Local roundup: Back Mountain holds off Valley View to win Section 5 opener

DALLAS TWP. — It was never easy, and rarely pretty, but the end result held up for Back Mountain — a win to open up the Section 5 tournament.

Bruce Knowles stranded the tying and winning runs in scoring position with two huge strikeouts to seal a 6-5 victory for Back Mountain over Valley View in the opening round of the Section 5 8-10 Baseball tournament on Saturday at Back Mountain Little League.

Knowles threw the final two innings for Back Mountain, preserving his team’s lead despite some trouble with command. He issued four walks and allowed two runs, but in the two biggest at-bats of the afternoon, Knowles was able to find the strike zone and win the day for his team.

Knowles allowed one run on two walks in the fifth, and came back out for the sixth with a 6-4 lead. He got the first out on a great play from Jack Katyl at first base, but then allowed back-to-back walks.

What looked like the second out on a grounder turned into a run-scoring play as the throw to first was wide, allowing one run to score, one runner to move to third and the batter to advance to second.

Unfazed, Knowles regrouped and struck out the next two batters.

“In an ideal situation, Bruce wouldn’t have pitched today,” Back Mountain manager Brian Wielgosz said. “But we needed him, he stepped up. … It wasn’t pretty, but he got the job done.”

Isaac Tribendis had the big hit for Back Mountain, looping a single into short center with the bases loaded and Back Mountain trailing 3-1.

One run scored on the hit, and the other two Back Mountain baserunners took advantage of a throwing error to both come around to score, giving Back Mountain a 4-3 lead.

Andrew Salko singled in Tribendis, and the loud inning ended with Back Mountain ahead 5-3. It would add an insurance run in the top of the sixth, with Katyl singling in Ethan Wielgosz.

“We practice the little things, the baserunning, the situations,” coach Wielgosz said. “Our depth showed, we had some kids in the bottom half of the order who stepped up.”

Both teams set up their pitching with an eye towards the next few days, but while Valley View may have hurt itself getting to its relievers too early, Back Mountain’s pitching only got stronger as the game went on.

Before Knowles, Parker Page came on in the fourth with two on and nobody out, Back Mountain trailing at this point 3-1. Page struck out the first two batters he saw, and got the third out on a routine grounder to second to keep Valley View from doing anymore damage.

Five Back Mountain pitchers combined to allow just three hits, all in the first two trips to the plate for Valley View. The District 32 champs did the bulk of its damage by working walks, drawing 12 walks all together.

Valley View starter Talon Prutzman threw three perfect innings to start the game, but was lifted to start the fourth in favor of teammate Mason Buczynski.

Buczynski allowed Back Mountain to score its first run, an RBI single from Ethan Wielgosz that doubles as Back Mountain’s first hit of the day, but was able to keep it to just one run.

Kody Malinowski came on to pitch the fifth, and that’s where Back Mountain’s offense finally began to click. Four hits, a walk and a hit batter all combined to turn the tables and put Back Mountain ahead for good.

Back Mountain will play Township on Sunday in the Section 5 winners bracket. First pitch is set for 3 p.m. at Back Mountain Little League.

Section 5 8-10 Baseball

Back Mountain 6, Valley View 4

Back Mountain`AB`R`H`BI

Wielgosz 2b`3`1`1`1

Bross ss`3`0`0`0

Knowles 1b`1`1`0`0

Katyl p`2`1`1`1

Wycallis c`2`1`1`0

Tribendis lf`2`1`1`1

Hanson cf`2`0`0`0

Salko 3b`2`0`1`1

Page eh`2`0`1`1

Rollins rf`1`0`0`0

Kovich eh`2`1`0`0

Dennis eh`2`0`1`0

Totals`24`6`7`4

Valley View`AB`R`H`BI

Buczymski ss`3`1`1`1

Forgione 2b`0`0`0`0

Prutzman p`1`1`1`1

Warnestsky c`3`0`0`0

Bauer 3b`3`0`0`1

Nicastro cf`1`0`0`0

Malinowski 1b`1`1`0`0

Siekierka rf`1`0`0`0

Zadarosni eh`2`0`0`1

Heim eh`3`0`0`0

Moyles eh`3`1`1`0

Scoblick lf`0`1`0`0

Totals`21`5`3`4

Back Mountain`000`141 — 6

Valley View`003`011 — 5

2B — none.

Back Mountain`IP`H`R`ER`BB`SO

Katyl`2`3`3`3`3`5

Bross`0.2`0`0`0`2`0

Hanson`0.1`0`0`0`3`1

Page (W)`1`0`0`0`0`2

Knowles`2`0`2`2`4`3

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

Prutzman`3`0`0`0`0`5

Buczynski`1`1`1`1`1`1

Malinowski (L)`2`5`4`3`2`0