Little League: Plains defeats Valley View in Section 5 Major Baseball elimination game

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DALLAS TWP. — If there was anything positive about a rain delay of one hour and 18 minutes Monday evening, it was that Plains had a lead.

And when the game ended well later than expected, Plains had a 5-1 victory over Valley View in a Section 5 Little League Baseball elimination game at Back Mountain Little League.

District 16 champion Plains will play District 31 champion Back Mountain National in an elimination game at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday. The winner would then have to defeat District 17 champion Abington twice — on Wednesday and Thursday — for the Section 5 title and spot in the state tournament.

Plains led 2-0 going into the bottom of the second. Donny Stark tripled in the first and scored when Braedon Hollingshead bounced a single to left field. Landon Havard opened the second with a walk and eventually scored on a double by Bennett Tommaselli.

“Honestly, it was huge to go in with a lead,” Plains manager Don Stark said. “Yesterday was such as heartbreaker, so to come out and put out a couple runs the kids were fired up and it kind of steamrolled.”

The teams were removed from the field before District 32 champ Valley View had a chance to bat in the bottom of the second because of lightning in the area. The entire infield was covered with a tarp just in time as heavy rain pelted the area for over an hour.

When play resumed, Stark continued to baffle the Valley View hitters. He retired the side in order in the second, third and fourth innings. After surrendering an infield single to Colton Boyko and a double to Luke Fiorelli to start the fifth that produced Valley View’s only run, he struck out five in a row to finish with 11 strikeouts.

“We’ve had a couple delays this all-star season,” Don Stark said. “The last time it was Township and he didn’t come back as effective. We had to change our approach here because some of his pitches weren’t as effective with the break, but he gritted through it and got the job done.”

Plains increased its lead to 4-0 when Will McKeown opened the third with a triple and Stark followed with a home run. Tommaselli had an RBI single in the sixth for his team’s final run. He finished 3-for-3.

Section 5 Major Baseball

Plains 5, Valley View 1

Plains`AB`R`H`BI

McKeown 2b`2`1`1`0

Stark p`3`2`2`2

Hollingshead ss`2`0`2`1

As.Dutter 2b`3`0`0`0

Tarnalicki 1b`2`0`1`0

Havard c`3`2`0`0

Vincente-Sanchez eh`2`0`0`0

Antolik eh`1`0`0`0

Tommaselli lf`3`0`3`2

Miller cf`1`0`0`0

Paulino eh`2`0`0`0

Al.Dutter lf`2`0`0`0

Totals`26`5`9`5

Valley View`AB`R`H`BI

Farrell ss`2`0`0`0

Borusiewicz cf`2`0`1`0

Boyko c`2`1`1`0

Fiorelli 1b`2`0`2`0

Heim p`2`0`0`0

Brosky 3b`2`0`0`0

Horn 2b`2`0`0`0

Mills eh`2`0`0`0

Paone lf`2`0`0`0

Kelly rf`2`0`1`0

Spataro eh`2`0`0`0

Chilek eh`1`0`0`0

Totals`23`1`5`0

Plains`112`001 — 5

Valley View`000`01`0 — 1

2B — Tommaselli, Fiorelli. 3B — McKeown, Stark. HR — Stark.

Plains`IP`H`R`ER`BB`SO

Stark (W)`6`5`1`1`0`11

Valley View`IP`H`R`ER`BB`SO

Heim (L)`4.1`8`4`4`2`5

Brosky`1.0`0`1`1`5`1

Boyko`0.2`1`0`0`1`1