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The Little League 8-10 softball championships were held Tuesday with teams from Pittston and Back Mountain claiming the crowns.
Pittston scored five runs in the top of the first and never looked back to beat Mountain Top 13-2 in five innings to win the District 16 title. Back Mountain edged Northwest 6-4 to bring home the District 31 championship.
In the D16 finals, Isabella Kroski led the way at the plate with three hits, including a home run and a triple. Ainsley Lear pitched all five innings and struck out 10 for the win as Pittston finished district play undefeated.
Natalie McAndrew got the big first inning started with a walk, leading to five straight hits for Pittston with a triple by Sophia Laudato and a double from Ava Thomas.
Lydia Luvender and Laudato finished with two hits while Natalie McAndrew, Sara Basile, Lear and Lexi Bartle had one apiece.
Miley Gilsky and Avea Smeding had hits for Mountain Top, which got a strong game behind the plate from catcher Alex Fromm.
SECTION 5
MAJOR SOFTBALL
The Section 5 tournament opened Tuesday with Northwest/Central Columbia posting an 8-0 win over Tripp Park and North Pocono defeating Mountain Top 10-0.
Natalia Ninotti shined for Northwest, finishing with 15 strikeouts and adding two hits with an RBI at the plate. Andi Diltz and Abby Everett also drove in a run apiece. Ali Miner and Ava Ruckle (two runs) each had a hit.
DISTRICT 31
JUNIOR BASEBALL
Greater Wyoming Area 13,
Back Mountain 11
Nick Little went 3-for-3 with two doubles, a triple and five RBIs as Greater Wyoming Area won the opener of a three-game series for the district title.
Prestyn Reeves added two hits and an RBI in the win while Connor Krakosky, Cole Ricko, Robbie Yatsko, Ricky Rowles, Marco Altavilla and Mike Wassel all had a hit apiece.
Krakosky picked up the win on the mound and Mitchell Rusinchak earned the save.
Tyler Matreselva led Back Mountain with a bases-loaded three-run triple. Alex Seymour and Connor Runquist each finished with multiple Hits for Back Mountain.
Game 2 is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. Thursday at the Back Mountain Little League complex.
DISTRICT 16
MAJOR BASEBALL
Township 13, Nanticoke 2
Lane Wesley hit a walk-off, two-run homer in the fourth inning to end the game early for Township.
Chase Liska and Dominic Marranca had two hits apiece while Mike Shovlin, Ryder Rossi, Dylan Shannon, Christian Webb, Ethan Sarti and Ryan Noone all had one.
Marranca (1.2 innings) and Noone (2.1 innings, seven strikeouts) provided the pitching for Township.
Gavin Higgins hit a two-run home run and J.P. Kopa added a single for Nanticoke.
Wilkes-Barre 12, Hanover 6
Braeden Mullery finished with four hits and three RBIs while Matt Williams collected a triple, a double and two RBIs to lead Wilkes-Barre.
On the mound, Max Reynolds scattered two runs over four innings and struck out three while driving in two runs at the plate.
Hanover’s Eli Zapotoski went 2-for-3 with a two-run homer. Jaxon Pierce and Logan Richardson also had two RBIs each.