Following a win Thursday night against Western Greenbrier, Princeton Little League baseball All-stars head coach Jerod Vipperman said his team had grit and it stepped up to the occasion.
Monday night back in Beckley, Vipperman’s team once again came up big.
Battling Western Greenbrier in an elimination game, Princeton scored three runs in each of the final two frames en route to a 7-1 win.
Princeton advances to the District 4 championship series Tuesday night against Central Greenbrier and secures a berth in the W.Va. Little League Baseball State Tournament played at Madison Little League starting July 19.
Both teams had scoring opportunities in the first inning, but failed to push a run across.
Western Greenbrier broke the scoreless tie in the bottom of the third inning on a single from Hunter Tincher scoring Kayden Hinkle for a 1-0 lead.
Princeton evened the game in the fourth when Josiah Tunstalle’s ground ball scored Kaleb Roberts, but the biggest blow came an inning later.
After scratching a run across to take a one-run lead, Parker Cottle ripped a two-out double scoring two more runs for a 4-1 advantage.
A two-run single from Kade Vipperman highlighted the three-run outburst in the sixth that made it a six run margin to put the game out of reach.
Sam Lambert held Western Greenbrier in check over five innings on the mound allowing only three hits, while striking out six.
Tunstalle and Elijah Thyng also had and RBI for Princeton.
Central Greenbrier needs one win to secure the District 4 title, while Princeton needs two wins. The championship game will start at 6 p.m.
