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DALLAS — It took the Back Mountain 8-10 softball team four innings to pick up its first hit, a looping single into right field off the bat of Avery Mullery.

The quiet bats didn’t matter though, as plate discipline, active feet on the basepaths and a great performance from starting pitcher Sarah Antall led Back Mountain past Valley View 4-2 in the opening game of the Section 5 tournament at Back Mountain Little League.

By the time that hit did come for Back Mountain, it was driving in the team’s fourth run of the game and third of the fourth inning, the frame that ultimately tipped the game in Back Mountain’s favor.

Back Mountain was held hitless through 3.1 innings by Valley View starter Victoria Brown, but were able to manufacture some runs with 10 drawn walks off of Brown.

The game was scoreless into the third inning, with both teams moving runners around but unable to break through at first.

It was Valley View that struck first, with an RBI double from Kali Mercatili driving in Charlee Cole in the top of the third.

Back Mountain was able to answer in the home half, and then Valley View took a 2-1 lead with the help of two walks and a couple of wild pitches in the fourth.

The answer was decisive from Back Mountain in the bottom of the inning: three runs — one on a wild pitch, one on an RBI groundout from Ella Wilson and the final on Mullery’s base hit.

Valley View loaded the bases in the fifth and brought the tying run to the plate in the sixth, but Antall and her defense were able to step up and shut them down.

Antall pitched a complete game for Back Mountain, allowing four hits and striking out nine.

“She was awesome, usually I don’t pitch the same pitcher the whole game, but she did good,” Back Mountain head coach Dan Wilson said of his pitcher. “She was throwing a lot of strikes.”

She was aided by some sharp plays by her infielders and by right fielder Harper Morris, who kept the bases loaded in the fifth with a lunging catch to her right, then preventing the runners from tagging.

“We like pitching Sarah because she throws strikes, and our defense makes the plays,” Wilson said.

Back Mountain will take on District 17 champ North Pocono Thursday evening at 6 p.m. at the Back Mountain Little League.

Section 5 8-10 Softball Tournament

Back Mountain 4, Valley View 2

Valley View`AB`R`H`BI

Cole c`4`1`1`0

Brown p-3b`4`0`0`0

Mercatili 2b`4`0`2`1

Forgione 3b-p`1`0`0`0

Roe ss`2`0`1`0

Conway cf`2`1`0`0

Hreha 1b`2`0`0`0

Panek rf`1`0`0`0

Ritzco lf`3`0`0`0

Totals`23`2`4`1

Back Mountain`AB`R`H`BI

Adamshick c`1`0`0`0

Sears ss`2`0`0`0

Bross 1b`0`1`0`0

Oliver 3b`0`1`0`0

Wilson 2b`1`0`0`1

Antall p`1`1`0`0

Mullery lf`2`0`1`1

Pippin cf`1`0`0`0

Morris rf`2`0`0`0

Stackhouse eh`1`1`0`0

Murray eh`1`0`0`0

Totals`10`4`1`2

Valley View` `001`100 – 2

Back Mountain` `001`30x – 4

2B – Mercatili.

Valley View`IP`H`R`ER`BB`SO

Brown (L)`3.1`0`4`3`10`4

Forgione`1.2`1`0`0`0`4

Back Mountain`IP`H`R`ER`BB`SO

Antall (W)`6`4`2`2`5`9