Back Mountain parents gather at the scoreboard at West Pittston Little League for a photo with the winner’s D31 banner after successfully defeating home team GWA in five innings on Wednesday evening.
Tony Callaio | For Times Leader
Back Mountain’s Jackson Ferkel is safe at 3rd base with Greyson Speicher of GWA covering.
Tony Callaio | For Times Leader
Grady Katyl, Back Mountain shortstop, fields a ball forcing GWA’s Greyson Speicher (34) out at 2nd before tossing to 1st for the double play.
Tony Callaio | For Times Leader
Back Mountain’s Jase Burridge fields a grounder at 2nd base and tosses to 1st baseman Cael Sweigart for the out against GWA.
Tony Callaio | For Times Leader
Back Mountain’s Ben Borkowski singles in the first inning against GWA at West Pittston Little League in the first game of a District 31 doubleheader on Wednesday evening.
Tony Callaio | For Times Leader
WEST PITTSTON — Even in a tournament where they turned away all comers to reach the finals, Back Mountain may have saved their finest performance for the championship stage.
The bats gave starting pitcher Ben Borkowski plenty of cushion to work with, and in turn he fired off a gem to help his team sail to a district title.
Borkowski threw a five-inning no-hitter, and the Back Mountain bats knocked out 12 hits and 13 runs to defeat Greater Wyoming Area 13-0 for the District 31 Minor Baseball championship at West Pittston Little League on Wednesday night.
Borkowski needed just 52 pitches to clear five innings, with only two walks blemishing his line in a pitching performance worthy of the big spot.
“It was the best one I’ve ever seen him throw,” Back Mountain manager Ryan Borkowski (Ben’s dad) said. “We had a gameplan to go him and then Grady (Katyl), thankfully we didn’t even need to get there.”
At the plate, Borkowski singled twice, drove in two runs and scored three times as the Back Mountain offense took control from the jump to help put GWA away.
Back Mountain took a 2-0 lead in their first trip to the plate: Jase Burridge drew a walk, Borkowski singled and both came in to score after an Andrew Hetro single compounded by a throwing error.
Cael Sweigart singled in a run to make it 3-0 in the second, and then two big frames — four runs in the third and six in the fifth — put the game well out of reach.
Hetro, who finished with three hits and three RBI, was right in the middle of both innings: he tripled and advanced home on an error in the fourth, and ripped a two-run single in the sixth that stretched into an inside-the-parker with some miscues in the field from GWA.
Burridge and Borkowski had two RBI each for Back Mountain, with Sweigart and Sawyer Benavage driving in a run apiece.
Logan Wolfe and Sam Houston drew the two walks for Greater Wyoming Area. Christian Cavalieri and Greyson Speicher each reached on error for GWA, who finished their All-Star season with a 3-1 record.
Back Mountain will advance to the Section 5 Minor Baseball tournament starting on July 18. The tournament will be hosted by Valley East Little League after the Valley East team captured the District 16 championship on Wednesday night.
District 31 Minor Baseball Championship
Back Mountain 13, Greater Wyoming Area 0
(5 inn.)
Back Mountain`AB`R`H`BI
Katyl ss`2`2`1`0
Burridge 2b`1`2`1`2
Borkowski p`3`3`2`2
Benavage cf`2`0`0`1
Hetro rf`3`2`2`3
Tarr c`3`0`0`0
Grega 3b`3`0`0`0
Vedro lf`2`1`1`0
Sweigart 1b`2`0`2`1
Ferkel eh`2`0`0`0
Doyle eh`2`1`1`0
DiMare eh`1`2`1`0
Totals`26`13`12`9
Greater Wyo. Area`AB`R`H`BI
Felker cf`2`0`0`0
Carroll ss-p`2`0`0`0
Wolfe c`1`0`0`0
Cavalieri 1b`2`0`0`0
Houston p`1`0`0`0
Pellegrini lf`2`0`0`0
Speicher 3b`2`0`0`0
Kondraski 2b`1`0`0`0
Miller eh`1`0`0`0
Tierney eh`1`0`0`0
Joyce eh`1`0`0`0
Totals`16`0`0`0
3B — Hetro.
Back Mountain`214`06 — 13
Greater Wyo. Area`000`00 — 0
Back Mountain`IP`H`R`ER`BB`SO
Borkowski (W)`5`0`0`0`2`3
Greater Wyo. Area`IP`H`R`ER`BB`SO
Houston (L)`4`7`7`5`1`5
Carroll`1`5`6`5`1`1