It was a pitcher's duel right up to point the wheels fell off on the Franklin defense.

Meadville/Vernon 8-10 year olds can bunt, and it was a bunt that ignited a big fourth inning for loser's bracket champs.

​And they never looked back going on to a 8-2 win behind the fine pitching of Emmett Redden, who pitched all but the last out and the only two Franklin runs.

The win forces the if necessary game tonight at 6 p.m. back on the Bradford Little League fields.

​Winner take all. The next round requires a trip to Dallas, not Texas, but a little town over in the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre area of the state.

See more photos below and at ​sayerrich.zenfolio.com/p1021981939.

They took down Titusville 8-0, New Bethlehem 9-3, Oil City/Cranberry 3-2 and Clarion 3-1.

​That set up a rematch with Butler who won the first matchup 8-0.

Their bats weren't exactly silenced against Butler this time but they struggled to score runs. 

​Butler scored all their three runs in the first inning and Franklin scattered a few base runners across the rest of the innings losing 3-1 in the end.

Franklin had a couple opportunities, but Butler pitcher Nate Gilkey found a way to shut each one down including a bases loaded ground out  to first of Franklin's top hitter.

"(Gilkey) pitched a great game yesterday and during our first game against them, we just couldn’t execute when we had base runners," said coach Matt Carll. "We had six hits but unfortunately we couldn’t string anything together."

Franklin's only run came on a Hunter Carll single that plated Tucker Montgomery in the fourth.
"We thought that we were going to break loose in the last inning with the top of the lineup," coach Carll said, but Gilkey retired the first two batters before Korbyn Sires drilled a doubled giving the Franklin squad hope. But Gilkey again dug his heels in and the game ended on a routine infield grounder.

"Unfortunately we didn’t pull off the win but the kids did so well working their way up to this game .I’m not going to lie, it was difficult to see them work so hard and lose that game. This is such a talented group of players and I can’t wait to see their future in the game of baseball and with their future endeavors," Carll said.

Franklin youth baseball, from the parents, coaches and community is dedicated to seeing the possibilities for these young players.

"I think it’s going to be exciting to watch them continue to develop," Carll noted adding his respect and admiration for the coaches. "I would like to highlight how committed and hard the other coaches, Ben Barrett and Scott Milliron, worked to prepare this team. Additionally, the support of the parents and other coaches who would help out during the long practices. We would have 4-5 additional parents and coaches helping out at most practices. This is a reflection of our great baseball community here in Franklin. Another example of that is that our players are redirecting their efforts and give their support to our (8-10 year-old) all-star team as they move forward to sectionals."