PITTSTON — A couple hours after one group of Mountain Top all-stars trotted around the field with a District 16 championship banner, another bunch did the same.
The Mountain Top 9-11 baseball team also won the District 16 championship, defeating Greater Pittston Area 5-3 at the Pittston City Little League.
The Mountain Top 8-10 squad defeated Plains earlier at Pittston City for its title.
“It was a hard-fought baseball game,” Mountain Top manager Sean McLaughlin said. “Both teams played great, just the way you want it to be in a championship game. Kids leaving it on the field, and our team just happened to be lucky and came out on top.”
GPA left runners on second and third in the fifth inning. It had the bases loaded with two out in the sixth, but Mountain Top reliever Jake McLaughlin got a flyout to end the game and send the team to the Section 5 tournament.
McLaughlin picked up the save, pitching 1.1 innings of no-hit ball and striking out two. Starter Kieran Koons struck out six over 4.2 innings to pick up the win. Koons gave up all six hits, but three came in the fourth and the damage was minimal as GPA scored once.
“Both our pitchers threw great, Kieran Koons and Jake McLaughlin,” McLaughlin said. “Our defense played well behind them and our defense got timely hits when we needed them.”
GPA took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first as Luke Silinski doubled and later scored on a throwing error. Mountain Top gained a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the inning. Caden Hoban had an infield single and eventually scored on Teddy Taylor’s sac fly. McLaughlin, who had walked, moved to second on the sac fly, to third on a single by Matt Rodgers and scored on a wild pitch.
Kevin Gomez tied the game 2-2 in the second with an RBI single, but the only other run GPA managed came in the fourth when Silinski doubled home Jack Horncheck, who had singled.
Mountain Top added single runs in the third, fourth and fifth innings. Taylor’s single plated a run in the third. Caden Gryboski singled in a run in the fourth. Taylor singled in the fifth and used three wild pitches to eventually cross the plate.
