By Dave Rosengrant

drosengrant@timesleader.com

Plains’ Nino Cinti, Jr., left, reacts after getting a base hit in an eight-run second inning againt Pittston Township as his father and first base coach Nino Cinti, Sr. takes his batting gloves in District 16 Little League semifinal action Saturday afternoon in Plains Township.

Plains shortstop Darren Clarke goes to throw to first for a Pittston Township out in District 16 Little League semifinal action Saturday afternoon in Plains Township.

Plains starter Chad Regan delivers a pitch against Pittston Township in District 16 Little League semifinal action Saturday afternoon in Plains Township.

PLAINS TWP. — During the last two years, the current group of players on the Plains Township District 16 Little League Major Baseball team finished runner-up in the district in the 9-10-year-old and 10-11-year-old groups.

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If the way the team played on Saturday is an indication of how it will fare in this season’s district title game, this team will be in good shape.

Plains pounded out 18 runs on 17 hits to clobber Pittston Township, 18-2 in the District 16 semifinals to advance to Tuesday night’s district championship game versus Mountain Top at 8 p.m. at the Pittston Township Little League Field.

Plains, which improved its record this postseason to 5-0 including four games in Pool A, has been smashing the ball during the tournament scoring more than 60 runs in its five games and continued that trend on Saturday afternoon led by the heart of the order with the 3-4-5 hitters — Matt Egidio, Evan Serafin and Chad Regan — combining to go 10 for 15 with 8 RBI.

“We got a bunch of good boys who can really hit the baseball and they did that today. They really stepped up,” Plains manager Scott Gartley said. “We’ve played for district championships as 10s, 11s and now we’re going to do it again at 12s. Last two years, we came up a little short. This year, hopefully we can finish the job.”

Plains got off to a good start on Saturday afternoon thanks to a strange play.

In the top of the second inning, with runners on first and second, Nino Cinti hit a flyball to shallow center field. Pittston Township center fielder JJ Walsh dove and almost made a spectacular catch, but the umpire ruled it a trap. The runners were halfway and the ball was then thrown around the infield as two outs were initially called before the umpiring crew rectified it and decided that just one out was recorded. Ten batters and eight runs later the inning finally ended with Plains leading 9-0.

“The game was only in the second inning, we had a lot of game left,” Gartley said. “We had a lot of at bats coming. I knew we were gonna hit the ball.”

Egidio (3 for 5) started the big inning with a two-run single, while Serafin (3 for 5, 4 RBI), who laced an RBI-single in the top of the first, followed with an RBI hit in the second. Regan (4 for 5), Plains’ starting pitcher, also knocked in a run in the inning.

After Plains went quietly in the third and fourth innings, the offense erupted for nine more runs in the top of the fifth sending 15 batters to the plate. Dante Vitali hit a towering two-run homer over the scoreboard in center field, while Darren Clarke clubbed a three-run shot in the frame.

Pittston Township, which finishes its postseason with a record of 3-2, including its Pool B play, scored a pair of runs in the bottom of the third as the bottom of the order came through with singles for the team’s first hits of the game against Regan. But the team only managed one more hit the rest of the game.

“Congratulations to Pittston Township coaches, fans and players on a good season and for making it that far,” Gartley said. “They have a good group of boys there.”

District 16 Semifinal

Plains 18, Pittston Township 2

Plains`AB`R`H`BI

Clarke ss`3`3`1`3

DelBalso 2b`4`3`1`0

Kugler 2b`1`0`0`0

Egidio 1b`5`2`3`2

Serafin 3b`5`2`3`4

Regan p`5`2`4`2

Vitali rf`4`2`1`2

Gartley c`1`0`0`0

Donahue ph`1`1`0`0

Viteritti lf`1`1`1`2

Taylor lf`2`0`1`0

Cinti cf`2`1`2`1

Bronack ph`1`1`0`0

Totals`36`18`17`16

Pittston Twp.`AB`R`H`BI

Pisano p`2`0`0`1

Sciandra 2b`1`0`0`0

Baiera ss`2`0`0`0

Gallia lf`2`0`1`0

Bennie 1b`2`0`0`0

Turant rf`1`0`0`0

Cocco rf`1`0`0`0

Murdoch 3b`1`1`1`0

Nocito 3b`1`0`0`0

Walsh cf`1`1`1`0

Elko ph`1`0`0`0

Connors c`2`0`1`0

Totals`17`2`4`1

Plains`180`09x`—`18

Pittston Twp`002`00x`—`2

2B: Serafin, Regan. HR: Clarke, Vitali

Plains`IP`H`R`ER`BB`SO

Regan (W)`4.0`3`2`2`1`2

Clarke`1.0`0`0`0`0`1

Pittston Twp`IP`H`R`ER`BB`SO

Pisano (L)`1.1`3`4`4`3`1

Gallia`2.2`9`9`8`2`3

Bennie`0.1`3`5`5`2`1

Sciandra`0.2`2`0`0`0`0

Reach Dave Rosengrant at 570-991-6398 or on Twitter @tldrosengrant