Back Mountain National received a big swing, strong pitching and an odd ending to defeat Mifflinburg 2-1 Wednesday in the first round of the Little League Major Baseball state tournament at Newtown-Edgmont Little League.
The game ended after Section 3 champion Mifflinburg looked like it tied the score with two outs in the top of the sixth.
Hayden Showalter singled to keep the game alive. Brennan Snyder then doubled and Showalter scored but slid head-first into home plate. A head-first slide into a base is illegal in Little League and is an automatic out. (A head-first slide is permitted going back to the base). So Showalter was called out, ending the game.
The unique finish sent Section 5 Back Mountain National to the winners bracket semifinals. It will play 7 p.m. Thursday against the winner of Wednesday night’s game between Section 2 West Point and Section 8 champ Media.
Mifflinburg dropped to the elimination bracket and will play the West Point/Media loser at 1 p.m. Thursday.
Back Mountain National’s Trever Cunningham supplied all the runs his team needed in the first inning with a two-run home run. Jack Oliver singled up the middle with one out and Cunningham followed with a blast over the right-center fence.
Back Mountain National managed just two more hits. George Rolland singled to start the third and John Comitz had an infield single in the fifth. Back Mountain National left runners stranded at second and third in both of those innings.
Mifflinburg scored its only run in the top of the first, using three singles including an RBI infield hit by Andrew Yerger.
Back Mountain National starter Gavin Bayer settled in after that, retiring nine batters in order before Mifflinburg’s Collin Brandt singled to left with two outs in the fourth. Bayer walked the next two batters and Oliver took the mound in relief.
Oliver got a strikeout to end the threat. He surrendered a lead-off single to start the fifth, but then strung together four consecutive strikeouts.
Major Baseball State Tournament
Back Mountain National 2, Mifflinburg 1
Mifflinburg`AB`R`H`BI
Showalter cf`3`0`2`0
Snyder p`2`1`1`0
Brandt rf`2`0`2`0
Shaffer c`1`0`0`0
Yerger 3b`1`0`1`1
Yoder ss`2`0`0`0
Kaskie rf`2`0`1`0
Troup 1b`2`0`0`0
Resseguie 2b`2`0`0`0
Weikel eh`2`0`0`0
Catherman eh`2`0`0`0
Hommel lf`2`0`0`0
Totals`21`1`7`1
BMN`AB`R`H`BI
James ss`2`0`0`0
Oliver 1b`2`1`1`0
Cunningham lf`2`1`1`2
Bayer p`2`0`0`0
Nulton eh`2`0`0`0
Viglone cf`2`0`0`0
Zangardi 2b`2`0`0`0
Samanas c`1`0`0`0
Comitz rf`2`0`1`0
Rolland eh`2`0`1`0
Smacchi 3b`2`0`0`0
Fostock eh`0`0`0`0
Totals`21`2`4`2
Mifflinburg` `100`000 — 1
Back Mtn. National` `200`00x — 2
2B — Snyder. HR — Cunningham.
Mifflinburg`IP`H`R`ER`BB`SO
Snyder (L)`2.1`3`2`2`1`5
Brandt`1.2`0`0`0`0`1
Resseguie`1.0`1`0`0`1`1
BMN`IP`H`R`ER`BB`SO
Bayer (W)`3.2`4`1`1`3`6
Oliver (S)`2.1`2`0`0`0`5
