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HUGHESTOWN — Nothing seems to come easy for Mountain Post.
The team had to use its top two pitchers in Friday’s opening game of the Senior Legion Region 5 Tournament, so the Wyoming Valley champs were a little shorthanded on Saturday.
Still, the team staked an eight-run lead against Susquehanna Valley League champion Bloomsburg on Saturday in the winner’s bracket semifinals at Pittston Area Primary Center.
But Mountain Post still had to hang on for a 12-9 victory to advance to the winner’s bracket final against league rival Swoyersville at 2:30 p.m. Sunday.
“The wind was blowing out pretty good, so the ball was moving out. If you hit it well, you have a chance,” Mountain Post manager Tony Caladie said about the big offensive numbers in the game.
Mountain Post broke out the bats early using extra-base hits.
In the first inning, Wickiser and Justin Darden hit back-to-back triples to help MP take a 2-0 lead. In the second, Matt Taleroski (3 for 4, four RBI) tripled in two runs. Darden followed with a two-run homer, and it looked like the rout was on with a 6-0 led after two innings.
“We knew we were a little light on pitching, and we couldn’t throw our two best guys (Corey Chalk and David Wickiser), so we came out and put up (six quick runs) and set the tone that way,” said Darden, who finished a double shy of the cycle and drove in three runs. “If you do that, you’re gonna win nine times out of 10.”
After three more Mountain Post runs in the fourth, with one coming on a single by Darden, Taleroski singled in two more in the fifth as the team extended the lead to 11-3.
Two more runs were needed in the fifth to end the game early due to the 10-run rule. Those runs were on base but ended up being stranded there.
Then Bloomsburg rallied for six runs in the top of the sixth, as it sent 11 batters to the plate. Bloomsburg pounded out five hits and two walks — and left two on base — to cut the lead to 11-9.
“We really thought we had them,” Caladie said. “We were a hit away from getting outta here a little early with a 10-run (rule decision), but credit to them for coming back.”
Stew Caladie — who also pitched a third of an inning on Friday after Chalk and Wickiser both saw time early in the contest — got the start on the mound Saturday and threw well until the heat and humidity started to tire him out late.
After five innings, Caladie had allowed just three runs on seven hits as his team opened that 11-3 lead. But in the sixth, as he neared 100 pitches, he was getting fatigued.
“He got a little bit tired. It’s extremely hot out here. We hadn’t stretched him out that far all season,” Tony Caladie said about his nephew’s pitching performance. “I’m extremely proud of him. He gave us what we needed.”
When Mountain Post and Swoyersville meet Sunday afternoon, it will be the fourth time the two have met this season. Mountain Post has won two of the previous meetings, including last week in the league title contest.
Region 5 Senior Legion tournament
Mountain Post 12, Bloomsburg 9
Bloomsburg`AB`R`H`BI
Smith cf`4`1`1`0
Reifer rf`4`1`1`1
Zeisloft ph` 1`0`1’0
Mumaw 3b`1`1`0`0
Davis ph`1`0`0`0
Lewis c`4`1`1`1
Harris 2b`2`1`1`1
Anderson ss`4`1`1`0
Gensemer dh`4`1`2`2
Thiverage 1b`3`0`0`0
Yorty ph`1`0`1`1
Thrush lf`4`2`4`2
Totals`33`9`13`8
Mountain Post`AB`R`H`BI
Taleroski cf`4`2`3`4
Wickiser 2b`2`2`1`1
Darden 3b` 4`3`3’3
Palmiero ss`3`1`0`0
Borum c`3`0`0`1
Bafunno lf`4`0`1`0
Chalk 1b`2`1`1`0
Schwartz dh`3`2`1`0
Mendoza rf`4`1`1`0
Totals`29`12`11`9
Bloomsburg`002`106`0 — 9
Mountain Post`240`321`x — 12
2B: Reifer. 3B: Taleroski, Wickiser, Darden. HR: Darden.
Bloomsburg`IP`H`R`ER`BB`SO
Long (L) `1.2`7`6`6`0`1
Harris `3.0`5`5`0`3`1
Smith`0.1`0`0`0`1`0
Anderson`1.0`1`1`1`0`2
Mountain Post`IP`H`R`ER`BB`SO
Caladie (W) `5.1`9`7`7`5`2
Albee`0.1`3`2`2`1`1
Dean`1.1`1`0`0`1`0
Region 5 Tournament schedule
(at Pittston Area Primary Center, Hughestown)
Friday
Swoyersville 9, Tri-Boro 8
Hazleton Stripes & Strikes 9, Dickson City 8
Bloomsburg 10, West Scranton 0 (6 innings)
Mountain Post 4, Berwick 3 (9 innings)
Saturday
Elimination games
Dickson City 10, Tri-Boro 0
West Scranton 4, Berwick 1
Semifinals
Swoyersville 13, Hazleton 1 (5 innings)
Mountain Post 12, Bloomsburg 9
Sunday
Consolation games
Hazleton vs. West Scranton, 9:30 a.m.
Dickson City vs. Bloomsburg, noon
Winner’s bracket final
Swoyersville vs. Mountain Post, 2:30 p.m.
Monday
Games at 2:30 and 5 p.m.
Tuesday
Games at 2:30 and 5 p.m. (if necessary)