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Dietrich Enns shines as RailRiders slip past Buffalo, 2-1

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American Legion Baseball: Brett Soltysiak hits game winner for Tunkhannock

NANTICOKE &#8212; As a crowd gathered around the high school football stadium nearby waiting for a fireworks display, Nanticoke pitcher Derek Cease made sure Plains wouldn&#8217;t be setting any off early on the Little League field.Cease shut down Plains with seven strikeouts and allowed just four hits as Nanticoke posted a 5-1 victory Friday to clinch the top seed in Pool A of the District 16 Little League major baseball division.Nanticoke (3-0) completes pool play Tuesday against Hanover (1-2). Plains finished 3-1 in pool play, earning a spot in the semifinals but not a home game since Nanticoke holds the tiebreaker. The Pool A first-place team will host the Pool B second-place team and visa versa on Thursday.&#8220;Being in our home atmosphere is fabulous,&#8221; Nanticoke manager Al Brown said. &#8220;We do a lot of stuff here. We do different things for the kids. Today we had the national anthem singer with fireworks. The kids just love to play at home. They get to play in front of their parents, their friends, their family.&#8220;When you play at home, you always get more people because they&#8217;re right here.&#8221;Nanticoke will be back there Thursday thanks in part to Cease. He pitched 5.2 innings and only had to exit because he had reached the 85-pitch limit. (He actually threw 87 pitches as he was allowed to finish the batter he started prior to reaching 85).Cease gave up a single to Sawyer Koretz to start the game and an RBI double to Joe Monahan two batters later. The only other time he had some issues were in the fourth when Josh Bush singled with one out and Connor Kane sent him to third with a double. He ended the threat with a strikeout.&#8220;He&#8217;s been the ace of our league all year and he&#8217;s the ace of our team,&#8221; Brown said. &#8220;We give him the ball in big games and he did exactly what we expected of him. Came up one out short of a complete game, but he pitched excellent.&#8221;Reliever Justin Spencer needed just one pitch to end the game.Nanticoke missed a couple opportunities in the first two innings before taking advantage of a couple Plains miscues to take a 2-1 lead in the third.Spencer reached with one out on a throwing error and moved to third on a throwing error on Nick Matson&#8217;s grounder. Spencer scored on a wild pitch and Matson crossed the plate later on Caleb Butczynski&#8217;s RBI single to right field.Again, and error proved costly for Plains in the fourth as Nanticoke tacked on two more runs. Devyn Sura led off and made it to second on a two-base throwing error. After moving to third on a wild pitch, he scored on Colin Mackiewicz&#8217;s groundout.Bryant Keegan followed Mackiewicz with a pinch-hit homer to right, his second home run of the tournament.&#8220;Truly, I think that was the difference in the game,&#8221; Plains manager Jim Bush said of the three errors that led to three unearned runs. &#8220;We gave them extra outs. Those extra outs are are what led to runs. I think every extra out we gave the kid came around to score.&#8221;DISTRICT 16MAJOR BASEBALLHanover 14, NWBADP 04 inn.Zach Murphy provided Hanover with a four-hit game. Gavin Isope tallied three hits.Joey Mendygrao went deep for a three-run home run. Mason Bagusky hit a solo shot. Jake Mercadante secured the victory.NWBADP&#8217;s Cameron Krugel had a double.Kingston/Forty Fort 21, Swoyersville 0 4 inn.Bryan Stevens, Logan Broody-Walega, Ryan Sullivan and Jake Griffin each hit a home run for Kingston/Forty Fort.Brian Gill had Swoyersville&#8217;s lone hit.Jenkins Twp. 7,Pittston City 0Karl Pecha struck out 10 on the mound to lead Jenkins Township in a rain-shortened five-inning game. Kyle Breymeier, Tyler Wassel, Jack Long and Matt Johnson all contributed at the plate.Devin Markert topped Pittston City.DISTRICT 31MAJOR BASEBALLBack Mtn. National 19,West Side 1National racked up 20 hits in a four-inning victory, led by three apiece from Jared Adamski, Nick Finarelli and Evan Zawadski. Graedon Finarelli and Chris Killian both homered while Nick Finarelli, Mike Murray and Lucas Shultz combined on a one-hitter.Nick Giza had the lone hit for West Side.Exeter 15, Harveys Lake 5Winning pitcher Drew Mruk (home run), John Morgan and Kyle Skutack all had three hits for Exeter in a four-inning victory.Chris Buzacka, Hunter Woods and Peyton Shaw each homered for Harveys Lake.DISTRICT 169-10 BASEBALLMountain Top 16,South Wilkes-Barre 2In a game played Thursday, Ben Keil tossed a two-hitter, striking out nine for the win.Derek Johnson, Ryan Greives and Brayden Wanchisen led the Mountain Top offense.Duryea 21, Pittston Twp. 13 (7 inn.)In a game played Thursday, Duryea scored five runs in the top of the sixth to tie the game. It tallied another eight runs in the seventh to pull ahead.Chase Montgomery led with four hits. Marshal Gordon and Nick Borgla each had three hits. Lou Lussi finished with a pair of hits. Luke Snyder was the winning pitcher.Matt Mesais totaled three hits for Pittston Township. Ryan Hinte and Elijah Barr posted a pair of hits.Nanticoke 5, Plains 1Plains`AB`R`H`BIKoretz 2b`3`1`1`0Simko cf`1`0`0`0Shedlock ph`0`0`0`0Pampus ph`1`0`0`0Martin ss`1`0`0`0Yuknovich ph`1`0`0`0Monahan 3b`3`0`1`1Bush 1b`2`0`1`0Kane c`2`0`1`0Smigiel lf`2`0`0`0Pahler p`1`0`0`0Watkins rf`1`0`0`0Kenzkwski ph`1`0`0`0Totals`19`1`4`1Nanticoke`AB`R`H`BICease p`3`0`0`0Spencer ss`3`1`1`0Matson rf`2`2`0`0Egenski 3b`3`0`0`0Piestrak 1b`2`0`2`1Butczynski lf`1`0`1`1Sura cf`3`1`2`0Brown 1b`1`0`0`0Mackiewicz ph`1`0`0`1Casey c`1`0`0`0Keegan ph`1`1`1`1Kruczek 2b`1`0`0`0Everett ph`0`0`0`0Totals`22`5`7`3Plains`100`000`&#8212;`1Nanticoke`002`21x`&#8212;`52B &#8212; Monahan, Kane, Sura. 3B &#8212; Sura. HR &#8212; Keegan.Plains`IP`H`R`ER`BB`SOPahler (L)`3.0`4`2`0`0`3Monahan`2.0`3`3`1`2`0Nanticoke`IP`H`R`ER`BB`SOCease (W)`5.2`4`1`1`2`7Spencer`0.1`0`0`0`0`0<style>
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<div class="neCaption">Nanticoke catcher Charlie Casey, left, looks for home plate umpire Pat Partilla&#8217;s call after tagging out Plains&#8217; Matt Martin in District 16 Little League action Friday night in Nanticoke. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/web1_TTL070216Little-League_spt_6.jpg</photo0><caption0>Nanticoke catcher Charlie Casey, left, looks for home plate umpire Pat Partilla&#8217;s call after tagging out Plains&#8217; Matt Martin in District 16 Little League action Friday night in Nanticoke. </caption0><photoCredit0>Bill Tarutis | For Times Leader </photoCredit0></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/web1_TTL070216Little-League_spt_2.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Nanticoke starter Derek Cease gets the ball back from the catcher between pitches against Plains in District 16 Little League action Friday night in Nanticoke. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo1>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/web1_TTL070216Little-League_spt_2.jpg</photo1><caption1>Nanticoke starter Derek Cease gets the ball back from the catcher between pitches against Plains in District 16 Little League action Friday night in Nanticoke. </caption1><photoCredit1>Bill Tarutis | For Times Leader </photoCredit1></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/web1_TTL070216Little-League_spt_3.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Nanticoke&#8217;s Caleb Butczynski, right, unsuccessfully tries to avoid the tag of Plains shortstop Matt Martin at second base in District 16 Little League action Friday night in Nanticoke. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo2>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/web1_TTL070216Little-League_spt_3.jpg</photo2><caption2>Nanticoke&#8217;s Caleb Butczynski, right, unsuccessfully tries to avoid the tag of Plains shortstop Matt Martin at second base in District 16 Little League action Friday night in Nanticoke. </caption2><photoCredit2>Bill Tarutis | For Times Leader </photoCredit2></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/web1_TTL070216Little-League_spt_1.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Nanticoke&#8217;s Justin Spencer, left, reacts after scoring as Plains pitcher Jayden Pahler covers the plate in District 16 Little League action Friday night in Nanticoke. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo3>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/web1_TTL070216Little-League_spt_1.jpg</photo3><caption3>Nanticoke&#8217;s Justin Spencer, left, reacts after scoring as Plains pitcher Jayden Pahler covers the plate in District 16 Little League action Friday night in Nanticoke. </caption3><photoCredit3>Bill Tarutis | For Times Leader </photoCredit3></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/web1_TTL070216Little-League_spt_4.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Plains starter Jayden Pahler delivers a pitch against Nanticoke in District 16 Little League action Friday night in Nanticoke. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo4>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/web1_TTL070216Little-League_spt_4.jpg</photo4><caption4>Plains starter Jayden Pahler delivers a pitch against Nanticoke in District 16 Little League action Friday night in Nanticoke. </caption4><photoCredit4>Bill Tarutis | For Times Leader </photoCredit4></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/web1_TTL070216Little-League_spt_5.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Plains&#8217; Connor Kane watches his drive to the warning track against Nanticoke in District 16 Little League action Friday night in Nanticoke. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo5>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/web1_TTL070216Little-League_spt_5.jpg</photo5><caption5>Plains&#8217; Connor Kane watches his drive to the warning track against Nanticoke in District 16 Little League action Friday night in Nanticoke. </caption5><photoCredit5>Bill Tarutis | For Times Leader </photoCredit5></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><subheadMeta>All-stars win battle of unbeatens</subheadMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta>By John Erzarjerzar@www.timesleader.com</bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta>Reach John Erzar at 570-991-6394 or on Twitter @TLJohnErzar</shirttailMeta></div>

Nanticoke stays undefeated in District 16 Little League