DUNMORE — Trever Cunningham’s first RBI was a majestic blast off the scoreboard in right field in the fourth inning. His second RBI didn’t have the same pizzazz, but couldn’t have come at a better time.
Cunningham drew a bases-loaded walk in the top of the sixth as Back Mountain National squeezed past Abington 2-1 Wednesday night in the winners bracket finals of the Section 5 Little League Major Baseball tournament.
District 17 champ Abington suffered its first loss of the postseason and will play D32 champ Mid Valley at 6 p.m. Thursday in an elimination game. The winner will face D31 champ National at 6 p.m. Friday.
A win Friday gives National its third consecutive sectional title. A loss would force a decisive game at 1 p.m. Saturday. The entire tournament is at Dunmore Little League.
Cunningham’s homer tied the score 1-1. He admitted he cranked up the intensity for that at-bat since there were two outs. His approach with the bases loaded and two out in the sixth differed.
“It was a little nerve-racking,” Cunningham said. “All I was trying to do was to put the ball in play, but I got a couple pitches and got a walk.”
National loaded the bases when Thomas Fostock reached on a fielder’s choice — which was the second out — and Landon James singled up the middle and Jack Oliver walked. Cunningham’s walk forced in Fostock.
National reliever Michael Viglone surrendered a single to Caedon Lyon to start the bottom of the sixth. A strikeout followed by a sac bunt for an out and another strikeout ended the game.
Viglone pitched 3.1 innings, striking out six and allowing two hits, to pick up the win. Starter Gavin Bayer went 2.2 innings and gave up two hits.
“Phenomenal,” National manager John Oliver said of Viglone’s performance. “It almost looked like the ball had something on it today. They couldn’t touch it. He looked great. He threw strikes and keeps everyone off balance with his curveball and changeup and fastball. He looked spectacular.
“And Gavin looked spectacular. That was the first big game he’s ever been in and for some reason I woke up this morning and said we were going to give him the ball and it worked out.”
Abington scored its only run in the first inning. Ryan Repshis and Paulie Davis led off with walks. After a pair of strikeouts, Jack Fisne doubled to left to score Repshis.
But Abington, which had scored 110 runs in nine postseason games, couldn’t muster many scoring chances. Bayer retired the side in order in the second and Viglone did the same in the fourth. The third inning looked promising, but runners were stranded on second and third as Viglone took the mound and recorded a strikeout.
Section 5 Major Baseball
Winners Bracket Finals
Back Mountain National 2, Abington 1
BMN`AB`R`H`BI
James ss`3`0`1`0
Oliver 1b`2`0`1`0
Cunningham lf`2`1`1`2
Bayer p`2`0`0`0
Zangardi 2b`2`0`0`0
Viglone cf`1`0`0`0
Samanas c`1`0`0`0
Comitz rf`1`0`0`0
Rolland eh`2`0`0`0
Smacchi 3b`2`0`1`0
Nulton rf`2`0`1`0
Fostock eh`2`1`0`0
Totals`22`2`5`2
Abington`AB`R`H`BI
Repshis cf`2`1`0`0
Davis ss`1`0`0`0
Kayal 1b`2`0`0`0
Kelly c`2`0`0`0
Fisne 2b`2`0`1`1
Georgia rf`2`0`0`0
Vazquez 3b`2`0`0`0
Shay p`2`0`1`0
Shimko eh`2`0`0`0
Lyon lf`2`0`2`0
Johnson eh`2`0`0`0
Coslett eh`0`0`0`0
Totals`21`1`4`1
Back Mtn. National`000`101 — 2
Abington`100`000 — 1
2B — Fisne. HR — Cunningham.
BMN`IP`H`R`ER`BB`SO
Bayer`2.2`2`1`1`3`4
Viglone (W)`3.1`2`0`0`0`6
Abington`IP`H`R`ER`BB`SO
Shay (L)`5.2`5`2`2`5`3
Davis`0.1`0`0`0`0`0
