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The five-hour wait was worth it for the Kingston/Forty Fort Junior Softball all-stars, especially Julia Franks.

Franks hit two three-run homers and added an RBI single, finishing with seven RBI as KFF defeated New Jersey state champion Clifton 13-9 Monday at Orange Little League in Orange, Conn.

KFF (3-1) finished second in the Mid-Atlantic pool and will play Massachusetts, the third-place team from the New England pool, at 11:30 a.m.Wednesday as the regional moves to single elimination.

KKF was scheduled to play at 9 a.m. Monday, but storms hit the area and pushed the start back to 2 p.m.

“You saw all the flooding and stuff in Wilkes-Barre,” KFF manager Jason Hoskins said. “That all came east. It was bad. It was hot and humid here and the storm came through here and the temperatures really dropped. A lot of people we’re prepared for it to be 50-some degrees around here.”

The cool weather didn’t keep Franks’ bat from heating up. Down 3-0 in the third inning, Franks crushed a three-run homer over the fence to tie the game. A bit later, Olivia Gayoski followed with a bases-loaded double, giving KFF a 6-3 advantage.

New Jersey came back to tie the score in the bottom of the fourth before the KFF reserves came up big in the top of the fifth.

Katie DeCosmo and Courtney May singled, and DeCosmo scored on a double by Leah Payne. May later scored on a wild pitch and KFF regained the lead 8-6.

“My bench players were huge,” Hoskins said. “I’m so damn proud of them. It was awesome.”

KFF appeared to be pulling away in the sixth when Franks singled home Sara Hopkins and Gabby Razvillas did the same with Ally Keener for a 10-6 lead.

New Jersey, though, came back in the bottom of the frame with three runs, only to have Franks deposit another three-run homer over the fence in the top of the seventh.

Pitcher Jess Skladzien quieted New Jersey’s bats in the seventh to get the win. She struck out six.

If KFF wins Tuesday, it plays at 11:30 a.m. Wednesday in the semifinals. The two semifinal winners start a best-of-3 series at 2:30 p.m. Wednesday, with the other games played on Thursday.

JUNIOR SOFTBALL EAST REGIONAL

Kingston/Forty Fort 13, Clifton, N.J. 9

KFF`AB`R`H`BI

Skladzien`5`1`2`0

Hoskins`5`3`1`0

Franks`5`2`3`7

Keener`5`2`2`0

Shedletsky`4`1`1`0

Razvillas`4`0`1`1

Harden`1`1`0`0

DeCosmo`1`2`1`0

Bevan`1`0`0`0

Gayoski`3`0`2`3

May`1`1`1`0

Kobusky`2`0`1`0

Payne`1`0`1`1

Totals`38`13`16`12

New Jersey`AB`R`H`BI

Vidal`5`1`1`3

Panico`4`1`1`0

Shukaitis`4`0`1`2

Gonzalez`4`1`2`1

Rodriguez`3`1`0`0

Nueman`1`2`0`0

Sciancalepore`2`0`0`0

Louer`3`0`0`0

Lesler`1`0`0`0

Avella`4`2`3`2

Totals`35`9`10`9

Kingston/FF`006`022`3`—`13

Clifton, N.J.`030`303`0`—`9

E: KFF 5, NJ 1. LOB: KFF 6, NJ 7. 2B: Gayski, Shukaitis, Gonzalez, Rodriguez, Neuman. 3B: Avella. HR: Franks 2. SB: Hoskins 2, Keener 2. CS: Franks.

KFF`IP`H`R`ER`BB`SO

Skladzien (W)`7.0`10`9`3`2`6

New Jersery`IP`H`R`ER`BB`SO

Neuman (L)`7.0`13`9`1`2`1

Gayoski
https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/web1_Olivia-Gayoski.jpg.optimal.jpgGayoski

Franks
https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/web1_Julia-Franks-2.jpg.optimal.jpgFranks

By John Erzar

[email protected]

Reach John Erzar at 570-991-6394 or on Twitter @TLJohnErzar