Greater Pittston Township defeated Mountain Top in the bottom of the 6th inning to take the District 16 Championship on Monday night.
Tony Callaio | For Times Leader
Braxton Wenzel (13) is safe for Mountain Top as the GPT throw was late at home.
Tony Callaio | For Times Leader
GPT’s Cody Karboski (11) is safe at second base before Mountain Top’s Jacob Nealon’s tag at Jenkins Township Field.
Tony Callaio | For Times Leader
GPT’s Wyatt Nielsen is safe at home as he slides ahead of Mountain Top’s Garrett Chalker’s tag.
Tony Callaio | For Times Leader
JENKINS TWP. — Down three runs entering the bottom of the sixth inning. Then down to one final strike.
Yet, Greater Pittston Township was able to pull off an improbable comeback to win the District 16 Little League Major Baseball championship Monday night.
Wyatt Nielsen hit a grounder on a 3-2 pitch with two outs and an ensuing error allowed two runs to score as GPT defeated Mountain Top 6-5.
GPT will advance to the Section 5 tournament at Lakeland’s field in Scott Township. It will play District 17 champion Abington at 1 p.m. Saturday.
“We just tell them one run at a time,” GPT manager Shawn Slusser said. “You get on base and anything can happen. You put the ball on the bat and good things happen.
“They were fired up when they came in. The momentum swung when we got that first run. We just kept going from there.”
GPT had just one hit in the sixth — an infield single by Mason Slusser. But Mountain Top committed one of its four errors on the hit in the inning, leading to four unearned runs.
Plus, GPT No.12 hitter Nicholas Sanguedolce, lead-off hitter Jordan Tonte and clean-up hitter Jadan Vazquez worked walks and all scored. Vazquez crossed the plate with the winning run.
Errors were also costly to Mountain Top in the first as it committed three, leading to a pair of unearned runs.
Until the sixth, GPT had just two hits — a single by Vazquez in the first and a single by Tonte in the third.
Mountain Top starter Garrett Chalker was strong through hit five innings of work, striking out 11. Slusser, the GPT starter, was similarly impressive with 10 strikeouts in four innings.
“He’s been phenomenal the last four games he’s pitched in the district tournament,” Slusser said. “He’s been lights out. I know he’s my son, but he did great tonight.”
Mountain Top scored a run in the first after Eli Metz reached on an error and later scored on a wild pitch. A three-base error on a fly Calvin Schappert led to an RBI single by Anthony D’Arco and a 2-2 tie in the second.
Mountain Top appeared to take control in the fifth as Maksim Malay brought home a run on a fielder’s choice and Nathan Stravinski plated two more with a double for a 5-2 lead. Reliever Vazquez closed the door on additional damage and quelled another threat in the sixth.
District 16 Championship
Greater Pittston Twp. 6, Mountain Top 5
Mountain Top`AB`R`H`BI
Chalker p`3`0`1`0
Nealon 2b`1`0`0`0
Metz ss`3`1`1`0
Bendowski 1b`3`0`0`0
George eh`3`0`0`0
Schappert rf`2`1`1`0
Wenzel c`2`1`0`0
D’Arco cf`1`1`1`1
O’Neill 3b`2`0`0`0
Malay eh`2`1`0`1
Stravinski lf`2`0`1`2
Krommes rf`2`0`0`0
Totals`26`5`5`4
GPT`AB`R`H`BI
Tonte ss`2`2`1`0
Slusser p`3`2`1`0
Oliveri 1b`3`0`0`0
Vazquez 2b`2`1`1`1
Karboski lf`2`0`0`0
Rossi c`3`0`0`0
Nielsen 3b`2`0`0`0
Sperazza eh`2`0`0`0
Klansek cf`2`0`0`0
Homschek rf`1`0`0`0
Rowlands eh`2`0`0`0
Sanguedolce eh`1`1`0`0
Totals`25`6`3`1
Mountain Top`110`030 — 5
Greater Pitt. Twp.`200`004 — 6
2B — Stravinski.
Mountain Top`IP`H`R`ER`BB`SO
Chalker`5.0`2`2`0`0`11
Schappert`0.0`0`2`0`2`0
Metz (L)`0.2`1`2`0`1`2
GPT`IP`H`R`ER`BB`SO
Slussser`4`4`4`1`2`10
Vasquez (W)`2`1`0`0`1`3
