With the success of the Cranberry Township Federation 14 team this season, the squad found itself competing in the PONY League World Series in Washington, Pa.

This is not your typical regional tournament. This is the big one, with teams not just from the east, but the Far East; not just south, but south of the border.

Cranberry Township knocked off host Washington 11-0 in six innings Saturday and advanced to tonight’s second-round game against Laredo, Texas.

Chinese Taipei, Culiacan (Mexico), Youngstown (Ohio), Santo Domingo (Dominican Republic), Long Beach (Calif.), New Bedford (Mass.) and Lafayette (Ind.) are the other teams in this year’s championship tournament.

I’m sure those in the Cranberry Township area are ecstatic about having its team reach the PONY World Series — the team also made it to the championship bracket last year, although it was in California and the team dropped its two games.

The second of those games was to pretty much the same Laredo team they will face tonight, but a year can make a difference.

It helps that Cranberry Township can come back home each night and sleep in their own beds and enjoy a comfort level they could not last year.

Personally, I’m enjoying the PONY Series because, having grown up in Washington, I used to attend a game or two and follow the results in the hometown paper.

I don’t recall if I knew anyone who played on any of the teams when I was that age, although I’m sure I got to know a lot in high school.

My brothers played PONY baseball for a team sponsor of NABCO but baseball wasn’t a big sport to them. One of my brothers went on to wrestle in high school, my other brother cross-country and track.

The atmosphere was amazing, even though Washington never had what you would call a strong team.

As the host site, Washington was guaranteed a place among those final eight teams, no matter how good or how bad a team they had.

Usually, Washington was not on the same level as some of the other teams. Every few years, Washington could hold its own, win a game or two along the way, but wasn’t quite at that level.

Cranberry Township should be proud its team grabbed a first-round win to send them along to the next round.

Manager Ron Bondo said in Monday’s edition of the Butler Eagle that “we were kind of the marquee game, 5:30 p.m. on a Saturday and the place was jammed. The energy level was level was high. We obviously were jacked up and nervous. You never know what will happen.”

That can be true — whether as 14-year-olds or even major league baseball players — so that Cranberry routed Washington was a big deal.

I can remember those games, those teams that came into the area bringing a little international flavor.

Cranberry Township has its own part in that and its an honor that they truly deserve.

Sam Tallarico is a staff writer for the Butler Eagle.