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Big moments for Mazonis and Pittston City/Duryea in LL semifinal victory

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D31 Little League: Back Mountain National storms by Exeter

<p>DALLAS &#8212; Rallies can start all different ways. This one started with an out on Thursday evening.</p><p>Yep, pinch hitter Mason Calvey&#8217;s flyout to right to start the fifth inning of a tied game seemed to ignite a Back Mountain American offense that hadn&#8217;t done much all day.</p><p>From there, American pounded out four hits and scored five times to defeat defending champion Kingston/Forty Fort 7-2 in the semifinals of the District 31 Little League Major Baseball tournament.</p><p>American will play Back Mountain National for the championship at 5:30 p.m. Monday at the Duryea Little League.</p><p>&#8220;(Calvey) is one of our reserve players,&#8221; BMA manager Spencer Chesman said. &#8220;He&#8217;s still an all-star, but he doesn&#8217;t start. But to get him up there and pound the ball like that, I think it gave everybody else a lot of confidence. &#8230; I really got to give it up to him because he started that rally.&#8221;</p><p>Seth Berry followed with a slow roller to short and was able to beat the throw. Evan Kaiser then launched a double to left, and Berry displayed his speed again by scoring from first to give BMA its first lead of the game, 3-2. After Tyler Casey was walked intentionally, he and Kaiser moved up a base on Tucker Chesman&#8217;s groundout. Ben Fenster knocked both of them in with a single to left.</p><p>A scary moment followed when Logan Sakulich was hit in the back of the helmet with a pitch. He was able to continue on and was also able to circle the bases on a error on Myles Tirpak&#8217;s single. Fenster also scored.</p><p>BMA reliever Casey got into some mild trouble in the top of the sixth as KFF&#8217;s Aaron Klosko singled and Antek Evan walked. But a strikeout and an excellent play by shortstop Berry, who stumbled and threw to first while falling, ended the game.</p><p>&#8220;We came in very confident,&#8221; Chesman said. &#8220;This is a good group of kids, kids with a lot of fight in them. And a lot of kids on this team have played a lot of baseball for a lot of years. So they really earned their stripes.&#8221;</p><p>BMA took a 1-0 lead in the first when Berry doubled down the right field line, moved to second on Kaiser&#8217;s single to right and scored on a wild pitch.</p><p>KFF answered back with two runs in the third for a 2-1 advantage. Jacob Stevens walked, Mason Matello singled and Luke Kopec walked to load the bases with no one out. Consecutive sacrifice flies by Davis Motyka and Mike Voziak plated the runs.</p><p>BMA tied the score 2-2 in the fourth. Chesman singled then went first to third on a beautiful sacrifice bunt by Joe &#8220;Bubba&#8221; Sowga. Chesman later scored on a wild pitch.</p><p style="text-align: center;"><strong>District 31 Major Baseball semifinals</strong></p><p style="text-align: center;"><strong>Back Mtn. American 7, Kingston/Forty Fort 2</strong></p><p><strong>KFF`AB`R`H`BI</strong></p><p>Stevens cf`2`1`0`0</p><p>Matello ph`1`0`0`0</p><p>Kopec ss`2`0`1`0</p><p>Motyka 2b`1`0`1`1</p><p>Vodziak 3b`2`0`0`1</p><p>Saporito lf`3`0`1`0</p><p>Klosko c`2`0`1`0</p><p>Connell ph`1`0`0`0</p><p>Kraus p`1`0`0`0</p><p>Evan rf`2`0`0`0</p><p>Klem rf`2`0`0`0</p><p>Gorham ph`1`0`0`0</p><p><strong>Totals`23`2`5`2</strong></p><p><strong>BMA`AB`R`H`BI</strong></p><p>L.Tirpak cf`2`0`0`0</p><p>Calvey ph`1`0`0`0</p><p>Berry ss`3`2`2`0</p><p>Kaiser c`3`1`2`1</p><p>Casey 1b`2`1`0`0</p><p>Chesman rf`2`1`1`0</p><p>Fenster 2b`2`1`1`2</p><p>Sowga ph`0`0`0`0</p><p>Sakulich p`2`1`1`0</p><p>M.Tirpak lf`2`0`1`1</p><p>Bucholtz ph`1`0`0`0</p><p>Aiell0 3b`0`0`0`0</p><p>Watkins ph`2`0`0`0</p><p><strong>Totals`22`7`8`4</strong></p><p><strong>KFF` `002`000 &#8212; 2</strong></p><p><strong>BMA` `100`15x &#8212; 7</strong></p><p>2B &#8212; Berry, Kaiser</p><p><strong>KFF`IP`H`R`ER`BB`SO</strong></p><p>Kraus`4.0`4`2`2`2`4</p><p>Stevens L`1.0`4`5`4`1`1</p><p><strong>BMA`IP`H`R`ER`BB`SO</strong></p><p>Saklulich`4.0`2`2`2`2`0</p><p>Casey W`2.0`1`0`0`2`3</p><style>
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<div class="neCaption">Back Mountain American third baseman Alexander Aiello leans back to make a catch on a pop fly by Kingston/Forty Fort&#8217;s Aaron Klosko in the second inning Thursday. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/web1_bkmt_kff1_faa.jpg</photo0><caption0>Back Mountain American third baseman Alexander Aiello leans back to make a catch on a pop fly by Kingston/Forty Fort&#8217;s Aaron Klosko in the second inning Thursday. </caption0><photoCredit0>Fred Adams | For Times Leader </photoCredit0></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/web1_bkmt_kff2_faa.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Kingston/Forty Fort shortstop Luke Kopec (22) nearly collides with second baseman Davis Motyka fielding grounder in the second inning Thursday. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo1>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/web1_bkmt_kff2_faa.jpg</photo1><caption1>Kingston/Forty Fort shortstop Luke Kopec (22) nearly collides with second baseman Davis Motyka fielding grounder in the second inning Thursday. </caption1><photoCredit1>Fred Adams | For Times Leader </photoCredit1></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/web1_bkmt_kff4_faa.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Back Mountain American left fielder Myles Tirpak gets under a flyball for an out in the third inning Thursday. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo2>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/web1_bkmt_kff4_faa.jpg</photo2><caption2>Back Mountain American left fielder Myles Tirpak gets under a flyball for an out in the third inning Thursday. </caption2><photoCredit2>Fred Adams | For Times Leader </photoCredit2></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/web1_bkmt_kff5_faa.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Kingston/Forty Fort second baseman Davis Motyka makes a throw to first for an out in the fourth inning Thursday. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo3>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/web1_bkmt_kff5_faa.jpg</photo3><caption3>Kingston/Forty Fort second baseman Davis Motyka makes a throw to first for an out in the fourth inning Thursday. </caption3><photoCredit3>Fred Adams | For Times Leader </photoCredit3></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/web1_bkmt_kff3_faa.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Back Mountain American catcher Evan Kaiser stretches in an attempt to tag Kingston/Forty Fort&#8217;s Mason Matello as he crosses home plate in the third inning of Thursday&#8217;s District 31 Little League Major Baseball semifinal game. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo4>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/web1_bkmt_kff3_faa.jpg</photo4><caption4>Back Mountain American catcher Evan Kaiser stretches in an attempt to tag Kingston/Forty Fort&#8217;s Mason Matello as he crosses home plate in the third inning of Thursday&#8217;s District 31 Little League Major Baseball semifinal game. </caption4><photoCredit4>Fred Adams | For Times Leader </photoCredit4></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><subheadMeta>BMA uses big inning in D31 semifinal win</subheadMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By John Erzar</p><p>jerzar@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach John Erzar at 570-991-6394 or on Twitter @TLJohnErzar</p></shirttailMeta></div>

Back Mountain American uses big inning in D31 semifinal win