Sixth-inning comeback falls short for Back Mountain National

DALLAS TWP. — It may have been the end of the road for Back Mountain National on Wednesday, but a close loss didn’t come without one final fight in the last inning.

The Section 5 champs cut a six-run deficit down to just one but came up about 60 feet short as Section 6 champions Council Rock Newtown held on to win 8-7 and advance in the Pennsylvania 8-10 Baseball tournament.

It took a perfect throw from Newtown centerfielder James Esposito to put Back Mountain away for good, gunning down the would-be tying run at the plate after a Mac Hanson base hit with two runners on looked like it might complete a big comeback for the Section 5 champs.

“These kids fought to the end. … It’s difficult sometimes when we have these slow starts,” Back Mountain National manager Brian Wielgosz said. “We were in a pretty big hole, walking into our last three outs, and these kids strung it along. We were so close.”

The pitching duo of Leyton McConnell and Owen Taylor held the Back Mountain bats in check through five innings, allowing two runs in the first inning and nothing over the next four frames. All the while, Council Rock Newtown was able to expand its lead, going from 3-2 after one all the way to 8-2 heading to the sixth.

The signs of life came for Back Mountain in the last at-bats, with singles from Max Kovach and Jayden Dennis and a walk from Ethan Wielgosz loading the bases with nobody out.

Oliver Bross followed with an RBI single, Bruce Knowles drew a bases-loaded walk and Jack Katyl smashed a grounder that got through the Newtown shortstop and brought home a run.

All of a sudden, it was 8-6 and Back Mountain had two aboard — and still nobody out. CR Newtown reliever Logan Bovell buckled down, getting the first out on a force play and the second on a strikeout.

This set the stage for Hanson, with runners on second and third and two outs. Hanson looped a single into center field, scoring Knowles.

But Esposito, who had already been productive for his team with a hit, two RBI and a run scored, made his biggest impact of the game — and likely the whole tournament.

He fired a perfect strike from center field to the plate, with catcher Michael Izzo applying the tag, getting the third out and securing a win for Newtown that went from fairly easy to daunting in a hurry.

“Esposito made a play like that in sectionals, he came up and fired,” Council Rock Newtown manager Mike Izzo said. “It’s the second time he’s done that, it was a big play for us and it kept us in the game.”

CR Newtown opened the game with a three-run first inning, and the offense remained steady and strong throughout the game. All 12 hitters reached base at least once, on six hits and 10 drawn walks.

Council Rock Newtown will play West Side, the Section 2 champions, in an elimination game on Thursday at 3 p.m. at Back Mountain Little League.

West Point 2, East Side 1

Lucas Henry pitched five strong innings as Section 2 champion West Point edged Section 7 champion East Side in an elimination game.

Henry allowed three hits and one unearned run while striking out two.

West Point struck first as Dominic Bova tripled and scored on a wild pitch in the second inning.

East Side tied the score 1-1 in the third when Darren Molineux scored on a passed ball. West Point, though, answered in the bottom of the inning as Carter Finley singled in Logan Bender with the last run of the game.

Little League 8-10 Baseball State Tournament

Council Rock Newtown 8, Back Mountain National 7

CR Newtown`AB`R`H`BI

Becker 2b`4`1`1`0

Shah eh`1`2`0`0

Wengert ss`2`1`1`0

Esposito cf`2`1`1`2

Taylor 1b`1`1`0`0

Izzo c`3`0`2`1

Zorich eh`3`1`0`0

Scott 3b`1`1`0`0

Burger eh`2`0`0`0

Lu. Bovell rf`2`1`1`0

McConnell p`3`0`0`0

Lo. Bovell lf`2`0`0`0

Totals`26`8`6`3

Back Mtn. National`AB`R`H`BI

Wielgosz cf`2`2`1`0

Bross ss`3`2`2`1

Knowles 1b`1`1`0`2

Katyl 2b`3`0`1`1

Wycallis c`2`0`1`0

Tribendis eh`3`0`0`0

Hanson lf`3`0`2`1

Salko 3b`2`0`1`0

Page p`2`0`0`0

Rollins rf`2`0`0`0

Kovach eh`2`1`2`0

Dennis eh`2`1`1`0

Totals`27`7`11`5

CR Newtown`301`220 — 8

Back Mt. National`200`005 — 7

2B — Bross, Salko.

CR Newtown`IP`H`R`ER`BB`SO

McConnell`2.1`6`2`2`0`1

Taylor`2.2`3`2`2`1`2

Lo. Bovell`1`2`3`2`2`1

Back Mt. National`IP`H`R`ER`BB`SO

Page (L)`3.1`5`6`4`4`1

Katyl`1`1`1`1`1`1

Knowles`1.2`0`1`1`5`0

LITTLE LEAGUE 8-10 BASEBALL

STATE TOURNAMENT

(all games at Back Mountain LL)

Monday’s Results

GAME 1: Hollidaysburg 10, Meadville/Vernon 0

GAME 2: Council Rock Newtown 8 East Side 5

GAME 3: West Point 13, Ashland 2 (4 inn.)

GAME 4: Ridley Area 8, Back Mtn. Nat. 1 (4 inn., rain)

Tuesday’s Results

Elimination Bracket

GAME 5: East Side 2, Meadville/Vernon 1 (7 inn.)

GAME 6: Back Mtn. National 9, Ashland 7 (7 inn.)

Winners Bracket

GAME 7: Hollidaysburg 6, Council Rock Newtown 5 (8 inn.)

GAME 8: Ridley Area 11, West Point 6

Wednesday’s Games

Elimination Bracket

GAME 9: West Point 2, East Side 1

GAME 10: Council Rock Newtown 8, Back Mtn. National 7

Thursday’s Games

Elimination Bracket

GAME 11: West Point vs. Council Rock Newtown, 3 p.m.

Winners Bracket

GAME 12: Hollidaysburg vs. Ridley Area, 6 p.m.

Friday’s Game

GAME 13: Game 12 loser vs. Game 11 winner, 3 p.m.

Saturday’s Game

Game 14: Game 12 winner vs. Game 13 winner, 5 p.m.

Sunday’s Game

(If Game 12 winner loses Game 14)

GAME 15: Game 14 winner vs. Game 14 loser, 1 p.m.