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Nathan Heffron sprinted home with the winning run on a dropped third strike Sunday and Back Mountain North edged West Side, 9-8 in a dramatic 10-inning District 31 Major Baseball Little League game at West Side Little League field.
The Back Mountain North win secured first place for Back Mountain American, which needed a West Side loss to advance to the semifinals.
Both teams battled a heat index of more than 100 degrees, and showed incredible determination and endurance in a showdown that extended to four extra innings.
Ryan Vallach, Koehl Comiskey, Bryce Phillips, Heffron, and Zach Crahall each ripped two hits for Back Mountain North, while John Matlock and Sean Murach combined for a solid day on the mound.
Matlock gave up five runs on nine hits in five innings of work, while Murach earned the victory while allowing three runs on eight hits in five innings of work.
Paul Rossmell went 5-for-6 for West Side while Noah Hiedcavage went 4-for-6.
Rossmell and Chris Cambell also combined for 10 innings of work on the mound.
Rossmell gave up five runs and six hits in five innings and Cambell worked five innings while allowing four runs on eight hits.
Kingston/Forty-Fort 4, West Pittston 1
Mike Bodzak drilled a bases-loaded single that scored three runs as Kingston/Forty-Fort rallied for four runs in the sixth inning to come back for a District 31 Major Baseball victory.
West Pittston starter Matt Little was working on a shutout through five innings and had a 1-0 lead when Kingston/Forty-Fort erupted in a big sixth inning.
Aaron Klosko and Aiden Connell walked to start the rally, then Noah Gorham doubled home Klosko to tie the game. With two outs, Bodzak’s single cleared the bases and sent Kingston/Forty Fort to victory.
Max Saporito doubled for Kingston/Forty-Fort’s first hit and Bodzak also added a double.
Kingston/Forty-Fort pitchers Teddy Kraus, Mason Matello, Antek Evan and Jacob Stevens combined to hold West Pittston to four hits.
Back Mountain National 14,
Harvey’s Lake 0
Alan Lisman and Jude Nocito combined to pitch the four-inning shutout for Back Mountain National.
While Lisman and Nocito did more than enough on the mound, Joey Peters, Mike Cumbo and Gavin Adamski all homered in a winning effort. Brad Kugler added a pair of hits and JJ Rischawy also had a hit for BMN.
Back Mountain National with host Exeter at 8:30 p.m. Thursday in the District 31 semifinals.
Exeter reached the semifinals with a 7-5 victory over Northwest.
8-9-10 SOFTBALL
Back Mountain 12, Greater Wyoming Area 0
Nina Barrouk pitched a two-hit shutout and struck out 12 batters — every out she recorded — as Back Mountain won the District 31 8-9-10 championship in four innings.
Barrouk and Hannah Chipego both had two hits in the victory and Olivia Oliver knocked in two runs for Back Mountain.
Ariana Gaylord and Rene Haddock had Greater Wyoming Area’s hits.
DISTRICT 16
MAJOR BASEBALL
South Wilkes-Barre 11, Hanover 8
Cam Hagenbaugh unloaded a game-winning, three-run home run in the bottom of the eighth inning as South Wilkes-Barre battled through extra innings for the victory.
The blow made a winner of South Wilkes-Barre pitcher Mark Atherton.
Jake Ohrin, Cael Ropietski and Ryan Manfre all had two hits for South Wilkes-Barre.
Jake Vigorito had a home run and two doubles for Hanover and brothers Cole and Colin Whitman each had three hits.
Township Baseball 8, Nanticoke 1
Drew Delucca pitched five innings of three-hit ball and Dean Horensky homered and finished a triple short of the cycle to spark Township Baseball.
Delucca finished with eight strikeouts in the gem and Patrick Bohan, who earlier made two spectacular catches in left field, finished up with a scoreless sixth inning.
Horensky added a double and a single to his big day at the plate, while Drew Delucca, Matt Walter, Nicholas Sciandra, Anthony Ranieli and Marshal Gordon all had hits.
Payton Kepp, Brandon Wozniak and Trentyn Harter each had hits for Nanticoke.
9-10-11 BASEBALL
Mountain Top 15, Duryea/Pittston City 2
Chris Litchkofski hit a home run, a triple and drove home three runs to lead Mountain Top in a game played Saturday.
Xavier Bleiler finished with a triple, a double and three RBI in the win and Cameron Scotti rapped out three singles and drove home four runs for Mountain Top.
T.J. Johnson had a double for Duryea/Pittston City and Josh Lentonski and Rich Tonte both had singles.
AMERICAN LEGION BASEBALL
Mountain Post 8,
Wilkes Barre/Wilkes-Barre Twp. 0
Sean Wills and David Wickiser combined on a two-hit shutout and Nick Vital had two hits and two RBI from the No. 9 hole as Mountain Post stormed to victory.
Wills went four innings, surrendered both Wilkes-Barre hits and struck out four. Wickiser had six strikeouts in his three scoreless innings.
Stew Caladie and Brad Papura both had two hits with an RBI and scored twice for Mountain Post and Mick Bafunno added two hits with an RBI and run scored.
Nick Pugh and David Kasper had Wilkes-Barre’s hits.
Stripes & Strikes 10, Back Mountain 1
Back Mountain 5, Stripes & Strikes 1
Mike Lombardo drove home three runs for Stripes & Strikes in the first game and Back Mountain’s Henry Selingo worked a five-hitter in the second game as the teams split a doubleheader Saturday.
Ryan Pietrzyk had two hits and scored three times in the first game and Sigui Lirano and Adam Keselicka each drove home two runs for Stripes & Strikes.
Selingo finished with eight strikeouts in the second game and Back Mountain provided him with enough for victory when Jacob Wesley scored twice. Robert Lukasavage, Matt Mathers and Justin Finarelli all had two hits in the victory.
AMERICAN LEGION BASEBALL
Mountain Post 8, Wilkes-Barre/WBT 0
Mountain Post`AB`R`H`BI
B. Caladie ss`2`0`0`1
Wickiser p`1`0`0`0
Bafunno lf`3`1`2`1
Wills p- 2b`4`0`0`0
Chalk 1b`2`2`1`0
Shaw 1b`1`0`1`1
Borum c`4`0`0`0
S. Caladie 3b`4`2`2`1
Papura 2b-ss`3`2`2`1
Knapp lf`3`1`1`1
Witner lf`0`0`0`0
Vital rf`3`0`2`2
Totals`30`8`11`8
Wilkes-Barre/WBT`AB`R`H`BI
Strobel cf`3`0`0`0
Pugh p`2`0`1`0
Farrell 2b`3`0`0`0
Kasper 3b`2`0`1`0
Visiosu 3b`1`0`0`0
Sliker 1b`2`0`0`0
Polonco ss`2`0`0`0
Sorians ph`1`0`0`0
Bynon rf`3`0`0`0
Richards c`3`0`0`0
Casey lf`2`0`0`0
Totals`24`0`2`0
Wilkes-Barre/WBT`000`000 — 0
Mountain Post`002`321 — 8
2B — Chalk.
WILKES-BARRE/WBT`IP`H`R`ER`BB`SO
Pugh, L`6`11`8`6`2`4
Mountain Post`IP`H`R`ER`BB`SO
Wills, W`4`2`0`0`1`4
Wickiser, S`3`0`0`0`1`6
Stripes & Strikes 10, Back Mountain 1
(First Game)
Back Mountain`AB`R`H`BI
Lukasavage`4`1`1`0
Kachur`3`0`2`0
Mathers`2`0`1`1
Hromisin`2`0`1`0
Holdredge`4`0`0`0
Lydon`2`0`0`0
J. Wesley`3`0`2`0
D. Wesley`3`0`2`0
Shavez`3`0`0`0
Oschal`1`0`0`0
Williams`2`0`0`0
Totals`29`1`9`1
Stripes & Strikes`AB`R`H`BI
Lirano`3`0`1`2
Santos`4`2`1`1
Pietrzyk`3`3`2`9
Eisenhower`2`1`0`0
Yanuzzi`1`1`1`1
Silfa`1`0`0`0
Lombardo`2`0`1`3
Keselicka`3`1`0`2
Reese`0`1`0`0
Buchman`2`1`0`0
Moser`0`0`0`0
Wilson`1`0`0`0
Totals`22`10`6`9
Back Mountain`001`000`0 — 1
Stripes & Strikes`140`500`x — 10
Back Mountain`IP`H`R`ER`BB`SO
Oschal, L`0.2`1`1`1`3`0
Williams`1`3`3`3`2`0
Holdredge`4`2`6`6`6`2
Hromisin`0.1`0`0`0`0`0
Stripes & Strikes`IP`H`R`ER`BB`SO
Moser, W`4`5`1`1`0`3
Wilson`1.1`3`0`0`1`0
Pietrzyk`1.2`0`0`0`0`2
Back Mountain 5, Stripes & Srikes 1
(Second Game)
Stripes & Strikes`AB`R`H`BI
Lirano`3`1`1`0
Buchman`3`0`1`0
Pietrzyk`3`0`1`0
Reed`3`0`1`1
Yanuzzi`3`0`0`0
Rodriguez`3`0`1`0
Santos`0`0`0`0
Reese`0`0`0`0
Silfa`2`0`0`0
Moser`1`0`0`0
Keselicka`3`0`0`0
Wilson`2`0`0`0
Totals`26`1`5`1
Back Mountain`AB`R`H`BI
Lukasavage`4`1`2`1
Hromisin`3`0`1`0
Mathers`3`0`2`1
Holdredge`3`1`1`0
Kachur`3`1`1`0
Finarelli`3`0`2`0
Wesley`2`2`0`0
Williams`3`0`0`1
Selingo`2`0`0`0
Shaver`0`0`0`0
Totals`26`5`9`3
Stripes & Strikes`000`001`0 — 1
Back Mountain`100`301`x — 5
Stripes & Strikes`IP`H`R`ER`BB`SO
Reese, L`6`9`5`3`1`6
Back Mountain`IP`H`R`ER`BB`SO
Selingo, W`7`5`1`1`0`8
