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The road to Williamsport has to start somewhere. For teams in District 16 and 31 it starts today throughout the Wyoming Valley.
District 16 and District 31 Major Baseball pool play begins with four doubleheaders with games starting at 2 p.m. and 4 p.m.
Everything will wrap up on July 14 with championship games at Pittston Township Little League that will be televised live by WQMY. The D31 championship game will be 5:30 p.m. The D16 title contest will be 8 p.m.
But first, teams must battle their way through pool play, which is being used for a second consecutive year as a replacement for the double-elimination tournaments.
D31 has two four-team pools and D16 had two five-team pools. Teams will play four games in pool play. D31 teams will face one opponent twice. D16 teams play each other once.
Four teams in each district advance out of pool play — the top-two teams in Pool A and the top-two in Pool B. They will play semifinal games on Saturday, July 11. The first tiebreaker in pool play is head-to-head play. The second is defensive runs allowed vs. defensive innings played.
Back Mountain American will begin its defense of its D31 championship against Back Mountain National at 2 p.m. today at Swoyersville Little League against Back Mountain National in Pool A. That game will be followed by Swoyersville versus Northwest at 4 p.m.
In D31 Pool B, Wyoming/West Wyoming plays West Pittston at 2 p.m. at West Side Little League in Plymouth. West Side plays Kingston/Forty Fort at 4 p.m.
Nanticoke will start its defense of the D16 crown at 4 p.m. when it plays at Mountaintop in a Pool B game. Pittston Township and South Wilkes-Barre open the doubleheader at 2 p.m. North Wilkes-Barre doesn’t play until Tuesday.
In D31 Pool A, Plains faces Duryea/Jenkins Township at 2 p.m. at Hanover Little League. Pittston City and Hanover play at 4 p.m. Plains has to wait until Tuesday to play.
The District 16 and District 31 championship will advance to the Section 5 tournament along with the District 17 and District 32 champions from the Scranton area. The Section 5 tournament runs from July 18-22.
District 16 and District 31
Major Baseball Schedule
NOTE: Semifinals for both districts will be Saturday, July 11, at sites and times to be determined. Championship games for both districts will be Tuesday, July 14, at Pittston Twp. Little League. The District 31 game will be at 5:30 p.m. and the District 16 game at 8 p.m.
District 16 Pool A
(two teams advance to semifinals)
Saturday, June 27
at Hanover Little League
Plains vs. Jenkins/Duryea, 2 p.m.
Pittston City vs. Hanover, 4 p.m.
Tuesday, June 30
at Duryea Little League
Pittston City vs. Plains, 5:30 p.m.
Avoca/Dupont vs. Jenkins/Duryea, 7:30 p.m.
Thursday, July 2
at Plains Little League
Pittston City vs. Avoca/Dupont, 5:30 p.m.
Hanover vs. Plains, 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, July 5
at Pittston City Little League
Avoca/Dupont vs. Hanover, 2 p.m.
Jenkins/Duryea vs. Pittston City, 4 p.m.
Tuesday, July 7
at Avoca/Dupont Little League
(Avoca field)
Jenkins/Duryea vs. Hanover, 5:30 p.m.
Plains vs. Avoca/Dupont, 7:30 p.m.
District 16 Pool B
(two teams advance to semifinals)
Saturday, June 27
at Mountaintop Little League
Pittston Twp. vs. South Wilkes-Barre, 2 p.m.
Nanticoke vs. Mountaintop, 4 p.m.
Tuesday, June 30
at South Wilkes-Barre Little League
Pittston Twp. vs. Mountaintop, 5:30 p.m.
North Wilkes-Barre vs. South Wilkes-Barre, 7:30 p.m.
Thursday, July 2
at Nanticoke Little League
North Wilkes-Barre vs. Pittston Twp., 5:30 p.m.
South Wilkes-Barre vs. Nanticoke, 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, July 5
at North Wilkes-Barre Little League
Mountaintop vs. South Wilkes-Barre, 2 p.m.
Nanticoke vs. North Wilkes-Barre, 4 p.m.
Tuesday, July 7
at Pittston Twp. Little League
North Wilkes-Barre vs. Mountaintop, 5:30 p.m.
Nanticoke vs. Pittston Twp., 7:30 p.m.
District 31 Pool A
(two teams advance to semifinals)
Saturday, June 27
at Swoyersville Little League
Back Mtn. American vs. Back Mtn. National, 2 p.m.
Northwest vs. Swoyersville, 4 p.m.
Tuesday, June 30
at Back Mountain Little League
Swoyersville vs. Back Mtn. American, 5:30 p.m.
Northwest vs. Back Mtn. National, 7:30 p.m.
Thursday, July 2
at Back Mountain Little League
Swoyersville vs. Back Mtn. National, 5:30 p.m.
Northwest vs. Back Mtn. American, 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, July 5
at Northwest Little League
Swoyersville vs. Back Mtn. American, 2 p.m.
Back Mtn. National vs. Northwest, 4 p.m.
District 31 Pool B
(two teams advance to semifinals)
Saturday, June 27
at West Side Little League
Wyoming/West Wyo. vs. West Pittston, 2 p.m.
Kingston/Forty Fort vs. West Side, 4 p.m.
Tuesday, June 30
at Kingston/Forty Fort Little League
West Side vs. Wyoming/West Wyo., 5:30 p.m.
West Pittston vs. Kingston/Forty Fort, 7:30 p.m.
Thursday, July 2
at West Pittston Little League
Kingston/Forty Fort vs. Wyoming/West Wyo., 5:30 p.m.
West Side vs. West Pittston, 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, July 5
at Wyoming/West Wyoming Little League
Kingston/Forty Fort vs. West Side, 1 p.m.
West Pittston vs. Wyoming/West Wyo., 5 p.m.