Already leading, 3-0, Cooperstown scored 10 runs in the third inning to put the game out of reach. Frank Petroskey and Phil Pohl each had two hits in that decisive inning and Wes Carroll lined a three-run homer over the leftfield fence.

Timmy Smith pitched 3 ¤ innings for Cooperstown and recorded five strikeouts. Lucas Niedzialkowski came on in relief and pitched strongly to close things out.

In the semifinal game earlier Sunday afternoon, Cooperstown faced a big and powerful Sidney team and earned their way into the championship game in a 6-3 nail-biter. Carroll went the distance on the mound, striking out eight.

"Sidney is the toughest team we have faced all year," said head coach Bruce Pohl. "we really had to play a great game to win."

Sidney jumped on top with one run in the bottom of the first. Cooperstown came back with a four-run rally in the top of the second with a string of five straight hits-singles from Smith, Kurt Bergfjord and Niedzialkowski, a two-run double by Mitchell Adsit and a single by Petroskey. Carroll doubled and scored in the third.

Sidney mounted a comeback bid in the fifth, loading the bases with no outs, but came up with only two runs as Cooperstown kept its composure and prevented a big inning. Luke Tirrell doubled for the locals in the top of the sixth and was driven home by Luke Banner's single to add an insurance run.

"That was the big inning, I told my team they needed to make some plays and they were able to do that," Pohl siad. "This is a very focused group."

Sidney will be looking for revenge this weekend when Cooperstown travels to their field for the season's final tournament. Cooperstown has now won the championship of all three weekend tournaments it has entered this summer. After the Sidney tournament, they will begin preparing for a week at Cooperstown Dreams Park August 11-16.

In a non-tournament home game Friday, Cooperstown looked impressive in a 5-1 victory over Skaneateles. Carroll pitched the first two innings and struck out five.

Banner came on for two frames, giving up a leadoff double but stranding the runner at third base. Pohl came on strong in relief for the final six outs.

Offensively, Cooperstown wasted no time with a run in the first on a single by Pohl and an RBI double by Carroll. Petroskey and Pohl, who each singled, and Carroll, who walked, all scored in the third. Adsit singled and scored in the fourth.

Bergfjord, Niedzialkowski, Pohl, and Petroskey all went two-for-three. Bergfjord was robbed of a perfect three-for-three day by an excellent catch of a line drive by the Skaneateles left fielder.