HAZLE TOWNSHIP – That magic potion - which seems to be a part of Franklin Township’s 8-10-year-old Little League All-Star team throughout the majority of the District 18 Tournament - was back in the dugout Monday night.

And just in the nick of time.

Facing an elimination from further play, this band of stars made sure the title streak continued.

For a third-straight summer, the kids from Franklin got to hoist the District 18 banner when it hung on for a scintillating 3-0 decision over Valley East.

It was the deciding game of a best-of-three series between the South Division champs (Franklin) and the North Division champs (Valley East).

After rolling through the South double-elimination tournament and then beating East in Thursday’s series opener, Franklin suffered a rare stumble on Saturday as Valley East evened the series.

With its margin for error erased and its back to the wall, Franklin never flinched. It scored solo runs in the first and second innings, then tacked one on for good measure in the top of the sixth to stifle any last-chance comeback hopes Valley East may have been entertaining.

The Blood Hounds were chomping at the bit from the start. They received a sterling effort from winning pitcher Myles Meek, who tossed five-and-a-third innings of shutout baseball before giving way to reliever Jakoby Andrews, who picked up the save with nary a threat.

Meek and Andrews were also at the forefront when it came to hitting. Both collected a pair of hits, with the latter also driving in the first run.

Meek delivered his best barrel-up of the tournament to lead off the game with a booming triple, and rode home on Andrews’ infield hit.

The Blood Hounds also sniffed out a run in the second. Bryson Brungard singled and the hustling catcher - who was flawless throughout the tournament behind the plate - swiped a pair of bases and alertly raced home on a wild pitch to make it 2-0.

Thereafter, pitching dominated. Losing pitcher Brandon Schrader was nothing short of steller for his side. He rang up eight strikeouts, allowed just four hits and did not issue a walk.

“It was a well-played game by both teams,” said Franklin manager Travis Hunsicker. “Both pitchers were outstanding. When you get two young pitchers who go into the six inning, that says a lot about how good they were. We just found a way to be better at the right time.”

Indeed, that was the case.

Valley East did brew up one serious scoring threat. It managed just three hits off Meek, but got two of those in the second and seemed ready to bust through for at least one run.

But the young Franklin Township southpaw stayed the course and escaped the jam with some help from his defense.

East’s Jake Astorino launched a shot in left center as Gabe Tidwell, who singled to lead off the inning for East, came flying past second base on the hit. Franklin’s Jayce Graham nearly came up with a web gem as he just missed catching Astorino’s hit. However, center fielder Christian Snyder backed up Graham and made the play of the game with an alert backup and throw to relay man Miles Mann at shortstop, who then turned and pegged out Tidwell.

It was textbook baseball for sure.

That effort seemed to liven up Meek and his teammates as East would barely threaten thereafter.

“I can’t say enough about the entire team, the way they react, the way they played every inning,” Hunsicker said.

The Blood Hounds added the coup de grace with another run to put a deep cushion in their favor in the top of the sixth. There was one out when Dean Kuhns coaxed a walk, and Grant Hunter lined a shot to right, which was misplayed as Kuhns churned around the bases to score the third and final run of the game.

“Everyone contributed, and that’s what makes a winner, no one player can do it all,” Hunsicker said.

PITCHING AND PITCHING … Both starting pitchers were standouts before departing in the sixth inning after reaching their pitch count limits. Meek tossed 78 pitches, with 48 of them strikes. Schrader threw 78 pitches as well - 53 in the zone.

WEB GEMS … Meek had a pair of standout defensive plays on come-backers to the mound. Franklin’s first baseman Andrews made the A-list with his fieldling play in the first. Smooth at shortstop were Franklin’s Mann and Valley East’s Caden Winder.

UP NEXT … Franklin will open section play next Monday in Bucks County at the Council Rock Little League complex.

Franklin Twp. 110 001 - 3 5 0

Valley East 000 000 - 0 3 3

Schrader, Winder (6) and Tidwell; Meek, Andrews (6) and Brungard; W - Meek. L - Schrader.