Kingston/Forty Fort winning pitcher Kye Kushnir went the distance in capturing the District 31 Major Baseball championship, defeating Back Mountain National at Jenkins Twp. Field on Monday evening.
Tony Callaio | For Times Leader
Back Mountain National’s Dante Pietraccini gets an opposite field hit, knocking in teammate Neil Suchodolski.
Tony Callaio | For Times Leader
Back Mountain National’s Mark Coach (28) and catcher Jack Katyl missed the tag on Kingston/Forty Fort’s Brentley Nicholls (14).
Tony Callaio | For Times Leader
Kingston/Forty Fort’s Nick Lipinski slides in safe ahead of the tag from Back Mountain National shortstop Mark Coach.
Tony Callaio | For Times Leader
The victorious Kingston/Forty Fort team takes a lap around the Jenkins Township field after defeating Back Mountain National 9-3 to win the District 31 Major Baseball championship.
Tony Callaio | For Times Leader
JENKINS TWP. — The bottom of the Kingston/Forty Fort batting order did its job in the fifth inning Monday evening.
Then the top of the order did the rest.
A single by Russell Singer and a double by Brentley Nicholls triggered a six-run fifth inning as KFF defeated Back Mountain National 9-3 for the District 31 Little League Major Baseball championship.
KFF will play District 32 champion Lakeland at 3 p.m. Saturday in the Section 5 tournament. All Section 5 games will be at Lakeland’s Scott Township field.
Singer, batting in the 10th spot, led off the fifth with a single. Nicholls followed with a double.
“To get the order turned over to the top, these guys know,” KFF manager Tim Needle said. “We talk about it all the time. We have confidence all the way through the lineup. They put the ball in play, put pressure on the defense.”
An out later, lead-off hitter Kye Kushnir was intentionally walked to load the bases.
Then KFF’s top of the order took control. Nick Lipinski hit an RBI single, T.J. Needle hit a two-run single and Dayne Wadas brought home a run with a groundout. Consecutive two-out doubles by Yonah Ringer and Richie McCabe each drove in runs for a 9-3 advantage.
After scoring a run on an infield single by Jack Katyl in the second, National put the pressure on KFF starter Kushnir in the fourth. Neil Suchodolski doubled with one out and scored on a single by Dante Pietraccini. Mark Coach added an RBI double for a 3-1 lead.
Coach’s double was the last hit off Kushnir, who retired the last eight batters to finish off his complete game.
“You can’t say enough about Kye Kushnir,” Needle said. “He threw a heck of a game today. At all facets of the game, he’s a fantastic baseball player. Hitting, he didn’t play in the field today, but he’s a phenomenal shortstop.”
KFF tied the score 3-3 in the fourth as Wadas, Ringer and McCabe opened the inning with consecutive singles. Wadas scored on McCabe’s hit and Ringer later scored on a wild pitch.
District 31 Championship
Kingston/Forty Fort 9, Back Mtn. National 3
Back Mtn. Nat.`AB`R`H`BI
Bonomo rf`2`0`0`0
Suchodolski p`2`1`1`0
Peitraccini eh`2`1`1`1
Coach ss`2`0`1`1
Hornak 2b`2`0`0`0
Mayerski cf`2`1`0`0
Katyl c`2`0`1`1
Liparela 3b`2`0`0`0
Knowles 1b`2`0`0`0
Young eh`2`0`1`0
Neiman dh`2`0`0`0
Scavone lf`2`0`0`0
Totals`24`3`5`3
Kingston/FF`AB`R`H`BI
Kushnir p`2`1`0`0
Lipinski 3b`2`1`2`1
Needle ss`3`1`1`2
Wadas 1b`2`1`1`1
Ringer 2b`3`2`2`1
McCabe c`2`0`2`2
Ahart cf`3`0`0`0
Figueroa eh`2`0`0`0
Dailey eh`2`0`0`0
Singer rf`2`1`1`0
Nicholls lf`2`2`2`0
Varzaly eh`1`0`0`0
Totals`26`9`11`7
Back Mtn. National`010`200 — 3
Kingston/Forty Fort`001`26x — 9
2B — Suchodolski, Coach, Young, McCabe, Nicholls.
Back Mtn. Nat.`IP`H`R`ER`BB`SO
Suchodolski`2`1`0`0`1`3
Coach (L)`2`6`5`5`1`5
Hornak`1`4`4`4`1`2
Kingston/FF`IP`H`R`ER`BB`SO
Kushnir (W)`6`5`3`2`0`5
