Pittston Area 11-12 softball teammates Isabella Roman, left, congratulates pitcher Ava Thomas, after defeating Back Mountain on Wednesday night.
Tony Callaio | For Sunday Dispatch
PIttston Area catcher Isabella Kroski awaits the potential tying run, Sophia Davidson (9) for Back Mountain in the bottom of the 6th inning.
Tony Callaio | For Sunday Dispatch
Pittston Area’s Ava Thomas went the distance for the win against Back Mountain at Back Mountain, 2-1, to move forward in tournament play.
Tony Callaio | For Sunday Dispatch
Pittston Area shortstop tags Back Mountain’s Sydney Haydu (18) at second base for an out.
Tony Callaio | For Sunday Dispatch
Pittston Area’s Sophia Laudato drives the ball for a single against Back Mountain at Dallas.
Tony Callaio | For Sunday Dispatch
DALLAS — The Back Mountain all-stars did just enough Friday to keep their season going and end the season for District 16 champion Pittston.
Back Mountain scratched out a couple runs and used the strong pitching of Sydney Haydu to defeat visiting Pittston, 2-1, in a Section 5 Little League Major Softball elimination game.
The scoring came while Back Mountain was also leaving the bases loaded in each of the first four innings. The eventual game-winning run scored when Addison Butler drew a bases-loaded walk.
Back Mountain had a bases-loaded situation in the third end on consecutive foul popouts to first. Two more foul popouts in the fifth quelled a chance to build on a 2-0 lead.
The pitching was fine as Haydu allowed two hits, struck out nine and walked none. She had a strong outing in an earlier game with Pittston — a 2-1 loss — where she struck out 10 and didn’t allow a hit in 4.2 innings of relief.
Back Mountain took a 1-0 lead in the second inning on two walks, a wild pitch and a groundout. The other run scored on a fourth-inning walk.
Pittston had its first hit in the fifth as Ainsley Lear singled and moved to second on an error on the play. She moved to third on a groundout and scored on a wild pitch.
Pittston threatened in the sixth as Ava Thomas singled on a slow roller down the third-base line and Emily Collins followed by reaching on a fielder’s choice. Back Mountain, though, was able to get the final two outs to end the game.
Thomas pitched a four-hitter in the loss. She struck out five.
Pittston’s 2-1 win over Back Mountain came in Wednesday’s opener of the four-team, double-elimination tournament.
North Pocono Dandy-Lion reached the final with two shutouts, including 10-0 over Pittston in Thursday’s winners’ bracket final.
DISTRICT 16 8-10-YEAR-OLD
Pittston fell to Plains, 13-1, July 1, then was eliminated in a 12-2, four-inning loss to Mountain Top in Monday’s semifinals.
