PRINCETON — Closer and closer the Allentown American Legion team is getting to winning its fourth Mercer County American Legion League title in the last six summers.

This season, it is all about focus because the wins have not always been easy, even if manager Sahil Thakur’s squad has the ability to make games appear that way.

A’town saw exactly how much other teams in the league would like to join it in districts when it visited Princeton Post 218 Monday at Barbara Smoyer Park.

First-year manager Judd Petrone Jr.’s Post 218 club has improved enough to give Allentown a run for its money in Princeton’s final home game.

After jumping into the lead in the top of the first, A’town saw Post 218 rally to take the lead. Even though Allentown began to pull away, Princeton never let the game get out of hand before succumbing, 8-5.

“We’ve improved a lot this year,” Post 218’s Casey Daigneault said. “We’ve been more in tune. A lot of times, we still get a little nervous. We want to get to the point where we make the other guys be nervous.”

Daigneault, who will be a senior at West Windsor-Plainsboro North in the fall, did what he could to keep his growing team in the contest last night with two hits and three runs batted in.

But A’town (12-2) had consecutive sluggers near the top of its lineup in Nolan Arnold and Dan Golembiewski. Both had three hits, two runs scored and a double. Arnold drove in three runs, while Golembiewski knocked in two, along with teammate Matt Vetrano.

“I’m playing with a lot of good kids who are going to play baseball in college,” said Arnold, a 6-foot-3 New Egypt High grad headed to Iona University, where the Gaels want him to join their pitching staff. “I saw the ball pretty well today. But, with this team, if I don’t get the hit, you know the guy behind you will.”

Arnold was having a perfect night before popping out in the seventh inning. After getting hit by a pitch and stealing a base on the way to scoring his team’s first run, Arnold doubled in Nick Carmino in the second, then singled in Carmino in the third and fifth innings.

“I feel like this team is always coming on,” said Arnold, whose club has four regular-season games remaining. “We’re hoping to lock up the league title, then win districts and move on to states, which we didn’t do last year.”

Princeton (5-12) currently needs a win in its last game at Hamilton Post 31 Thursday to at least have a shot at advancing to district play. But that has not dimmed Daigneault’s opinion of his improved squad.

“For me, this summer’s been about exposure and having fun,” the 17-year-old of French Canadian descent said. “I’ve been hanging with my friends and enjoying baseball.”

A postseason berth would make that even more enjoyable.

Allentown (12-2)                 231    020    0    —    8  10  2

Princeton (5-12)                 300    002    0    —    5    8  2

2B: Arnold, Golembiewski (A), Bellace (P); RBIs: Arnold 3, Golembiewski 2, Kish, MVetrano 2 (A), Daigneault 3, Nydick (P).

WP — Martin (1-0); LP — Brophy (3-3).