The Back Mountain 8-10 All-Stars run with the championship banner after winning the District 31 championship on Sunday.
Mark Moran | For Times Leader
Back Mountain’s Olivia Aten struck out seven in four innings to pick up the win on Sunday.
Mark Moran | For Times Leader
Northwest pitcher Madison Brunn throws against Back Mountain.
Mark Moran | For Times Leader
Northwest’s Lillian Labar takes the throw at first to get Back Mountain’s Aubrey Jones.
Mark Moran | For Times Leader
Back Mountain’s Victoria Liparela connects for a bases-loaded hit.
Mark Moran | For Times Leader
Back Mountain’s Victoria Liparela handles the throw to get Northwest’s Harper Harrison.
Mark Moran | For Times Leader
Back Mountain’s Addy Piekara slides safely into home ahead of the throw to Northwest’s Harper Harrison.
Mark Moran | For Times Leader
ASHLEY — Back Mountain surrendered it first runs and faced adversity Sunday afternoon for the first time in the District 31 8-10 Softball tournament.
Neither mattered in the long run.
Back Mountain snapped a tie score with eight runs in the second inning to defeat Northwest 15-5 for the District 31 championship in a game ended after four innings.
Back Mountain will advance to the Section 5 playoffs on Saturday to be held at District 16 champion Mountain Top.
“It was good to see us face a little adversity and handle it,” Back Mountain manager Bob Aten said. “There were a few breaks that went against them, but they battled, they stayed in there. We tell them all the time all good teams face adversity. You have to fight through it.”
Back Mountain outscored its three pool-play opponents 45-0 and then defeated Greater Wyoming Area 7-0 in the semifinals. However, it found itself in an unfamiliar situation entering the bottom of the second.
Northwest tied the score 2-2 in the top of the inning as Belle Brunn and Kenlee Riaubia walked and scored. Madison Brunn knocked in Riaubia with a single.
Back Mountain, though, used four walks, bunt singles by Giulana Zukosky and Laila Meeker and a three-run double by Avery Mullery to score the runs.
Mullery had a huge day at the plate, going 3-for-3 with two doubles and four RBI. She would have had another extra-base hit if not for the 10-run mercy rule kicking in.
Back Mountain had eight hits and all resulted in an RBI or a run scored. Lead-off hitter Victoria Liparela was 2-for-3 with a double, an RBI and three runs scored. Meeker was 2-for-2 and scored twice.
Zukosky and Maya Mariancci had an RBI each for Back Mountain, which won for the fourth time without the game going six innings.
Northwest fought back in the fourth as Madison Brunn had a RBI single and Bella Martin walked with the bases loaded to cut the deficit to 12-5 in the fourth.
Back Mountain ended the game in the bottom of the fourth as the inning started with Meeker hitting an infield single, Madelyn Anthony walking and Liparela singling.
District 31 8-10 Championship
Back Mountain 15, Northwest 5
(4 inn.)
Northwest`AB`R`H`BI
Jayne c`1`0`0`0
Kopko ss`2`0`0`0
Boytin 1b`1`0`1`0
Harrison 3b`2`0`0`0
B.Brunn eh`1`1`0`0
Riaubia cf`1`1`1`0
Bertinelli 2b`2`1`0`0
Noss eh`2`1`0`0
M.Brunn p`2`0`2`2
LaBar rf`2`0`1`0
Martin eh`0`1`0`1
Scalzo lf`2`0`0`0
Totals`18`5`5`3
Back Mountain`AB`R`H`BI
Liparela 1b`3`3`2`1
Aten p`3`0`0`1
Mullery c`3`2`3`4
Kowalczyk ss`2`0`0`0
Feldman rf`1`1`0`0
Piekara cf`0`2`0`0
Bross 2b`1`1`0`0
Marianacci 3b`1`1`0`1
Zukosky lf`1`1`1`1
Jones eh`2`0`0`0
Meeker eh`2`2`2`0
Anthony eh`0`2`0`0
Totals`19`15`8`8
Northwest`021`2 — 5
Back Mountain`282`3 — 15
2B — Liparela, Mullery 2.
Northwest`IP`H`R`ER`BB`SO
M.Brunn (L)`2`5`12`9`5`3
Harrison`2`3`3`0`2`2
Back Mountain`IP`H`R`ER`BB`SO
Aten (W)`4`5`5`2`6`7
