Mark Coach started for Back Mountain National with Logan Hornak taking over in the fifth.
Fred Adams | For Times Leader
Back Mountain National shortstop Logan Hornak looks to throw to first in the first inning.
Fred Adams | For Times Leader
Dillon Kivak started on the mound Tuesday for Greater Wyoming Area.
Fred Adams | For Times Leader
Back Mountain National left fielder David Young tries the catch a GWA home run ball while Back Mountain National fan Mark Coach tries to make the catch in the fourth inning.
Fred Adams | For Times Leader
GWA’s Dillon Kivak is greeted at home plate after hitting a home run in the fourth inning.
Fred Adams | For Times Leader
DALLAS — Back Mountain National scored six runs in the first two innings Tuesday night yet had just one hit.
It did so by taking advantage of other aspects of baseball.
National used four walks, a couple hit batters and a handful of wild pitches to build a six-run lead on the way to a 6-3 victory over Greater Wyoming Area in a District 31 Little League Major Baseball semifinal game.
National will play Kingston/Forty Fort for the title and a spot in the Section 5 playoffs at 5:30 p.m. Monday at the Jenkins Township Little League field.
“We didn’t have a lot of hits tonight,” National manager Josh Katyl said, “but we had a lot of walks and they were disciplined at the plate. We got a couple guys hit by pitches, but sometimes it is what it is.
“You got to take what they give you.”
Joe Bonomo singled up the middle with one out in the first inning for National. Dante Pietracini followed with a walk. Bonomo later scored on a wild pitch and Pietracini on a passed ball.
National added four runs in the second. Dom Liparela reached on a wild pitch third strike and Jack Katyl and Bruce Knowles followed with walks. All three later scored on wild pitches.
David Young was hit by a pitch and he crossed the plate on a sacrifice fly by Bonomo for the 6-0 lead.
National starter Mark Coach was rolling along through three innings, giving up a lone single to GWA’s Kyle Lazarowicz in the second.
GWA then went on an impressive albeit brief power barrage in the fourth to move within 6-3. Kellan Bradshaw walked with one out and Dillon Kivak followed with a two-run blast over the left-center fence. An out later Brian Reynolds hit a towering fly that just cleared the left-field fence.
National’s Logan Hornak came on in relief in the fifth and strung together four consecutive strikeouts.
GWA didn’t go quietly in the sixth as Vinny Ginocchetti walked with two outs and Michael Fanti hit an infield single. Hornak, though, recorded the final out.
Kingston/Forty Fort 10, Northwest 1
In Tuesday’s other District 31 semifinal, Kingston/Forty Fort took quick control with seven runs in the first inning and held off Northwest from there.
Richie McCabe led the offense with two singles, two RBIs and two runs scored. Dayne Wadas (two runs) and Sam Figueroa (single) also drove in two runs apiece while Russell Singer had a base hit and an RBI.
On the mound, Kyle Kushner allowed just two hits and one run over four innings while striking out eight. TJ Needle came on for the final two frames and struck out four.
Jermaine Johnson homered for Northwest while Colton Park added a hit.
DISTRICT 16
Mountain Top 2, Plains 1
Garrett Chalker went the distance for Mountain Top in a semifinal victory, striking out eight for the win.
Chalker also led off the game with a double and scored on a wild pitch. Calvin Schappert went 2-for-2 and accounted for the winning run with a solo homer in the second. Luke Bendowski also delivered two hits for Mountain Top, which came up with an inning-ending double play in the fourth.
Plains’ run came on a homer by Malachi Vanderburg, the only earned run allowed by Mountain Top pitchers in 29 innings during the tournament.
GPT 3, Hanover 0
Mason Slusser tossed a complete game for Greater Pittston Township, finishing with a three-hit shutout.
Armando Oliveri, Jordan Tonte, David Klansek Nicholas Sanguedolce and Jaden Vazquez each had a hit in the win. Tonte scored two runs while Mason Slusser and Oliveri each had an RBI.
For Hanover, Brayden Rovine, Braxton Nealon and Jaden Kreitzer each had a hit.
Back Mtn. National 6, GWA 3
GWA`AB`R`H`BI
Fanti cf`3`0`1`0
Bradshaw ss`2`1`0`0
Kivak p`2`1`1`2
Smith lf`2`0`0`0
Reynolds 1b`2`1`1`1
DePriest 2b`2`0`0`0
Lazarowicz eh`2`0`1`0
Cordero 3b`1`0`0`0
Arnold eh`2`0`0`0
Gavin c`2`0`0`0
Kohler eh`2`0`0`0
Ginocchetti rf`1`0`0`0
Totals`23`3`4`3
Back. Mtn. Nat.`AB`R`H`BI
Suchodolski 2b`2`0`0`0
Bonomo rf`2`1`1`1
Pietracini eh`1`1`1`0
Hornak ss`3`0`0`0
Coach p`2`0`0`0
Mayerski cf`2`0`0`0
Liparela 3b`1`1`0`0
Katyl c`0`1`0`0
Knowles 1b`1`1`0`0
Young eh`1`1`1`0
Scavone lf`1`0`0`0
Totals`16`6`3`1
Greater Wyo. Area`000`300 — 3
Back. Mtn. National`240`00x — 6
HR — Kivak, Reynolds.
GWA`IP`H`R`ER`BB`SO
Kivak (L)`1.1`1`6`4`4`1
Lazarowicz`3.2`2`0`0`0`2
BMN`IP`H`R`ER`BB`SO
Coach (W)`4`3`3`3`2`6
Hornak (S)`2`1`0`0`1`5
