DALLAS — The key Sunday afternoon was a victory. Accomplishing that plus coming out in good shape going forward was an addition bonus.
Back Mountain National got both in the Section 5 Little League 9-11 baseball tournament. BMN defeated Greater Pittston Area 6-1 in the winners bracket finals and at the same time kept its stable of pitching available.
The latter happened because of a complete game by Colby Shook. He threw a two-hitter and struck out six. He tossed 83 pitching, making him ineligible to pitch again in the tournament but everyone else can.
“That’s important,” BMN manager John Morris said. “Everybody but Colby will be available.”
BMN’s next game will be at 4 p.m. Tuesday against the winner of Monday’s elimination game between GPA and Abington Heights. Those teams play at 5:30 p.m. Monday at Back Mountain Little League.
Tuesday’s games move to Harveys Lake Little League because the major division will be at the Back Mountain field. If BMN loses the first game on Tuesday, a second game will follow.
The Section 5 champ advances to the state tournament at Pittston Township Little League.
Shook and GPA’s Gavin Gisolfi were locked in a pitching duel early as neither surrendered a hit through three innings. BMN finally broke the stalemate in the fourth on an RBI single by Nick Dalessandro. Max Casey added another run on a groundout after Mitch Onzik scored on a wild pitch.
BMN doubled its lead to 6-0 in the fifth. Joey Nocito had an RBI infield single and Cole Langdon added a two-run double to right-center field.
Shook rolled through the GPA lineup for four innings before GPA’s Chris Shovlin led off the fifth with a double. Shook, though, retired the next three hitters.
“Colby is very composed and very poised,” Morris said.
GPA scored its only run in the sixth. CJ Stevenson was hit by a pitch to start the inning, moved to second on a grounder and scored on David Homschek’s single with one out. Shook then got a flyout and groundout to end the game.
In the elimination game, Abington Heights defeated Wayne Highlands.
Section 5 9-10 Baseball
Back Mountain National 6, Greater Pittston Area 1
BMN`AB`R`H`BI
Morris c`4`0`0`0
Nocito ss`4`1`1`1
Pietraccini cf`2`2`1`0
Langdon 3b`2`0`1`2
Onzik 1b`3`1`1`0
Maier rf`1`0`0`0
Dalessandro lf`2`1`1`1
Geskey lf`1`0`0`0
Casey 3b`1`0`0`1
Shook p`3`0`0`0
Romeo 2b`1`0`1`0
Mason rf`0`1`0`0
Totals`23`6`6`5
GPA`AB`R`H`BI
Stevenson cf`1`1`0`0
Bernardi ss`1`0`0`0
Dommes ss`2`0`0`0
Homschek 1b`2`0`1`1
Gisolfi p`3`0`0`0
Timms c`3`0`0`0
Chaump 3b`1`0`0`0
Shovlin cf`1`0`1`0
Cerasaro 2b`1`0`0`0
Borino ph`1`0`0`0
Silinskie rf`1`0`0`0
Wolf rf`1`0`0`0
Salvo lf`2`0`0`0
Totals`20`1`2`1
BMN`000`330 — 6
GPA`000`001` — 1
2B — Langdon, Romeo, Shovlin.
BMN`IP`H`R`ER`BB`SO
Shook (W)`6`2`1`1`1`6
GPA`IP`H`R`ER`BB`SO
Gisolfi (L)`4.1`3`6`6`5`3
Chaump`0.0`2`0`0`0`0
Stevenson`1.2`1`0`0`2`0
