Then, like area residents setting off fireworks for the Fourth of July holiday, Williamsport Area’s bats ignited and fireworks of its own happened.

Jordan Swigart got a hold of a pitch on an 0-1 count and drilled a double deep into centerfield and just like that, Williamsport Area went from trailing 1-0 to leading 2-1 and the runs kept pouring in from that point on. Williamsport Area batted around the lineup in the sixth inning en route to defeating a talented Muncy team on Friday at Hepburn Lycoming, 9-4.

“I expect him to do that. I really do. I expect Jordan to be the guy we want in that situation. Very good swing on the ball. We did not have good at bats tonight. We didn’t stack quality at bats together and their pitcher threw strikes. Credit to him. If you’re going to throw strikes and force a team to make hits, and we simply did not attack the ball tonight,” Williamsport Area manager Ryan Miller said. “It was not the type of team that we had, not the type of team I expect to have out there, but credit to Muncy. They had a good pitcher who threw strikes and he made us sweat on that one.

“Honestly, if Jordan doesn’t have that hit there we’re talking about a different scenario and we’re in the loser’s bracket, but you find a way to win every time. It doesn’t matter how you win it, it might be ugly — tonight was certainly ugly –I think we’re a lot better than how we played, but we found a way to win,” Miller said. “I said it’s a big win because you guys found a way to deal with the adversity we had tonight and they came through. That was a lot of fun at the end, but it was not fun for the first five innings of that game.”

RALPH WILSON/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Williamsport's Ryan Zay backs up at the plate and attempts to tag Muncy's Niko Fabiano during a Little League Majors tournament game on Friday at the Hepburn-Lycoming field. Williamsport won 9-4.

Williamsport Area’s Gianni Taddeo and Trey Carnevale both drew walks and reached third and second, respectively, on wild pitches. But a line-drive to third and a strikeout put two outs on the board and the game in Swigart’s bat.

And Swigart delivered maybe his biggest hit of the District 12 tournament so far when he drilled a shot to center. Once those two runs scored, Williamsport Area swung momentum and kept adding on more runs. That included Ryan Zay drilling a home run over the left field fence for two runs and a 6-1 lead after both Swigart and Ryder Tate scored on wild pitches.

Once the final out was recorded on a runner caught stealing, Williamsport had scored nine runs and took a 9-1 lead over Muncy.

But Muncy never laid down in that sixth inning and even with an ace like Swigart in relief on the mound, Muncy kept battling and plated three runs in the sixth in a comeback attempt.

“Just compete, right? That’s all we were trying to do. We were basically one strike away and Jordan got a curveball and hit it. Just continue to compete. We could have easily laid down but we came back here and got three on them,” Muncy manager Justin Snyder said. “Williamsport has not given up a hit in their first two games and we were able to get two in the bottom of the sixth. The biggest takeaway is competing, that’s what I’m proud of them for. Not giving up and laying down. We had two major teams who were battling back and we went head to head with one of the best teams in the district. I couldn’t be more proud of them.”

RALPH WILSON/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Muncy's Mason Shaffer throws during a Little League Majors tournament game against Williamsport on Friday at the Hepburn-Lycoming field. Williamsport won 9-4.

Muncy’s Ryan Guglielmi was walked to start the sixth before Myles Jumper struck out. Then, Brantly Snyder connected on a hard double up the gap at second and a batter later, Mason Shaffer drilled a deep double into center for two runs. Shaffer would then score on an error to cut the deficit to 9-4.

Muncy scored the game’s first run in the second inning when Nico Fabiano reached on a dropped third strike and would later find home thanks to a passed ball.

Williamsport Area did excellent defensively those first five innings against Muncy — not allowing a hit until the sixth — but Williamsport Area’s bats were quieted those first five by pitcher Mason Shafer, who went a batter into the sixth before reaching the 85-pitch mark.

“Shaffer, he’s a complete competitor. The way he pitched, that’s Mr. Consistency all year. We had it right where we wanted, we wanted to bring in Myles (Jumper) who had a little bit off speed,” Snyder said. “One strike away and it happened. Brought Brantley (Snyder) in, did good but gave up a couple hits and they put one over. Besides that, how they competed all game is what I’m proud of.”

Williamsport had just two hits the first five innings: a single by Sebastian Sanders in the third and a single by Joseph Cochran in the fifth. But Muncy never let Williamsport score in those two innings. That includes when Shaffer delivered a huge strikeout in the bottom of the third with Williamsport having bases loaded thanks to back-to-back walks after Sanders’ single. In the fifth, Williamsport had two runners on base before a ground out ended the inning, preventing the game-tying run from scoring.

RALPH WILSON/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Williamsport's Ryan Zay throws during a Little League Majors tournament game against Muncy on Friday at the Hepburn-Lycoming field. Williamsport won 9-4.

“Our pitchers threw great tonight. Ryan (Zay) and Jordan (Swigart) are our No. 1 and No. 2 guys, Ryan attacked the strikezone and that’s what I wanted to see tonight. He kept them off balance and threw hard, they weren’t hitting the ball, but it doesn’t matter if you’re not scoring runs,” Miller said. “Going into the sixth inning I said this is a learning lesson one way or another. Either we’re going to struggle here and not get a run and lose this game 1-0 or find a way to battle through it and win the game. Our guys battled. Down to the last two strikes, Jordan has a hit there and we get nine runs with two outs. We found a way to battle through that and again, credit to Muncy. I mean, they came out there and they weren’t scared. … They believed they could win the game. Our guys, credit to them, they found a way to battle through it and found a way.”

Shaffer ended the game for Muncy throwing 89 total pitches after five complete innings and one batter into the sixth with eight strikeouts under his belt and two singles allowed. Zay threw 3 1/3 innings with seven strikeouts before Swigart closed the game out with 2 2/3 of outstanding baseball, striking out eight in that span with two hits allowed.

Williamsport Area was led by Cochran and Sebastian Sanders, who both had two hits as Cochran was 2 for 3 with a triple and a run and Sanders went 2 for 2 with an RBI, walk and stolen base. Zay had a home run with two RBIs, Gaige Miller went 1 for 3 with a double, two stolen bases, an RBI and run, Swigart was 1 for 3 with a double and two RBIs. Ryder Tate, Ethan Sims, Noah Roudabush, Gianni Taddeo (two) and Carenvale (two) each walked.

Muncy’s two hits came from Snyder (1 for 3, run) and Mason Shaffer (1 for 3, double, two RBIs, run). Ryan Guglielmi was walked twice while Landen Adkins, Karson Schneider, Fabiano, Cooney and Ryan Charles all were walked too.

Despite the loss, Snyder was glad to see his team battle until that final out despite giving up a lead late and trailing by eight.

RALPH WILSON/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Muncy's infield meets on the mound during a Little League Majors tournament game against Williamsport on Friday at the Hepburn-Lycoming field. Williamsport won 9-4.

“That basically is what it comes down to. Twelve year olds Mason Shaffer, Brantly Snyder, Liam Cooney, Carson Snyder and Nico Fabiano are in the dugout telling everyone to keep coming up. Ryan Charles is another one. The kid’s just battled,” Snyder said. “Like I said, I’ll take this all day with (how they were) competing with two major teams. Ryan Miller is one heck of a baseball coach and I could not be more proud of how they competed against Williamsport.”

And for Miller and Williamsport Area, he’s glad to see his team face some adversity after two wins where his team didn’t give up a hit and never trailed.

“That was a game where typically if you don’t have a strong mental team, you’re going to lose that game because you think we’re down, they have a chance to compete in the last inning,” Miller said. “I said listen I don’t care what results are, it’s 1-0, I want to see you battle in last inning and they found a way. You had bottom of lineup that found a way to get on base and gave top of lineup a chance to hit. That’s what it came down to and I’m excited about our chances (on Tuesday).”

Williamsport Area will face Loyalsock at Loyalsock on Tuesday at 8 p.m. in the winners’ bracket final while Muncy will have to face Keystone at Beech Creek on Sunday at 5:45 p.m. in an elimination contest.

Williamsport Area 9, Muncy 4

RALPH WILSON/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Muncy's Karson Schneider waits on the ball as Williamsport's Joseph Cochran slides into third during a Little League Majors tournament game on Friday at the Hepburn-Lycoming field. Williamsport won 9-4.

Williamsport Area 000 009 — 9 7 2

Muncy 010 003 — 4 2 1

Ryan Zay, Jordan Swigart (5) and Ryder Tate. Mason Shaffer, Myles Jumper (6), Brantly Snyder (6), Nico Fabiano (6) and Liam Cooney. W: Swigart. L: Jumper.

Top Williamsport Area hitters: Joseph Cochran 2-3, 3B, run; Sebastian Sanders 2-2, RBI, BB, SB; Ryan Zay 1-3, HR, 2 RBIs, run; Gaige Miller 1-3, 2B, 2 SBs, RBI, run; Jordan Swigart 1-3, 2B, 2 RBIs, run; Ryder Tate, BB, run; Ethan Sims BB, run; Noah Roudabush BB; Gianni Taddeo 2 BB, run; Trey Carnevale 2 BBs, run. Top Muncy hitters: Brantly Snyder 1-3, run; Mason Shaffer 1-3, 2B, 2 RBIs, run; Liam Cooney BB; Ryan Charles BB; Nico Fabiano run; Karson Schneider BB; Landen Adkins BB; Ryan Guglielmi 2 BBs.

Next game: Muncy vs. Keystone at Beach Creek, Sunday, 5:45 p.m. (elimination game); Williamsport Area at Loyalsock, Tuesday, 8 p.m. (winners’ bracket final).

RALPH WILSON/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Muncy catcher Liam Cooney makes the tag on Williamsport's Joseph Cochran at home during a Little League Majors tournament game on Friday at the Hepburn-Lycoming field. Williamsport won 9-4.

RALPH WILSON/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Muncy's Karson Schneider attempts a play on Williamsport's Gianni Taddeo during a Little League Majors tournament game on Friday at the Hepburn-Lycoming field. Williamsport won 9-4.

RALPH WILSON/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Muncy's Brantley Snyder backs up at the plate and attempts a tag on Williamsport's Jordan Swigart during a Little League Majors tournament game on Friday at the Hepburn-Lycoming field. Williamsport won 9-4.

RALPH WILSON/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Williamsport's Hayden Damschroder crosses the plate during a Little League Majors tournament game on Friday at the Hepburn-Lycoming field. Williamsport won 9-4.

RALPH WILSON/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Ethan Sims rounds third as Williamsport moves ahead in the sixth inning of a Little League Majors tournament game against Muncy on Friday at the Hepburn-Lycoming field. Williamsport won 9-4.