DURYEA — As well as Dylan Geskey was pitching for Back Mountain National on Monday, there was very little wiggle room for error.
That all changed in the sixth inning of the District 31 Little League Major Baseball championship game at the Duryea Little League.
BMN took advantage of everything offered in the sixth, scoring five times to defeat Swoyersville 8-2 and advance to the Section 5 playoffs.
Geskey pitched four innings, allowed one hit and struck out eight. Kyle Chesman picked up the save, entering with a one-run lead and recording the final six outs. Geskey also crushed a two-run homer to center in the four for a 3-0 advantage. He knew it was gone.
“The sound off the barrel,” Geskey said.
The D31 title was the second in a row for BMN, but this one carried a special meaning. The players are wearing one pink sock and one purple sock. The pink is for two mothers with breast cancer. The purple is for a father with pancreatic cancer.
“The kids wanted to honor the parents so we decided to wear one pink and one purple for the three parents,” BMN manager Eric Williams said.
Swoyersville was going for its first district championship since 1995 and trailed 3-2 entering the sixth when things unraveled for the two-team league.
BMN’s Sam Finarelli opened the sixth with a single and made it to second on an error on the play. Finarelli advanced to third on a groundout and Swoyersville took no chanced with Geskey as he was intentionally walked.
Finarelli scored on a wild pitch and Geskey crossed the plate on an error. Kaden Coyne had the only other hit in the inning, an infield single that scored the fifth run for the 8-2 lead.
“One of our strengths is playing off mistakes by the other team,” Williams said. “Up to that point — you have to take your hats off to Swoyersville — they were making the plays.”
So was BMN, which played flawless defense. Geskey made it easier by allowing just one runner to third through his four innings of work. Swoyersville’s Noah Kern opened the third with Swoyersville’s only hit, moved to second on a walk to Johnny Roberts and to third on a sacrifice bunt by Tyler Zambito.
Geskey reached his 85-pitch limit after issuing consecutive walks to Kern and Roberts to start the fifth. Kern eventually scored on a groundout and Zach Schultz, who ran for Roberts, scored on a passed ball.
BMN will open Section 5 play at 3 p.m. Saturday against the District 32 champion, either Throop or Green Ridge. The District 32 champion or District 17 champion North Pocono will host sectionals.
District 31 Major Baseball Championship
Back Mountain National 8, Swoyersville 2
Back Mtn. Nat.`AB`R`H`BI
Coyne 3b`3`0`2`1
Steinruck ph`1`0`0`0
Zangardi 1b`4`1`0`0
Finarelli ss`3`1`1`0
Brunn lf`1`0`0`0
Sholtis lf`2`1`0`0
Geskey p`2`2`2`2
Zapoticky rf`2`1`0`0
Chesman cf`2`1`0`0
Pisaneschi ph`1`0`0`0
Williams c`2`0`0`1
Dale ph`1`0`0`0
Leandri 2b`1`1`0`0
Casey ph`0`0`0`0
Totals`25`8`5`5
Swoyersville`AB`R`H`BI
Roberts ss`1`0`0`0
Lipinski 3b`1`0`0`0
Powell ph`1`0`0`1
Cavuto 1b`2`0`0`0
Dubaskas c`3`0`0`0
Chimock p`1`0`0`0
Schultz cf`1`1`0`0
Ingram ph`1`0`0`0
Bartolomei ph`1`0`0`0
Ruddy lf`1`0`0`0
Bell ph`1`0`0`0
Kern rf`2`1`1`0
Totals`18`2`1`1
Back Mountain National`000`305 — 8
Swoyersville`000`020 — 2
E: Swoyersville 3. DP: Swoyersville. LOB: Swoyersville 5. HR: Geskey. SB: Geskey. SAC: Zambito.
Back Mtn. Nat.`IP`H`R`ER`BB`SO
Geskey (W)`4.0`1`2`1`6`8
Chesman (S)`2.0`0`0`0`1`3
Swoyersville`IP`H`R`ER`BB`SO
Chimock (L)`5.1`4`7`4`4`3
Cavuto`0.2`1`1`0`1`0
