Back Mountain National’s Nick Dalessandro gets a single in the bottom of the fifth inning against East Side in the Little League 9-11 state tournament at Pittston Township Little League on Wednesday.
Tony Callaio | For Times Leader
Back Mountain National’s Tyce Mason tracks down a flyball to left field against East Side.
Tony Callaio | For Times Leader
Back Mountain National shortstop Joey Nocito fields a grounder in an attempt to turn a double play against East Side.
Tony Callaio | For Times Leader
Back Mountain National center fielder Talan Geskey runs down a fly ball against East Side.
Tony Callaio | For Times Leader
Back Mountain National second baseman Justin Morris gets a forceout and attempts to complete a double play.
Tony Callaio | For Times Leader
PITTSTON TWP. — Back Mountain National learned a valuable lesson about how baseball can be the most beautiful – and frustrating – game. Sometimes it’s a matter of one or two hits that could mean the difference of four or five runs.
Back Mountain National’s summer-long run came to a halt in an 8-1 loss to West Chester East Side on Wednesday. BMN finishes as the third-place team in the Little League 9-11 Baseball state playoffs.
“In the last two games, I think we left bases loaded six times,” BMN manager John Morris said. “It’s good, and it’s bad. It’s good because I know we can do better. We’re just one or two hits away from four or five runs.”
East Side advances to face State College at 4 p.m. Thursday at Pittston Township Little League. An East Side win would force a deciding rematch at 1 p.m. Friday.
“Being third in the state is pretty impressive,” Morris said. “We started the season that we were looking one game ahead, one game ahead. This team really fought through a lot of adversity, made a lot of really good plays.”
Trailing by a score of 5-2, BMN had an opportunity with the go-ahead runner at the plate in the bottom of the fifth inning. BMN loaded the bases with a pair of back-to-back singles by Nick Dalessandro and Justin Morris. A Cole Langdon walk chased East Side starting pitcher Nolan Bruns, loading the bases with just one out.
East Side relief pitcher Shane Duffy shut the door on BMN with a strikeout and groundout. He secured a save with just one hit allowed in 1.2 innings.
“Nolan (Bruns) and Shane were ice in the veins,” East Side manager Roger Greene said. “They came in pressure situations and shut it down. Hats off to them. It’s a good team we played today as well.”
BMN scored its lone run in the bottom of the second inning. Trailing 3-0, Luca Pietraccini led off the frame with a walk and advanced to third via a groundout and a wild pitch. Tyce Mason beat out a throw on a hard-hit single to the right side to drive in the first run of the game.
After BMN starter Kolby Shook took care of the first inning with just seven pitches, East Side gained the opening lead on a string of five consecutive singles. Luke Greene hit an RBI single to right field that scored the first run, and an errant throw tallied another run. Ethan Corp legged out an infield single for East Side’s third run of the inning.
East Side added another run in the third inning on a leadoff Xavier Wood home run that nearly reached the road beyond the left-center wall. It added an unearned run on BMN’s second error of the game.
“We made some errors in the field, a lot of mental pieces that we don’t normally make,” Morris said. “I don’t know if it was just the emotional high from (Sunday’s win over Council Rock Holland).”
East Side was led by Ryan Miller with three hits. Nick Renaldo came off the bench to drive in a pair of RBI in the sixth inning. Stas Arsenlis finished with a 2-for-3 effort with two runs scored.
East Side’s starting pitcher Nolan Bruns earned the victory with one earned run and six strikeouts in 4.1 innings. Shook had four strikeouts for BMN.
West Chester East Side 8, Back Mountain National 1
East Side`AB`R`H`BI
Tiberio 2b`4`0`0`0
Masiko c`3`1`1`0
Wood ss`3`1`1`1
Arsenlis 3b`3`2`2`1
Duffy cf`4`1`2`0
Miller 1b`4`2`3`0
Greene lf`1`1`1`1
Renaldo ph`2`0`1`2
Corp rf`2`0`1`1
Pogharian ph`2`0`0`0
Bruns p`2`0`0`0
Totals`29`8`12`5
Back Mtn. National`AB`R`H`BI
Morris 2b`3`0`1`0
Nocito ss`3`0`0`0
Langdon 3b`1`0`0`0
Onzik 1b`4`0`0`0
Romeo ph`1`0`0`0
Pietraccini c`1`1`0`0
Maier rf`2`0`0`0
Geskey cf`3`0`0`0
Casey ph`1`0`0`0
Rinehimer ph`1`0`0`0
Shook p`1`0`1`0
Mason lf`1`0`1`1
Dalessandro ph`2`0`1`0
Totals`23`1`4`1
East Side`032`003`—8
Back Mtn. National`010`000`—1
2B — Masiko, Arsenlis; HR —Wood
East Side`IP`H`R`ER`BB`SO
Bruns (W)`4.1`3`1`1`4`6
Duffy (S)`1.2`1`0`0`0`1
Back Mtn. National`IP`H`R`ER`BB`SO
Shook (L)`4`8`5`4`3`4
Nocito`2`4`3`3`0`2
