DALLAS — A higher right-field fence installed at the start of this season reduced the home runs at Back Mountain’s W.W. Kubis Memorial Field this season.
Back Mountain National found a different approach Thursday night, putting the fence to good use.
Joey Peters, Kade Cumbo and J.J. Rischawy bounced doubles off the fence and a high fly by Exeter’s Dane Schutter stayed in the park while Back Mountain National was rolling to an 11-1 semifinal victory in four innings.
The win set up an all-Back Mountain District 31 Little League Baseball Major championship game Monday night at Duryea. It will be the second time in four years that the National and American teams from the Back Mountain Little League meet in the district championship game.
Back Mountain National remained unbeaten on the way to its championship game appearance. It worked the pitch count in a long bottom of the first inning while taking control by scoring four runs.
After waiting until 8:55 p.m. to start the last game of a tripleheader and playing out the long first inning, Back Mountain National wound up racing a lightning storm that approached the area before managing to finish off the game on the 10-run rule by scoring in all four innings.
Peters and Kade Coyne doubled off the fence to highlight a 46-pitch inning.
“They came out swinging; came out hitting the ball,” Back Mountain National manager Gary Peters said. “We were fortunate to score the runs we did in the first inning. It got us going and we kept it going every single inning.”
Joey Peters hit the ball to right with one out to get it started.
Coyne’s shot to right-center with two out drove in the last two runs of the first inning.
Mike Cumbo also contributed to the fast start.
Cumbo had RBI singles in each of the first two innings. His single in the second inning resulted in two runs for a 6-0 lead when Exeter also committed an error on the play.
Exeter broke the shutout in the top of the third when Anthony DeLucca drew a leadoff walk before singles by Dane Schutter and pinch hitter Joshua Mruk.
Schutter hit the ball high off the fence in right field, but had to wait behind DeLucca who held up to see if the ball was catchable.
Mruk drove in the team’s only run with a two-out single.
Rischawy got the run back in the bottom of the inning with his pinch-hitting appearance. He doubled off the fence with two out and scored on a Gavin Adamski single.
Back Mountain National put the game away in the fourth with the help of walks to three of the first four batters.
Coyne’s second double drove in the second of four runs in the inning and Alan Lisman’s clean single to left with two out ended it.
Zach Paczewski threw a four-hitter and retired the last four batters. He walked two and struck out six, including the last two batters he faced.
Paczewski’s efficient effort, combined with the early finish on the 10-run rule, keeps all pitchers eligible for Monday’s final.
“Zach’s pitching was incredible,” Peters said. “ … He’s so consistent. He hits his spots and he has nice off-speed stuff which keeps the batters always guessing.”
Paczewski walked and scored in all three of his plate appearances.
District 31 Major Baseball semifinals
Back Mountain National 11, Exeter 1
Exeter`AB`R`H`BI
DeLucca 2b`1`1`0`0
Noone ss`2`0`1`0
Schutter p`2`0`1`0
Marranca 1b`2`0`0`0
Pugliese 3b`1`0`0`0
Mruk ph`1`0`1`1
Sciandra c`2`0`1`0
Layland cf`0`0`0`0
Walsh cf`1`0`0`0
Mulhern lf`1`0`0`0
Belza lf`1`0`0`0
Hivish rf`1`0`0`0
Jones rf`1`0`0`0
Totals`16`1`4`1
Back Mtn National`AB`R`H`BI
Adamski 3b`3`0`1`1
Peters c`3`2`1`0
Paczewski p`0`3`0`0
Cumbo 1b`2`1`2`3
Barrouk ss`2`1`0`0
Nocito 2b`1`2`0`0
Coyne lf`2`1`2`3
Timinski ph`1`0`0`0
Burkhardt cf`1`0`0`0
Kugler cf`1`0`0`0
Hinsdale ph`1`0`0`1
Lisman rf`2`0`1`1
Rischawy ph`1`1`1`1
Totals`20`11`8`10
2B – Coyne 2, Rischawy, Peters.
Exeter` `001`0`—`1
Back Mtn National`421`4`—`11
Exeter`IP`H`R`ER`BB`SO
Schutter L`2.2`6`7`5`3`2
Pugliese`1.1`2`4`4`3`0
National`IP`H`R`ER`BB`SO
Paczewski W`4.0`4`1`1`2`6
