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Tunkhannock falls in Little League Softball World Series title game

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<p>TUNKHANNOCK &#8212; While many family and friends made the 2,761-mile trek from Tunkhannock to Portland, Oregon, to watch their hometown team in the Little League Softball World Series championship, the fans who couldn&#8217;t make it had to settle for the next best thing.</p><p>Residents flocked to the Dietrich Theater for a viewing party Wednesday night to watch the Tunkhannock girls softball team take on Wheelersburg, Ohio. (The game was broadcast live on ESPN.)</p><p>But before people could get inside and take their seat in front of the theater&#8217;s big screen, they had to wait &#8212; and then wait some more.</p><p>A long line of supporters had formed outside the Dietrich and onto the sidewalk of Tioga Street.</p><p>When the antsy fans finally got in their seats with popcorn in hand, they were treated to the remaining innings of the Phillies-Red Sox game.</p><p>As the crowd&#8217;s anticipation grew, chants of &#8220;I Believe That We Will Win&#8221; and &#8220;Tunkhannock Tigers&#8221; broke out.</p><p>&#8220;This whole run has been so amazing,&#8221; said Cale Newswanger, a board member for the Tunkhannock Little League. &#8220;These girls have been working hard for years and they have represented this small town greatly.&#8221;</p><p>All 215 seats in the historic theater were filled for the championship game, so employees encouraged kids to sit on the floor to cheer on their local favorites.</p><p>The Dietrich was almost at capacity Tuesday night when Tunkhannock defeated Lake Oswego, Oregon, in the semi-finals, according to Newswanger.</p><p>&#8220;This is an amazing experience that not only the girls will remember but everyone from Tunkhannock,&#8221; he said.</p><p>Finally, when the game started, the crowd grew louder and louder as each pitch was delivered. People were screaming, jumping, high-fiving and just generally excited for every aspect of the game.</p><p>No one in the crowd was more excited than Randy Robinson, the grandfather of Tunkhannock&#8217;s Piper Robinson.</p><p>&#8220;I&#8217;m so proud of my granddaughter and her teammates,&#8221; said Robinson, 63, of Tunkhannock. &#8220;She brought a tear to my eye at the beginning of the tournament and she will bring a tear to my eye tonight no matter the outcome.&#8221;</p><p>Robinson has religiously followed the 13-girl softball team&#8217;s journey from the start of the season all the way up to Wednesday night&#8217;s championship.</p><p>&#8220;They have been really fun to watch,&#8221; he said. &#8220;Each round these girls have gone through, you could see that they were getting better and truly playing as a team.&#8221;</p><p>In between each inning, the raucous crowd chanted: &#8220;Here We Go Tigers, Here We Go!&#8221;</p><p>Robinson commended the town on embracing the girls&#8217; journey and for helping raise money to allow the girls to travel to Oregon.</p><p>&#8220;Without the town&#8217;s help and local business owners&#8217; help, the team would not have had the finances to travel,&#8221; Tunkhannock Little League treasurer Chris DeMarco said.</p><p>The Little League has already planned a celebratory parade for Saturday.</p><p>&#8220;We are just so proud of them no matter the outcome,&#8221; DeMarco said. &#8220;They have inspired so many people in this town.&#8221;</p><p>Unfortunately, Tunkhannock&#8217;s title dream came up just short. For complete coverage of the game, see page 1B.</p><style>
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<div class="neCaption">The Dietrich Theater in Tunkhannock was packed Wednesday night for a viewing party featuring the Tunkhannock girls Little League Softball World Series championship game. Unfortunately, the hometown team came up a bit short, losing 3-0 to Ohio. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/web1_Image-4.jpg</photo0><caption0>The Dietrich Theater in Tunkhannock was packed Wednesday night for a viewing party featuring the Tunkhannock girls Little League Softball World Series championship game. Unfortunately, the hometown team came up a bit short, losing 3-0 to Ohio. </caption0><photoCredit0>Dan Stokes | Times Leader </photoCredit0></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/web1_Image-7.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Tunkhannock softball fans pack the Dietrich Theater on Wednesday night to watch the Little League Softball World Series championship game on the theater&#8217;s big screen. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo1>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/web1_Image-7.jpg</photo1><caption1>Tunkhannock softball fans pack the Dietrich Theater on Wednesday night to watch the Little League Softball World Series championship game on the theater&#8217;s big screen. </caption1><photoCredit1>Dan Stokes | Times Leader </photoCredit1></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/web1_Image-2-4.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Randy Robinson, grandfather of Tunkhannock softball player Piper Robinson, waits for Wednesday night&#8217;s championship game to start during a viewing party at the Dietrich Theater in Tunkhannock. The game was broadcast live on ESPN. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo2>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/web1_Image-2-4.jpg</photo2><caption2>Randy Robinson, grandfather of Tunkhannock softball player Piper Robinson, waits for Wednesday night&#8217;s championship game to start during a viewing party at the Dietrich Theater in Tunkhannock. The game was broadcast live on ESPN. </caption2><photoCredit2>Dan Stokes | Times Leader </photoCredit2></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Dan Stokes</p><p>dstokes@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach Dan Stokes at 570-991-6389 or on Twitter @ByDanStokes</p></shirttailMeta></div>

Going wild for their girls: Tunkhannock in tizzy for Wednesday’s title tilt