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12-Year-Old Little Leaguer Dedicates Game Balls To Aunt, Cousins After Deadly Crash

Just days after a deadly crash claimed the life of an 8-year-old girl and hospitalized her mother and sister, their young cousin is making an emotional plea for the community to pray for his family.

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PEGGY LEE
SCRANTON, PA — Just days after a deadly crash claimed the life of an 8-year-old girl and hospitalized her mother and sister, their young cousin is making an emotional plea for the community to pray for his family.

12-year-old Yensen Pedraza even dedicated his baseball game last night to his relatives.

The crowd went wild as Pedraza hit a home run during the North Scranton Little League game last night. Along with the homer, Yensen played an amazing game. As pitcher, the opposing team only got one hit off of him with Yensen striking out 15 players.

A day later, Yensen`s not gloating in his victory.

He's happy yet emotional since he played last night`s game for his aunt and two cousins who were involved in a deadly crash on the North Scranton Expressway Sunday afternoon.

"It was hard, I wanted to cry but I didn't," said Yensen. "Yeah, I was emotional, it was sad but I thought I could do it, it's hard."

The crash killed Yensen's 8-year-old cousin Andrea Morales and put his aunt, Linette Villa, and six-year-old cousin, Gilianys Morales, in the hospital in critical condition.

After the team's win, Yensen dedicated his game balls to them.

"I was happy that he hit a home-run and everything because he did it for his cousin," said teammate Mark Ottone.

"It was really good, I think everybody was proud of him, I know I'm proud of him and really happy for him that he could do that for his cousin and come back so quick from a tragedy like that," said teammate Daniel Bohenek.

"Yensen is one of the most coachable, respectful, Christian boys that I think our league has ever seen," said team parent Rosemarie Bohenek. "We support his family at this difficult tragic time and we`re saying prayers for his cousin and his aunt."

Yensen asks the community to keep hope his aunt and cousin will recover.

"I would like them to pray, to have faith in God because he knows what he does, everything that he does is because he wants it," said Yensen. Scranton Police say the deadly crash remains under investigation.

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