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By Tom Robinson
For Times Leader
SHICKSHINNY – Back Mountain’s defense was not up to the team’s usual standards Wednesday night, but it still managed a series of outstanding plays.
Shortstop Kendra Saba scored two runs and played an excellent game defensively on a night when her teammates were committing four errors, helping Back Mountain secure the District 31 Little League Junior Softball title with a 4-2 victory over Northwest.
Bailey Slacktish pitched a complete game, Sam Kern drove in two runs and Back Mountain offset its miscues with defensive gems while winning the deciding game in the best-of-three series.
“We’ve got to play defense to win,” Back Mountain manager Brent Berger said. “We got away with a couple tonight.
“We’re usually much more consistent.”
Slacktish and her defense were sharp when they needed to be.
“She’s very steady,” Berger said.
Slacktish allowed just three singles and a walk while striking out eight. She gave up just one hit after the first inning and got three strikeouts to end innings as well as three with runners in scoring position.
Megan Borton used both hands to bring the ball under control on a running, juggling, overhead catch in deep center field in the second inning.
Saba, who handled six chances including the final out of the game, threw out a runner at the plate to protect a one-run lead in the fifth inning. Catcher Peyton Ross handled the throw and made the quick tag on a sliding runner on a close play.
Second baseman Emma Berger may have made the game’s toughest play. She reacted quickly, going to her left to reach out and snag a hard liner over the first baseman for the first out of the sixth inning.
Back Mountain had just four hits, but consistently put the ball in play with runners in scoring position, forcing Northwest’s defense into tough decisions. The result was two runs scoring on fielder’s choices when all runners were safe, another scoring on a groundout and one on an error.
Saba had a double for the only extra-base hit and drew a walk.
Angelina Allen followed Saba’s walk with a single and both scored in the third on Kern groundout and an infield error.
Pinch hitter Mikayla Engier started the bottom of the fifth with a single and Saba followed with a double. Two runs came in when Northwest fielded grounders on the next three plays but was unable to get an out.
Northwest also its own defensive highlight.
Back Mountain still had the bases loaded after two runs had scored in the fifth when Olivia Johnson flew out to medium center field.
Hesitation in tagging up, then in heading down the line helped pitcher Alea Parnell relay Kadie Bloom’s throw to the plate in time for the second out. Catcher Brenna Babcock then alertly caught a runner wandering off second, completing the triple play and ending the inning.
Emily Culver singled for the only Northwest RBI in the fifth.
“We weren’t hitting the ball like we normally do,” Northwest manager Julie Kleintob said.
Back Mountain 4, Northwest 2
Northwest`AB`R`H`BI
Culver rf`3`0`1`1
Hoover ph-rf`1`0`0`0
Babcock c`3`0`0`0
Cragle 1b`3`0`1`0
Parnell p`3`0`1`0
Babcock ss`3`1`0`0
Cragle 3b`2`0`0`0
Kleintob ph`1`0`0`0
Bloom cf`1`0`0`0
Sorber cf`2`0`0`0
Bialko lf`2`1`0`0
Purdy 2b`2`0`0`0
Leo ph`1`0`0`0
Totals`27`2`3`1
Back Mountain`AB`R`H`BI
Saba ss`2`2`1`0
Borton cf`2`1`1`0
Allen ph`1`0`0`0
Kern lf`3`0`0`2
Ross c`3`0`0`1
O. Johnson 3b`2`0`0`0
Dixon 1b`2`0`1`0
Habrack ph`1`0`0`0
Slacktish p 2`0`0`0
H. Johnson ph`1`0`0`0
Doran rf`2`0`0`0
Porasky ph-rf`1`0`0`0
Berger 2b`1`0`0`0
Engier 2b`1`1`1`0
Totals`24`4`4`3
Northwest`000`011`0`–`2
Back Mountain`002`020`x`–`4
2B — Saba.
Northwest`IP`H`R`ER`BB`SO
Parnell (L)`6.0`4`4`2`1`5
Back Mountain`IP`H`R`ER`BB`SO
Slacktish (W) `7.0`3`2`1`1`8
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