Good hitting teams always take advantage of its opponent when given extra outs.

The Franklin Township 10-11 Year Old all-star team didn't have its best day defensively during its rematch against Valley East in the District 18 championship.Franklin committed six errors in the field, which helped Valley East score in every inning. Despite a late surge, Valley East fended off Franklin Township and earned the District 18 title, 12-7."We made a couple of mistakes and they (Valley East) capitalized on it," explained Franklin Township head coach Ron Steigerwalt. "They (Valley East) got the key hits and the breaks went their way. Even so, our kids never gave up no matter what happened. We played well, hit the ball hard, and we are all proud of them."East got the sticks going early, as Josh Scholl, Kyle Peters, Nico Stancato, and Johnathan Joseph all drove in runs during the opening frame. Joseph also smacked an opposite field two-RBI double late in the contest."He put the ball in play a few times with runners in scoring position, Valley East assistant coach Mike Joseph said. "I thought his double to right-center was big because it gave us some momentum back. The first time we played them (FT), we scored 10 runs in the first inning. Tonight we got off to another great start offensively, played solid defense, and never relinquished the lead and I thought that was big."The early lead seemed to put East starting-pitcher Jeff Carswell into a rhythm. Carswell struck out four and walked just one during his four frames of work."He pitched against them (FT) in the first game, and also got a save against Valley West," explained Joseph. "He really fought out there tonight. He had a rough second inning, but I thought he was terrific during the middle innings."Although Franklin totaled seven runs on 10 hits during the game, it left runners stranded on base in critical situations. Leaving runners on base wasn't an issue for Tret Solt, who put his power on display in the second inning - as he crushed an opposite field two-run blast that kept Franklin in the game."Everyone picks everyone else up on this team," said Steigerwalt. "The middle of the lineup has been solid throughout the tournament. All of the kids are helping each other and getting along no matter what the outcome is. They're out there staying in the game and they never put their heads down."Franklin Township leadoff hitter Richie Failla contributed toward a late rally with an RBI double in the fifth and a single that drove in another in the final frame. Jack Lorenz was another standout, going 3-for-3 from the dish with a triple, two doubles, and one RBI."You have to give credit to Franklin Township," said Valley East head coach Frank Stancato. "They hit the ball hard and got a few shots on us. We got the ball in (from the outfield) and kept the runners where they should be (left) on base which was big."It was East's well-rounded offense and discipline in the field that made them so difficult to beat not only yesterday, but also throughout its championship run.Stancato's squad also tallied 10 hits in the contest, but the inefficient Franklin fielding helped create extra offensive opportunities for his team."We have a lot of versatility on this team," said Stancato. "We have a lot of good outfielders and infielders. They're a tough group of kids, they always play hard, and they sure came to play tonight."Franklin Twp. 030 031 - 7 10 6Valley East 412 41x - 12 10 3Armbruster, Miller (2), Lutz (4) and Lorenz; Carswell, Stancato (5) and Palmeri. W - Carswell. L - Armbruster. HR - FT: Solt (second inning, one on).