North Pocono’s Joseph Tomcykoski heads home during the District 17 9-10-11 Baseball game against Dunmore at the Dunmore Little League Field on Wednesday. ISAAC DIAZ / STAFF PHOTO
North Pocono poses for a photo after winning the District 17 9-10-11 Baseball championship at the Dunmore Little League Field on Wednesday. ISAAC DIAZ / STAFF PHOTO
North Pocono’s Everett Lenzer swings at a pitch during the District 17 9-10-11 Baseball championship against Dunmore at the Dunmore Little League Field on Wednesday. ISAAC DIAZ / STAFF PHOTO
Dunmore’s Sawyer Dunda connects with a pitch during the District 17 9-10-11 Baseball championship against North Pocono at the Dunmore Little League Field on Wednesday. ISAAC DIAZ / STAFF PHOTO
North Pocono’s Anthony Clark delivers a pitch during the District 17 9-10-11 Baseball game against Dunmore at the Dunmore Little League Field on Wednesday. ISAAC DIAZ / STAFF PHOTO
The North Pocono Little League team celebrates after winning the District 17 9-10-11 Baseball championship at the Dunmore Little League Field on Wednesday. ISAAC DIAZ / STAFF PHOTO
North Pocono Little League players receive awards after winning the District 17 9-10-11 Baseball championship at the Dunmore Little League Field on Wednesday. ISAAC DIAZ / STAFF PHOTO
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North Pocono’s Joseph Tomcykoski heads home during the District 17 9-10-11 Baseball game against Dunmore at the Dunmore Little League Field on Wednesday. ISAAC DIAZ / STAFF PHOTO
BY HOLDEN MOSTOFSKY
CORRESPONDENT
DUNMORE — Joseph Tomcykoski pitched a one-hitter with 11 strikeouts to lead North Pocono past Dunmore, 12-0, in five innings for the District 17 9-10-11 Baseball title Wednesday at Dunmore Little League.
Tomcykoski helped himself with the bat, recording two hits and two runs.
He reached the 85-pitch limit with two outs in the last inning.
“I would have loved for him to finish,” North Pocono coach Nick Bowers said. “He got up to 85 pitches with two outs in the bottom of the last inning, and we had to pull him out, but he was dominant. His fastball was on, his strikes were in the low part of the plate and anything they put the bat on didn’t go hard and far. … It’s pretty impressive.”
North Pocono advances to the Section 5 tournament, where it will face District 16 champ Mountain Top on Tuesday at 5:30 p.m. at Mountain Top. District 32 champion Green Ridge faces District 31 champ Back Mountain in the second game at 7:30.
“I have a really great group of kids here,” Bowers said. “They are excited, motivated, and when they have the right positive mindset, they perform.”
North Pocono struck first in the first inning when Anthony Clark’s single scored Nico Bowers and Tomcykoski for a 2-0 lead.
Dunmore’s James Hart had a one-out single to right field in the bottom of the first inning and Andrew Kokindo followed with a walk, putting runners on first and second. But Tomcykoski escaped the threat with a lineout and a strikeout.
North Pocono added to its lead in the third inning when Hunter Brunson scored on a fielder’s choice to make it 3-0.
In the fourth inning, Dominic Trubiano reached on a walk and Bradley Dwyer followed with a double to left field, sending Trubiano to third. Emmet Bryan then reached on an error, scoring Trubiano and Dwyer for a 5-0 lead.
North Pocono then put it away with a seven-run fifth inning, all coming with two outs and multiple Dunmore errors.
Everett Lenzer scored when Tomcykoski grounded to shortstop, but the throw to first was an overthrow, setting up runners at second and third.
Clark then had an infield single to score Bowers for a 7-0 lead.
Tomcykoski then scored when August Nealon reached on an error for an 8-0 edge.
After back-to-back walks forced in another run, Nealon scored on a wild pitch for a 10-0 lead, and another run came in on another error to make it 11-0.
Emmet Bryan finished the inning with an RBI double that plated Dwyer and capped the scoring.
“Offensively, my kids hit from top to bottom,” Bowers said. “I got 12 kids in the lineup that could all hit the ball very hard and consistently, and that’s what really shows. I know for a lot of teams, the pitchers get relief when they get to the bottom, but with this team, there is no relief if they’re not throwing perfect pitches. My kids are putting the barrel on it and hitting it hard, and that’s what they did.”
Bowers believes his team can continue to win with the right mentality.
“I just have to try and keep them in the right mindset,” he said. “They’ve continued to fight when things went wrong, and as long as I can keep them motivated and positive, I think they’ll continue to be successful.”
District 17 Majors Baseball
Cullen Hart went 2 for 2 with a double, a triple, four RBIs and two runs, as Dunmore outdueled North Pocono, 10-9, in eight innings in District 17 Major Baseball on Wednesday at Moosic.
Dunmore will face Moosic, which lost, 12-2, to Abington Blue, on Thursday at 5:30 p.m. at Moosic in the elimination bracket final.
Jacob Polishan, Gio Gianzanti, Luciano Cintron and Nick DeMuro each added two hits, while Blake Pagnotti, Max Foley and Brody McCarthy each had a hit for Dunmore.
Jason Sheehan went 3 for 3 with a double, three RBIs and one run, Bo West had two hits, including a home run, two RBIs and two runs, James Walsh had two hits, including a triple, and two runs and Max Seder had two hits and two RBIs for North Pocono.
Abington Blue 12, Moosic 2: At Moosic, Jaxon Hizny went 2 for 2 with a home run, three RBIs and three runs, as Abington defeated Moosic in four innings to advance to the championship final.
Abington will host the winner of Thursday’s game between Moosic and North Pocono on Saturday at 1 p.m. If the team wins that game, Abington is the District 17 champ. If it loses, the deciding game is scheduled for Sunday at 1 p.m.
Vincie Pricci had two hits, three RBIs and a run, Carson Walsh had two hits, including a double, and a run, Owen Walsh had a hit, an RBI and a run, Patrick Davis and Caleb Engerman each added a hit and Bradey Bleich had two RBIs and two runs for the winners.
Cole Whetstone had a hit and two RBIs, Wyatt Davis had a double and a run, Mason Linck had a hit and a run and SJ Gennell had a hit for Moosic.
District 32 Majors Baseball
At Fleetville, Rocco Forgione singled home Mason Bucynski, who led off the inning with a double, in the bottom of the sixth as Carbino Club/Archbald defeated Green Ridge, 6-5, in the winner’s bracket final of the District 32 Major Baseball game Wednesday.
Bucynski also hit a two-run home run in the first inning to give Carbino Club/Archbald the early 2-0 lead.
Talon Prutzman and Kody Malinowski, who doubled, each had two hits, and Bryce Warnetsky added a double for CCA.
Mattingly Arden, Anthony Donato, Christian Luizzo, Carter Lapiers, and Sebastian Lora all had singles for Green Ridge, which hosts Christy Mathewson in an elimination game Thursday at 5:30 p.m.
Christy Mathewson 4, Wallenpaupack 0: At Fleetville, Rhett Higgins pitched a complete-game, two-hit shutout and helped himself with an RBI single as Christy Mathewson stayed alive in an elimination game Wednesday. Evan Pagnotti had two hits, including a double, and Lucas Griggs and Cooper Hickok also had singles.
Sophia Mangi had a double and Parker Swanick added a single for Wallenpaupack.
District 17 Minors Baseball
At Old Forge, Luca Bossi had three hits and two runs, as Abington defeated Jefferson Twp., 14-1, in five innings to advance to the District 17 Minors Baseball championship final.
Abington will face Thursday’s winner between Old Forge and Jefferson Twp. on Saturday at 1:30 p.m. at Abington. If Abington loses that game, it will host a deciding game Sunday at 1:30 p.m.
Winning pitcher Stephen Strauch scattered six hits, allowed one run and one walk and struck out four in 3.2 innings, and added a hit, an RBI and a run at the plate.
Drew Cognetti had two hits, Mikey Fogley had a double and three RBIs, Rowan Walsh had a hit and four RBIs and Jack Keeler, Connor Mitchell, Ford Eckenrode, Noah Troy and Patrick Scanlon each added a hit for Abington.
Vinny LoMonaco, Lucas McConnell, Ryan Pellis, Noah Madsen, Max Pronko and Bryson Kearney each had a hit for Jefferson Twp.
Old Forge 7, Moosic 0: At Old Forge, Jude Bilski, Jaydan Soeth, Maxwell Radocesky and Jacoby Lininger combined on a no-hitter to lead Old Forge to the elimination final.
Bilski also had two hits, including a triple, one RBI and one run, Lininger had two hits, one RBI and two runs, Soeth had a hit, an RBI and a run, Jorden Rosario had a hit and an RBI, Avery Harte had a hit and a run and Radocesky had a hit for Old Forge.
District 32 Minors Baseball
At Crystal Park in Dickson City, Cortland Pencek had a double, a single and two RBIs, as Christy Mathewson defeated Wallenpaupack, 4-3, to stay alive in the District 32 Minors Baseball elimination bracket.
Christy Mathewson will face Mid Valley, which lost, 8-4, to Carbino Club/Archbald, on Thursday at 5:30 p.m. at Mid Valley in the elimination final. The winner faces Carbino in the championship final Saturday at 3:30 p.m. at Carbino. If Carbino loses, there will be a deciding game Sunday at 3:30 p.m.
Gino Collarini had a double, and Caiden Crambo had an RBI for the winners.
Evan Hornung had a single and a run, Oakley Griffenkranz had a double, Brayden Brucculeri had a double, a triple and two runs and TJ Tigue had an RBI for Wallenpaupack.
Carbino Club/Archbald 8, Mid Valley 4: At Crystal Park in Dickson City, winning pitcher Matty Sotak had two singles and two RBIs, as Carbino scored six runs in the top of the sixth to defeat Mid Valley in the winners’ bracket final.
Bailey Vitali, Ari Mills and Leo Wolfsberger each had a hit and an RBI for Carbino.
Lorenzo Maruschock had two singles, Eddie Marushock had a single and an RBI, Evan Merrifield had two singles and two RBIs, Logan O’Connor had a single and an RBI and Ryan Thatcher and Christian Savage each had a single for Mid Valley.
Section 5 Minors Softball
Nora Piercy and Grace Eboli combined on a one-hitter to lead Valley to a 7-0 victory over Old Forge in the Section 5 Minors Softball winners’ bracket final at Throop Little League.
Valley will face Thursday’s winner between Old Forge and Back Mountain on Friday at 6 p.m.
Piercy started and allowed one hit and two walks and struck out eight in three innings. She also added a triple, an RBI and two runs. Eboli came on in relief, allowing no hits and no walks and striking out nine in three innings. She also added two doubles, two RBIs and two runs.
Eliza Iyoob had two hits and three runs, Liliana Smargiassi had two hits, including a double, and one RBI, Mackenzie Thomas had a triple and Ariana Linsinbigler had a double for the winners.
Alyssa Dominick had the lone hit for Old Forge.