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EXETER — With a strong start and some early success, Joe Carroll and Pat Mitchell found a way to beat the gusting winds at the 71st John Allan Tournament.

They simply followed to birdie to the front of the pack.

The team of Carroll and Mitchell rode four early birdies on the back nine straight to the top of the leaderboard Saturday, not only surviving, but thriving with a low score of 65 during a tricky second round at Fox Hill Country Club that scrambled the standings and set up what promises to be a grand finale.

“We never anticipated we’d be leading going to the final day, after how we started,” Carroll said. “We actually thought we played pretty well (Friday), we were surprised the scores were so low. After our (opening) round, we knew we just needed to come out and try to play steady.”

Instead, Carroll and Mitchell took a shot at the spectacular.

They started on the 10th hole tied for 10th place after opening with a 70 during Friday’s championship flight qualifier. But that positioning quickly shifted after Carroll and Mitchell birdied four of their first five holes, paving the way to a 6-under at the par 71 course. In the process, they lifted themselves to the front of the 20-team championship pack with a two-day total of 135.

“We got off to a hot start, got some momentum early in the round,” Carroll said. “Pat Mitchell, he’s one of the best players in the area. He played fantastic today. He was really on his game.”

So were a couple of course veterans.

Two-time Allan champions John Mikiewicz and Tom Biscotti kept another title in sight by showing remarkable consistency, at least on the scoreboard. With Biscotti burying an array of birdies, the duo matched the 68 they shot Friday and entered championship day one stroke off the lead.

“It may have looked that way from the score, but the round itself was not very consistent,” Mikiewicz said. “Yesterday (Friday), I was a little more wild. but threw in a few birdies. Tom was the steady hand. Today was a little role reversal. Tom had tons of birdies and I was more steady.

“It was really a roller coaster.”

Biscotti found plenty of upside to it.

“Knowing that John was going to be there for me really freed me up,” Biscotti said. “I was able to have a few birdies out there. We just had a nice in and out round.”

No matter which player was in and which had trouble with their shots slipping out of the hole, Biscotti and Mikiewicz found a way to make their scorecard match their opening day results.

The rest of the field seemed to fluctuate wildly on the frustrating day.

The tournament’s three first-day medalists fell down the scoreboard with significantly higher scores, starting with Michael Chomicz and Joe Weiscarger, who followed their 66 with a 77.

Fellow first-day leaders Ed Hennigan and Corey Palma along with Rich Laneski and Eric Plisko both watched their debut scores of 66 drop to 71 on the second day, while Michael Answini and Shamus Gartley swooned from a 67 to a 75.

There was a good reason for the drastic difference.

“Today’s conditions were tough,” Biscotti said.

And it had nothing to do with the Fox Hill course changes — the most glaring coming with the renovation of the 10th hole.

“We had different winds out there at different points of the course,” Mikiewicz said. “Swirling winds that really reversed directions from hole to hole. The course was fantastic. The changes were great. But you couldn’t really develop a plan from one hole to the next, because the wind kept blowing a different way. It was all over the place.

“That made it challenging.”

The electric opening by Carroll and Mitchell seemed to beat the gusts, which interrupted a pleasantly warm and sunny day on the course, but even that team found struggles while wrapping up its round on the first nine holes of the course.

“Yeah, it was a tough day to play,” Carroll said. “The front nine played very difficult — 3, 4 and 5 played into a pretty stiff wind.

“We had to grind it out.”

The day didn’t cause everyone to dip.

The team of Brenden Carroll and former Holy Redeemer star Mariano Medico made a move from 12th place to sixth by shooting the day’s second-best score of 67. And it could have been even better if Medico’s remarkable 35-foot uphill wedge from the edge of the 18th green didn’t stop an inch from the hole.

Which only signaled the Allan may be getting close to a frantic finish, as the championship flight will play 18 more holes begining at 8:30 a.m. Sunday, followed by a nine-hole battle among the top 10 teams on the leaderboard after the first three rounds.

“We feel we’re in good position,” Biscotti said. “We’re right where we want to be and looking forward to tomorrow.”

John Allan Leaders

Championship Flight

Team`Rd. 1`Rd. 2`Total

1. Joe Carroll-Pat Mitchell`70`65`135

2. John Mikiewicz-Tom Biscotti`68`68`136

3. Ed Hennigan-Corey Palma`66`71`137

3. Paul Keating-Connor McNicholas`68`69`137

3. Rick Laneski-Eric Plisko`66`71`137

6. Mark Answini-Matthew Hoover`67`71`138

6. Brenden Carroll-Mariano Medico`71`67`138

8. Bill Burke-Christian Davis`69`70`139

9. Robert Santarelli-Steve Hudacek`68`72`140

10. Michael Answini-Shamus Gartley`67`75`142

10. John Mulhern-Zach Mulhern`72`70`142

12. Michael Chomicz-Joe Weiscarger` 66`77`143

12. Jamie Anzalone-William Musto`72`71`143

14. Robert Gill-Brian Corbett`73`71`144

15. William Gill-Todd Vonderheid`70`76`146

15. Shawn McNamara-Jay Marsden`72`74`146

17. Don Crossin-Ryan Crossin`72`77`149

18. Lorenzo Medico-Tim Rukowski`73`77`150

19. Chris Tracy-Ryan Tracy`72`79`151

20. Anthony Heck-Ted Harris`84`78`162

Fox Hill Country Club president Bill Anzalone uses a rangefinder to track the distance to the tee during second-round action of the Allan Golf Touranment at Fox Hill Country Club on Saturday.
https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/web1_Allan-Tourney-Saturday-1.jpg.optimal.jpgFox Hill Country Club president Bill Anzalone uses a rangefinder to track the distance to the tee during second-round action of the Allan Golf Touranment at Fox Hill Country Club on Saturday. Tony Callaio | For Times Leader

Joe Coccia, of Pittston, blasts his way out of a bunker on Saturday morning.
https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/web1_Allan-Tourney-Saturday-3.jpg.optimal.jpgJoe Coccia, of Pittston, blasts his way out of a bunker on Saturday morning. Tony Callaio | For Times Leader

Tim Slavish, Pittston, lines up a putt on No. 9 hole during second-round action of the Allan Golf Tournament.
https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/web1_Allan-Tourney-Saturday-4.jpg.optimal.jpgTim Slavish, Pittston, lines up a putt on No. 9 hole during second-round action of the Allan Golf Tournament. Tony Callaio | For Times Leader

Greg Petorak, Sr., Shavertown, eyes his putt during flight play. Petorak teamed up with son Greg, Jr. for the 2017 John Allan Golf Tournament at Fox Hill Country Club, Exeter.
https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/web1_Allan-Tourney-Saturday-5.jpg.optimal.jpgGreg Petorak, Sr., Shavertown, eyes his putt during flight play. Petorak teamed up with son Greg, Jr. for the 2017 John Allan Golf Tournament at Fox Hill Country Club, Exeter. Tony Callaio | For Times Leader

Bill Burke checks his drive after teeing off on No. 1 during second round action in the Championship Flight of the Allan Golf Tournament on Saturday. Burke and his partner Christian Davis shot a 70 Saturday to move into sixth place on the leaderboard with a two-day total of 139.
https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/web1_Allan-Tourney-Saturday-2.jpg.optimal.jpgBill Burke checks his drive after teeing off on No. 1 during second round action in the Championship Flight of the Allan Golf Tournament on Saturday. Burke and his partner Christian Davis shot a 70 Saturday to move into sixth place on the leaderboard with a two-day total of 139. Tony Callaio | For Times Leader
Carroll-Mitchell in front afterbirdies pave way for round of 65

By Paul Sokoloski

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Reach Paul Sokoloski at 570-991-6392 or on Twitter @TLPaulSokoloski