web1_Baseball-Stock.jpg

Legion baseball; Baranski pitches gem in Swoyersville win over Greater Pittston

web1_RailRiders-Primary-CMYK.jpg

Abiatal Avelino’s big day, dominant pitching lead RailRiders to victoy

<p>DURYEA &#8212; It seemed like Back Mountain National might not be so invincible after all.</p><p>Their vulnerability lasted all of one half inning.</p><p>Back Mountain National scored 13 unanswered runs to come back for a 13-3 victory over Green Ridge Saturday in the Little League Section 5 Major Baseball playoffs. BMN will face the winner of Pittston City/Duryea or Abington American&#8217;s suspended game on Sunday at 8 p.m. at the Duryea Little League field.</p><p>After outscoring its opponents 73-1 over the past six games, the District 31 champions found themselves trailing for the first time all season. Green Ridge had five hits and scored three runs in the tournament&#8217;s first set of at-bats.</p><p>Blake Decker and Kyle Rupp opened the game with back-to-back singles to right field. Decker scored on a wild pitch, and Roman Valvano drove in Rupp with a groundout. Green Ridge added a third run when Chase Scanlon touched home on a rare errant throw by the BMN defense.</p><p>&#8220;I knew they could hit the ball,&#8221; Back Mountain National coach Gary Peters said. &#8220;I knew they weren&#8217;t going to come down here and lay down for us. It didn&#8217;t surprise me that they could come down here and score some runs. It just shows you how deep this team is to not come back and get rattled in the first.&#8221;</p><p>Mike Cumbo shifted the momentum back into Back Mountain National&#8217;s favor. He forced a flyout to leave two runners in scoring position and escape the first-inning threat.</p><p>In the bottom of the first, a strikeout and a fantastic shoestring catch by Green Ridge centerfielder Scanlan retired the first two Back Mountain National hitters. After Zach Paczewski beat out an infield single, Cumbo launched a 250-foot home run over the left field bleachers to cut the deficit to one.</p><p>&#8220;The way Zach was running down to first base with two outs,&#8221; Peters said. &#8220;That was a rallying point &#8211; him being safe there. And then, Mike comes in and hits a big home run. It puts us right back in the game. If that doesn&#8217;t happen, we&#8217;re on our heels in the second inning.&#8221;</p><p>Sam Barrouk and Jack Nocito then drove a pair of balls up the middle for singles. Kaden Coyne produced an RBI single to center field that evened the score at 3-3.</p><p>&#8220;Don&#8217;t push,&#8221; Peters said. &#8220;They&#8217;re a good team. They&#8217;re going to hit. They&#8217;re going to make some plays. Going to score runs. It was just for us to stay patient, wait for their pitches, and get their hits.&#8221;</p><p>Back Mountain National went ahead with one run scored in the second inning. Gavin Adamski sparked the team with a one-out double off of the fence. Paczewski singled to centerfield to score Adamski for a 4-3 lead.</p><p>Three players finished with perfect days at the plate for Back Mountain National. Paczewski hit 4-for-4 with three runs scored. Nocito and Coyne each had three hits. Additionally, Cumbo registered two runs, two extra base hits and three RBI.</p><p>It added an insurance run in the third. Nocito beat out a throw home after a successful pickoff attempt to first back.</p><p>Cumbo settled down from the early Green Ridge offensive to finish with the win. He went three innings with two earned runs. In spite of the run rule, Paczewski recorded a save with two scoreless innings of two-hit ball.</p><p>Back Mountain National teed off on the Green Ridge relievers. Green Ridge&#8217;s bullpen managed two-third of an inning pitched with eight earned runs allows.</p><p style="text-align: center;"><strong>LITTLE LEAGUE</strong></p><p style="text-align: center;"><strong>SECTION 5 MAJOR BASEBALL</strong></p><p style="text-align: center;"><strong>Back Mountain National 13, Green Ridge 3, 5 innings</strong></p><p><strong>Green Ridge`AB`R`H`BI</strong></p><p>Decker ss`2`1`1`0</p><p>Rupp p`3`1`1`0</p><p>Stallman c`3`0`0`0</p><p>Valvano 2b`3`0`2`1</p><p>Scanlan cf`3`1`2`0</p><p>GMcCormack 3b`3`0`2`0</p><p>Santaniello 1b`2`0`1`0</p><p>Gola ph`1`0`0`0</p><p>Pappas lf`1`0`0`0</p><p>McDonald lf`1`0`0`0</p><p>BMcCormack rf`1`0`0`0</p><p>Iabst rf`1`0`0`0</p><p>Haggerty rf`1`0`0`0</p><p><strong>Totals`25`3`9`1</strong></p><p><strong>Back Mtn. National`AB`R`H`BI</strong></p><p>Adamski c`4`1`1`0</p><p>Peters 3b`3`1`1`1</p><p>Kugler 3b`0`1`0`0</p><p>Paczewski ss`4`3`4`1</p><p>Cumbo p`3`2`2`3</p><p>Barrouk 1b`3`1`2`1</p><p>Nocito 2b`3`1`3`2</p><p>Coyne lf`3`1`3`1</p><p>Burkhardt cf`1`0`0`0</p><p>Timinski cf`1`0`0`0</p><p>Hinsdale ph`0`1`0`0</p><p>Lisman rf`2`1`1`1</p><p>Rischaway rf`1`0`0`0</p><p><strong>Totals`28`13`17`10</strong></p><p><strong>Green Ridge`300`00`&#8212;`3</strong></p><p><strong>Back Mt. National`312`35`&#8212;`13</strong></p><p>2B &#8212; BTN Cumbo, Adamski, Paczewski; HR &#8212; BTN Cumbo</p><p><strong>Green Ridge`IP`H`R`ER`BB`SO</strong></p><p>Rupp (L)`3.2`9`5`5`0`2</p><p>Decker`0.1`4`5`5`3`0</p><p>Valvano`0`1`1`1`0`0</p><p>GMcCormack`0.1`3`2`2`1`0</p><p><strong>Back Mt. National`IP`H`R`ER`BB`SO</strong></p><p>Cumbo (W)`3`7`3`2`0`1</p><p>Paczewski (S)`2`2`0`0`1`2</p><style>
.neFileBlock {
	margin-bottom: 20px;
}
.neFileBlock p {
	margin: 0px 0px 0px 0px;
}
.neFileBlock .neFile {
	border-bottom: 1px dotted #aaa;
	padding-bottom: 5px;
	padding-top: 10px;
}
.neFileBlock .neCaption {
	font-size: 85%;
}
</style>
<div class='neFileBlock'>
<div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/web1_TTL071518BMN-GreenRidgeLL_1.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Back Mountain National starter Mike Cumbo delivers a pitch against Green Ridge in a Section 5 Little League Major Baseball game in Duryea on Saturday. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/web1_TTL071518BMN-GreenRidgeLL_1.jpg</photo0><caption0>Back Mountain National starter Mike Cumbo delivers a pitch against Green Ridge in a Section 5 Little League Major Baseball game in Duryea on Saturday. </caption0><photoCredit0>Bill Tarutis | For Times Leader </photoCredit0></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/web1_TTL071518BMN-GreenRidgeLL_3.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Back Mountain National&#8217;s Gavin Adamski scores against Green Ridge in a Section 5 Little League Major Baseball game in Duryea on Saturday. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo1>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/web1_TTL071518BMN-GreenRidgeLL_3.jpg</photo1><caption1>Back Mountain National&#8217;s Gavin Adamski scores against Green Ridge in a Section 5 Little League Major Baseball game in Duryea on Saturday. </caption1><photoCredit1>Bill Tarutis | For Times Leader </photoCredit1></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/web1_TTL071518BMN-GreenRidgeLL_6.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Back Mountain National pitcher Mike Cumbo, center, scores after hitting a two-run homer against Green Ridge in a Section 5 Little League Major Baseball game in Duryea on Saturday. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo2>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/web1_TTL071518BMN-GreenRidgeLL_6.jpg</photo2><caption2>Back Mountain National pitcher Mike Cumbo, center, scores after hitting a two-run homer against Green Ridge in a Section 5 Little League Major Baseball game in Duryea on Saturday. </caption2><photoCredit2>Bill Tarutis | For Times Leader </photoCredit2></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/web1_TTL071518BMN-GreenRidgeLL_2.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Green Ridge&#8217;s Blake Decker, right, is safe as Back Mountain National third baseman Joey Peters applies a late tag in a Section 5 Little League Major Baseball game in Duryea on Saturday. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo3>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/web1_TTL071518BMN-GreenRidgeLL_2.jpg</photo3><caption3>Green Ridge&#8217;s Blake Decker, right, is safe as Back Mountain National third baseman Joey Peters applies a late tag in a Section 5 Little League Major Baseball game in Duryea on Saturday. </caption3><photoCredit3>Bill Tarutis | For Times Leader </photoCredit3></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/web1_TTL071518BMN-GreenRidgeLL_4.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Back Mountain National second baseman Jude Nocito forces out a Green Ridge runner in a Section 5 Little League Major Baseball game in Duryea on Saturday. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo4>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/web1_TTL071518BMN-GreenRidgeLL_4.jpg</photo4><caption4>Back Mountain National second baseman Jude Nocito forces out a Green Ridge runner in a Section 5 Little League Major Baseball game in Duryea on Saturday. </caption4><photoCredit4>Bill Tarutis | For Times Leader </photoCredit4></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/web1_TTL071518BMN-GreenRidgeLL_5.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Back Mountain National first baseman Sam Barrouk, front, holds Green Ridge&#8217;s Chase Scanlan close to the bag in a Section 5 Little League Major Baseball game in Duryea on Saturday. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo5>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/web1_TTL071518BMN-GreenRidgeLL_5.jpg</photo5><caption5>Back Mountain National first baseman Sam Barrouk, front, holds Green Ridge&#8217;s Chase Scanlan close to the bag in a Section 5 Little League Major Baseball game in Duryea on Saturday. </caption5><photoCredit5>Bill Tarutis | For Times Leader </photoCredit5></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><subheadMeta>Back Mountain National erupts for 13-3 victory in Section 5 playoffs</subheadMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Jay Monahan</p><p>For Times Leader</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach Times Leader sports at 570-829-7143 or on Twitter @TLSports</p></shirttailMeta></div>

An offensive explosion