CHAMPION-- Youngstown Astro Falcons

RUNNER UP-- FTB Mid-Atlantic

BATTING CHAMPION-- Andrew Gault, Ohio Avalanche

MVP-- Carter Wilson, Astro Falcons

Championship Game Final Score-- Astro Falcons 11  FTB Mid-Atlantic 6

Struthers, OH – The 2022 NABF Junior World Series consisted of 15 teams that were from Maryland, Michigan, New York, Ohio, and Pennsylvania. The teams were split evenly into three pools and played each opponent once in pool play. The three pool winners and one wild card advanced to play in the Semi-Finals on Sunday morning. The Semis featured Creekside Fitness, who faced the wild card FTB - Mid Atlantic along with Astro Falcons and East Coast - Michigan. FTB defeated Creekside 5-1 while the Falcons shut down East Coast 4-0, setting up a championship between a pair of 4-1 teams.

The contest was a high-scoring affair with a total of 17 runs scored in the Falcons 11-6 victory over Mid Atlantic. After Astro starter Brendan Ray allowed a Colton Bordick RBI single in the first, the Falcons exploded for five runs in their half. Drew Kaschak led off the frame with a walk, and then Ryan DiLullo singled. Conner Rippo, Mid Atlantic starting pitcher, retired Carter Wilson, and Evan Tice, but would allow four consecutive RBI hits by Jake Schneider, Anthony Triveri, Kolten Ruark, and Ray. Rippo finally ended the frame by getting DiLullo to pop out to Colton Bordick at second.

Mid Atlantic added a tally in the second on a Mark Cap single, bringing Colton Bordick to score, which made it a 5-2 game in favor of the Falcons. That would be the closest FTB got since the Falcons sent nine to the plate during their half where six reached base and three scored on back-to-back hit-by-pitches and a Kaschak RBI knock off reliever Chase Tubbs.

Ray took care of FTB from the third to fifth innings even if a base runner reached in each frame for Mid Atlantic. Their best chance to score came in the fourth when pinch-hitter Brinden Floyd got aboard on a single, however, Ryland Yinger and Cap failed to bring him home. During the same first two innings of that stretch, the Falcons got a pair of runners on the base paths, which resulted in not cashing in and went down 1-2-3 in the fourth. Astro took a commanding 11-2 lead in the fifth after scoring three runs, two of them unearned, off Drew Branstetter, who was in his third inning of relief work.

Mid Atlantic finally got to Ray when they had a four-run sixth, which yanked the Astro starter out of the game. Bordick led off the inning with a walk, and Yinger drove him home on an RBI hit, and then Cap had his second RBI of the contest making it 11-4 Falcons. Two batters later, Bennett Secrest brought in a pair with a two-bagger, and now FTB was behind by 5 runs.

Branstetter kept the Falcons off the board in the sixth and Mid Atlantic had a tall task to come back in the seventh. Astro shut them down in the final inning to take home the 2022 NABF Junior World Series Championship.

The Falcons began celebrating on the field and proceeded to start the handshake line. Then, both teams stood on their respective baselines – Astro Falcons on the third base side and FTB - Mid Atlantic on the first base side – with the presentation of the Runners Up and Championship Trophies and medals. The presentation continued with the All-Tournament Team and the announcement of the Batting Champion and MVP. Andrew Gault of Ohio Avalanche was the Batting Campion after he hit .571 (8/14) with 4 R, 2 2B, and 4 RBI. Astro Falcons Carter Wilson won MVP due to hitting .368 (7/19) with 5 R, 2 2B, and 6 RBI while pitching once for 7 IP allowing 4 H, 0 R, 0 ER along with 8 SO in their Semi-final victory over East Coast - Michigan.