LL ALL-STARS VIE FOR DISTRICT TITLE

There's been a whole lot of pitching goin' on as area baseball and softball teams compete in district playoffs, hoping to earn berths in the state championship tournament later this month. Above is the hard-throwing Ethan Hite, a Potter-McKean Little League (ages 11-12) baseball all-star. In the center, Brielle Whitman has taken her softball pitching talent from the varsity level to the summer Senior Little League scene. At right, Shinglehouse's Dylan Buchholz dishes one up for the Potter-McKean 9- and 10-year-old all-stars during district playoff competition. Paul Burdick photos

Potter-McKean Little League baseball all-stars have advanced to the Pa. District 15 championship game. Results of Thursday night's title clash were not available at press time.

A 3-1 win over Susquehanna City on the diamond at Shinglehouse propelled P-M into the showdown.

Excellent pitching and solid defense were the keys. Ethan Hite lasted 5 1/3 innings, pitching his way out of several jams with key strikeouts.

Hite yielded to Cory Burr, got the save by recording the final two outs.

Alex Miller drilled a twoout, two-run double in the bottom of the second inning to give Potter-McKean all the runs it would need.

Ben Clark collected two hits and made a couple of nice defensive plays in left field for the winners.

After dispatching Susquehanna City with a sigh of relief, Potter-McKean was able to sit back and await its next foe to emerge from the District 15 losers' bracket.

Each all-star teams hopes to qualify for a berth in the Pa. State Championships at the end of the month and, potentially, a berth in the Little League World Series.

Potter-McKean last won a state championship in 1953.