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KINGSTON — Things looked a little bleak for Greater Wyoming Area, trailing 8-0 midway through the second inning of Wednesday’s District 31 Major Baseball semifinals.
But the bats never quit, GWA’s confidence never wavered — and ultimately, it played its way to a spot in the district title game.
GWA scored six times in the home half of the second inning and four more times in the fifth, pulling off a massive comeback to beat Kingston/Forty-Fort 10-8 and advance to Monday night’s District 31 championship.
After surrendering seven runs to a very potent KFF offense in the top of the second, GWA had the answer it absolutely needed, hanging a six-spot in the bottom half of the inning to keep themselves very much alive.
“We’ve been battling, this team’s gotten better every single game,” said GWA manager Chris Evans. “Those first two innings were tough, but we stayed confident … this was a fantastic, big win for GWA.”
After both teams found some success with their relievers, GWA struck again in the bottom of the fifth to take a 10-8 lead with four runs.
Walks were as key as hits in some spots for GWA, and definitely in the fifth when a bases-loaded walk from Kellan Bradshaw made it an 8-7 ballgame.
Dillon Kivak’s sacrifice fly tied the game 8-8, and GWA leadoff man Chase Evans scored on a wild pitch to give GWA its first lead of the day.
Bradshaw and Evans were both key cogs in GWA’s second-inning rally as well. Evans drove in two runs with a double, and Bradshaw followed him up with a two-run single.
Frank Pacelli and Brian Reynolds each had RBI singles in the second as GWA had five hits and drew three walks to turn a game that had the makings of a rout into an intense contest worthy of the semifinal stage.
Nate Lewis earned the win in relief for GWA with 4.2 innings of work, allowing just two runs while mopping up in the second inning and then holding KFF scoreless the rest of the way.
“He (Lewis) battled against a really good baseball team … that top of the order, and down into the middle, is really hard to get out,” Evans said. “Nate came out and battled. He’s a warrior.”
KFF gave itself a shot in the bottom of the sixth, bringing the tying run to the plate after a leadoff single from Noah Shortz.
Lewis quickly shut it down by retiring the next three batters.
Noah Shortz had two hits for KFF, one of three multi-hit games along with Chase Stitzer and Chase Morgan.
Stitzer doubled twice and drove in two runs, while Morgan drove in the first run of the game with an RBI single in the first inning. Nick Lipinski had a two-run single for KFF as part of their seven-run outburst in the second inning.
GWA will take on Back Mountain National at 5:30 p.m. Monday at Jenkins Township Little League for the District 31 Major Baseball championship. The winner gets a berth in the Section 5 playoffs.
Back Mnt. National 15, Back Mountain American 0
Logan VanValkenburgh and Kallen DeFalco hit back-t0-back home runs to help power National past American in the District 31 semifinals.
Vanvalkenburgh’s blast was a grand slam, while DeFalco’s homer ended the game in the third inning.
Ben Nulton had a first-inning, two-run home run and a single that scored two runs.
District 31 Major Baseball Semifinals
Greater Wyoming Area 10, Kingston/Forty-Fort 8
Kingston/Forty Fort`AB`R`H`BI
Kushnir ss-p`3`1`0`1
Munster c`2`1`0`1
Stitzer p`3`2`2`2
Lipinski 2b`3`0`1`2
Morgan lf`3`0`2`1
Bobb 1b`3`0`0`0
Needle 3b-p`3`1`0`0
McCabe cf`3`0`0`0
Shortz rf`2`1`2`0
Wadas eh`3`1`1`1
Ahart eh`2`1`0`0
Totals`30`8`8`8
Greater Wyo. Area`AB`R`H`BI
Evans p`3`2`2`2
Bradshaw c`1`1`1`3
Kivak ss`2`0`0`1
Lewis 1b-p`3`0`1`1
Labar 3b`3`0`1`0
Laskaris lf`2`0`0`0
Snyder cf`3`1`0`0
Wardell 2b`2`1`1`0
Pacelli rf`2`0`1`1
Reynolds eh`2`1`1`1
Lazarowicz eh`1`2`1`0
Smith eh`0`2`0`0
Totals`24`10`9`9
Kingston/Forty Fort`170`000 — 8
Greater Wyo. Area`060`04x — 10
2B — Stitzer 2, Evans.
Kingston/Forty Fort`IP`H`R`ER`BB`SO
Stitzer`1.2`5`6`6`4`2
Kushnir (L)`2.1`3`4`4`2`3
Needle`1`1`0`0`0`2
Greater Wyo. Area`IP`H`R`ER`BB`SO
Evans`1.1`2`6`4`4`1
Lewis (W)`4.2`6`2`2`1`5