D38 champs
Falconer shuts out Fredonia for 10-12 title
Falconer's Noah Nelson delivers to the plate during Wednesday's District 38 10-12 Little League All-Star tournament final against Fredonia in Westfield. P-J photo by Ashleigh Brown
Falconer's Andrew Youngberg stretches for an out before Fredonia's Bruno Muscarella can reach first base during Wednesday's District 38 10-12 Little League All-Star tournament final in Westfield. P-J photo by Ashleigh Brown
Falconer poses with the championship banner after beating Fredonia 4-0 in the District 38 10-12 Little League All-Star tournament championship game Wednesday in Westfield. P-J photo by Ashleigh Brown
Falconer's Noah Nelson delivers to the plate during Wednesday's District 38 10-12 Little League All-Star tournament final against Fredonia in Westfield. P-J photo by Ashleigh Brown
Falconer's Andrew Youngberg stretches for an out before Fredonia's Bruno Muscarella can reach first base during Wednesday's District 38 10-12 Little League All-Star tournament final in Westfield. P-J photo by Ashleigh Brown
Falconer poses with the championship banner after beating Fredonia 4-0 in the District 38 10-12 Little League All-Star tournament championship game Wednesday in Westfield. P-J photo by Ashleigh Brown
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WESTFIELD -- Noah Nelson threw 5 1-3 innings of four-hit ball with eight strikeouts and just one walk to lead Falconer to a 4-0 victory over Fredonia in the championship game of the District 38 10-12 Little League All-Star tournament Wednesday.
The 10-12 title is Falconer's first since 2024 and second since 2013. Some of this group of Falconer players also won 8-10 titles in 2022 and 2024.
Falconer took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning. Jayce Stewart led off with a single, went to second on Nelson's bunt single and scored on Aiden Rhinehart's RBI single to left field.
Falconer then added its final three runs in the bottom of the fifth. Ayden Faulkner, Owen Dickerson and Coby Brooks drew consecutive walks to open the frame before Fredonia was able to throw out a runner at the plate for the first out. With the bases still loaded, Lucas Arrance and Vinnie Ribaudo drew back-to-back walks to make it 3-0. Mason Simon followed with an RBI single to right field for the final run.
That was plenty for Nelson, who walked a batter in the first inning, allowed a two-out single in the second and gave up a leadoff single in the third. Fredonia then picked up a one-out single in the fourth, but the runner was erased on a double play.
Nelson retired Fredonia in order in the fifth, but ran into trouble in the sixth as he approached his pitch-count limit. With one out, Coleman Brown singled to center field and Colton Marsh reached on an error to put two runners on base. Stewart then relieved and induced a flyout to center field before striking out the final Fredonia batter of the game.
Nelson had two hits while Stewart, Rhinehart and Simon each added a single for Falconer.
For Fredonia, Rocco Bongiovanni, Sebastian Cerrie, Brown and Marsh each had a single. Dominic Carapella and Bongiovanni combined on a five-hitter with five strikeouts.