Little League: Back Mountain National rally falls short as Council Rock Newtown wins state title

Back Mountain National’s quest for the Little League Major Baseball state championship came to an end Monday morning.

National had a sixth-inning rally attempt come up just short as Council Rock Newtown held on for a 3-2 victory to win the state title at the Newville Little League.

National needed to win Monday morning and then defeat Council Rock Newtown in the afternoon to advance to the Mid-Atlantic Tournament in Bristol, Connecticut.

An afternoon rematch nearly happened.

Council Rock Newtown pitcher Sav Longo exited after five innings and reaching his 85-pitch limit, holding National to two hits and striking out 10. Logan Van Valkenburgh greeted reliever Tyler Wexler with a single to start the sixth. Mattie Lapidus followed with a double to right-center, moving Van Valkenburg to third.

Tyler Neeld came in to pitch and recorded two strikeouts. Liam Dieffenbacher then hit a bunt single down the first-base line to score Van Valkenburgh, but Neeld got an infield pop to end the game with runners on the corners to give Council Rock Newtown its first state championship since 2010.

Council Rock Newtown scored two runs in the top of the first. The first three batters walked and a fielder’s choice by Longo and a sacrifice fly by Greyson Gage plated the runs.

National threatened in the bottom of the first as Carter Samanas led off with a single and Nick Federici was hit by a pitch an out later. Longo, though, proved to be tough on the mound as he retired the next 11 National batters.

Council Rock Newtown took a 3-0 lead in the third on an RBI single by Brayden Peiffer.

National’s Kellan DeFalco finally snapped Longo’s dominance with a ground-rule double to left with one out in the fifth inning. He moved to third on a wild pitch and scored on a fielder’s choice by Wyatt Engel to cut the deficit to 3-1.

Lapidus was strong in four innings of relief for National. He allowed one run and struck out six.

Section 6 champion Council Rock Newtown also won the state championship in 1986 and 2005.

Section 5 champion National lost in the state title game in 2015. The last team to win a state championship from the area that encompasses District 16/31 was Back Mountain in 1962.

Major Baseball State Championship

Council Rock Newtown 3, Back Mountain National 2

Council Rock Newtown`AB`R`H`BI

Hamilton 2b`2`1`1`0

Peiffer ss`2`1`1`1

Neeld 1b`2`0`1`0

Longo p`3`0`0`1

G.Gage rf`1`0`0`1

Caudill cf`1`0`1`0

DaBronzo 3b`2`0`0`0

B.Gage eh`2`0`0`0

Uhl c`2`0`0`0

Esteves eh`2`0`0`0

Siveter eh`2`1`1`0

Wexler lf`2`0`0`0

Totals`23`3`5`3

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

Samanas c`3`0`1`0

Nulton rf`2`0`0`0

Federici p`1`0`0`0

DeFalco cf`2`1`1`0

Kovach 2b`1`0`0`0

Engel eh`2`0`0`1

Medrano 3b`2`0`0`0

Van Valkenburgh ss`2`1`1`0

Lapidus 1b`2`0`1`0

Greblunas lf`2`0`0`0

Ronczka eh`2`0`0`0

Dieffenbacher eh`2`0`1`1

Totals`23`2`5`2

Council Rock Newtown`201`000 — 3

Back Mountain National`000`011 — 2

E — BMN 2. LOB — BMN 5, CRN 6. 2B — Caudill, DeFalco, Lapidus. SB — Longo, Samanas, Federici. SF — G.Gage.

Coun. Rock Newtown`IP`H`R`ER`BB`SO

Longo (W)`5`2`1`1`1`10

Wexler`0`2`1`1`0`0

Neeld (S)`1`1`0`0`0`2

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

Federici (L)`2`0`2`2`3`2

Lapidus`4`5`1`1`0`6

HBP — Caudill (by Federici). Federici (by Longo).