What the Cooperstown Major League All Stars season opener against Johnson City lacked in hits and runs, it more than made up for in drama.

Cooperstown lost a 3-2 decision to annual powerhouse Johnson City Saturday at Oneonta's Doc Knapp Field in the opening game of the Williamsport Tournament. Cooperstown hosted Oneonta Wednesday night in the second game, and if they win that game will play at Norwich this weekend before hosting a tournament July 10-15.

"I was proud of the way we competed," said major league manager David Pearlman. "We had a couple of mental errors and we left too many runners on base. That was the difference."

The game was scoreless for the first two innings as Cooperstown starter Ryon Bennett pitched out of a jam in the top of the second inning after allowing a leadoff triple. The next Johnson City batter bunted, and Bennett fielded and threw to catcher Jarrett Hotaling in plenty of time to nail the runner at the plate.

But Johnson City scored two runs off Bennett in the top of the third inning, connecting on back-to-back doubles in their only offensive explosion of the game.

Cooperstown rallied with two runs without benefit of a base hit in the bottom of the third inning. Hotaling and Bennett walked and moved to second and third on a passed ball. Bennett then scored on a wild pitch and Hotaling on an error to tie the score at 2-2.

Molly Pearlman pitched a scoreless fourth inning after allowing a leadoff single, and Hotaling came in to pitch in the top of the fifth. Johnson City scratched a run across on a walk, a wild pitch, a ground out and another wild pitch which scored what proved to be the go-ahead run.

Leadoff hitter Harrison Clinton singled to center to start the bottom of the fifth inning, Cooperstown's second and last hit of the game, and Hotaling walked one batter later. After both runners moved up a base on a wild pitch, they were left stranded as Johnson City starting pitcher Dillon Gordon retired Sam Bonderoff on a hard grounder to third base. Dillon allowed two hits and struck out eight in five innings on the hill.

Cooperstown shortstop Ethan Bliss turned in the defensive play of the game in the top of the sixth inning, fielding a hard ground ball, stepping on second and throwing to first to complete a double play. But Cooperstown was retired in order in the bottom of the sixth inning by reliever Matt Ehrets.

"We've got a couple of key players with injuries, and when we get them back we'll be a very strong team," Pearlman said.

Hotaling had Cooperstown's other hit, a two-out single in the bottom of the first.

Note: Cooperstown's 9 and 10- year-old team lost a 7-3 decision to Oneonta in its first game Saturday at Beanie Ainslie Field.