. Seven games in the tournament, and we probably averaged about 15 hits a game. All-around, the kids played well. They were relaxed fundamentally, on offense, defense, pitching. They did a great job.”

Franklin actually trailed twice in Sunday’s contest, by scores of 2-0 and 4-2, but a huge bottom of the second inning proved to be the difference.

In a frame typical of what they’ve done throughout the tournament, every player in the lineup contributed to a 10-run outburst.

In fact, during one stretch, nine straight batters reached base - six with hits and three with walks.

Noah McGinley started the uprising with a ringing double to right-center. One out later, Cash White singled McGinley home. After a walk to Alex Bedocs, Parker Rodgers ripped a base hit up the middle to plate White. An error on the play allowed Bedocs to race in with the go-ahead run.

Brian Mriss and Aiden McCarroll both delivered two-run singles later in the inning, while a wild pitch brought home the final run that pushed the advantage to 12-4.

“We haven’t (trailed much in the tourney),” said Hunsicker. “Give them credit. Jim Thorpe 11s, they’ve got a future there with those kids. They hit the ball hard the first two innings. We kind of settled in a little bit and had a big bottom of the second inning.

“That’s what we’ve been doing the past seven to 10 days. We’ve been hitting the ball one through nine all over the field. The entire team has been hitting the ball. It’s easy to play baseball when that happens. We have 12 players who have been here for this tournament ... and all 12 contributed to our wins, which is awesome.”

While everyone contributed in the title-clinching contest, a couple players especially had good games.

McGinley went 3-for-3 and scored two runs. He also had the only extra-base hits, collecting a pair of doubles. Rodgers reached base four times with two hits, a walk and a hit batter. He scored twice and had an RBI. Rodgers also tossed two scoreless innings, striking out four in the process.

“McGinley had three hits tonight, and he’s been hitting the ball great the last 2-3 days,” said Hunsicker. “Parker, in the middle of our lineup, he can hit the ball hard. He’s a great kid. At first base, he catches everything there and then I can bring him to the mound and he’s intimidating out there. And he throws hard.”

Franklin also received three hits, a run and an RBI from Chase Llewellyn, while Braylon Hunsicker added a hit, two runs and an RBI. In all, nine different players had hits.

The overall team effort not only contributed to a title, but it also helped erase the way their previous tournament ended.

“Coming off districts, we had back-to-back losses there,” said Hunsicker. “We made it to the winner’s bracket final and lost, and then the loser’s bracket final and lost. So, our first game in this tournament was a tight game and we won (8-7), and then we kind of settled in and relaxed after that.”

THORPE HITTERS ... For JT, Lucas Knopf and Dominic Calcano both had a hit and an RBI, while Kade Levan, Marshall Domski and Bryce McElmoyle all added a hit and a run.

DEFENSIVE GEM ... Catcher Brayden Ulshafer picked off a runner at first in the fourth inning, firing a strike to Llewellyn to record an out.

Jim Thorpe 11 2 2 0 0 - 4 6 3

Franklin 12 2(10)1 1 - 14 13 1

Levan, Domski (2), Skrimcovsky (3) and Knopf; White, Rodgers (3) and Atwood, Ulshafer (3). W - White. L - Levan.