Tue POST Sunday, July 11, 2004 7 Sports American Junior Allstars dominate early playoff rounds By CHRIS BELL Post Correspondent The Back Mountain Ameri- can All-Stars are off to an im- pressive start in the District 16 Junior Little League Tourna- ment. Head Coach Steve Skam- mer’s squad beat Kingston, 18- 8, in the opener and pounded Fort Swoyer, 20-3, to advance to the winners bracket semifi- nals. The District 16 champion will advance to sectional play and would have the opportuni- ty to host a first round game. BMT American was sched- uled to play Pittston Township : on Friday with the winner ad- +“ vancing to Tuesday's champi- onship game. The loser will # play in a losers bracket game Sunday, July 11. “Many of these kids have been playing together since they were 8 years old.” Scott Skammer Back Mountain coach team,” said Skammer, who coached the Back Mountain Yankees to an undefeated regu- lar season in the Wyoming Val- ley Junior Little League. “We have kids who can hit the ball throughout the lineup.” Joe Phillips, Ted Ruch and Brian Thimot serve as assistant coaches. The team’s roster in- cludes a dozen 14-year-olds from the Dallas and Lake- Lehman school districts. The rg. “We have a very good hitting lineup features Scott Skammer (catcher), Jordy Thimot (first base), Pat Murray (second base), Doug Harding (third base), Myer Messinger (short- stop), Ryan Phillips (left field), Josh Backes (center field) and Cody Kustrin (right field). Joe Collini and Chris Klaiss also see action at first base and second base, respectively. Matt Ruch and Mike Prater are dual threats as the team’s top pitchers and hitters. Ruch got the win against Kingston while Prater earned the deci- sion over Fort Swoyer. The pair also combined to go 12-for-12 against Fort Swoyer. “Ruch and Prater are our three and four hitters,” said Skam- mer. “They have been a force at the plate. They hit the ball hard See AMERICAN, PG 9 D16 JUNIOR BASEBALL BMT National 12, Jenkins Township 4 July 7 — Joe Bevevino pitched all seven innings, striking out 13 and allowing only six hits, to lead Back Mountain National in its los- ers bracket game. Bevevino also had three hits and knocked in four runs. Eric Tucker had three hits and five RBI and Jordan Juinta added two RBI and four hits for National. David Luksh knocked in a run and Kyle Arnaud chipped in two hits. BMT American 20, Fort-Swoyer 3 July 6 — Mike Prater and Matt Ruch each had six hits as Ameri- can romped. Scott Skammer had three hits and a double. Prater went the distance to claim the win. gy UN Ea Jar Baan FOR THE POST/CHARLOTTE BARTIZEK Mike Prater pitches for the BMT American All-Stars, See JUNIOR SCORES, PG 9 who have dominated opponents in the Junior bracket. Winter wins 4 medals at PA Senior Games Janis Winter of Shavertown won two gold medals, a silver and a bronze at the 2004 Pennsylvania Se- nior Games, held June 26 to July 3 at = Shippensburg University. Winter, 57, won gold in the 200 meter and 400 meter races, silver in the 1500 meter and bronze in the 100 meter. She competed in the Female, age 55-59 division in all four races. GOLF Janet Dent wins Newberry Ladies , Firecracker Tourney The Newberry Country Club Ladies Golf League held its annual Firecracker Tournament July 5. Win- ners were: Lowest score: first place, Janet Dent; second place, Romaine Kunkle; third place(tie), Lillian McManus and Ruth Blackburn. Peg Thomas scored the least number of putts. JoAnn Campbell and Graceann Co- larusso co-chaired the tournament assisted by club golf pro Gene Ross. The next event is the Pink Ball tour- nament scheduled for Monday, Au- gust 2, which will be co-chaired by Lillian McManus and Cassie Munz- "hh Ing. Par Shoot-Out results The Newberry Country Club Ladies Golf League held a 9 hole Par Shoot-Out tournament at the club on Saturday, July 3. Janet Dent was the winner. JoAnn Campbell was first runner-up. Dent, Sharron Davis and club golf pro Gene Ross coordinated “the event. LY BR) FOR THE POST/CHARLOTTE BARTIZEK Chris Dailey snagged a throw from pitcher Hunter Englehart during Back Mountain National's 11-4 win on July 2. National working hard to defend championship Staff report EDWARDSVILLE — Back Mountain National overcame a major hurdle to its hopes to re- peat as District 16 Little League champions with a come-from-be- hind victory July 7 over Ed- wardsville/Larksville. Back Mountain starter . Erik Cannon was chased by a five-run Ed/Lark outburst in the third in- ning. Thomas Smith came on in relief and not only shut the door on the inning, but the game. He struck out the first batter he faced, and didn’t allow a hit. “He was awesome,” said Back Mountain manager Dale Engle- hart. “He came in down 5-0 with a runner on third, and he got it done. His control was good, his speed was excellent and he mixed speeds when he had to.” Still, Back Mountain had a hole to climb out of. Englehart said no BMT National 11, Mountain Top 4 July 2 - National scored eight runs in the first inning, then held off a potent Mountain Top team in a winners bracket quarterfinal game. Erik Cannon hit a three-run homer to cap the opening charge, as National batted around and then some. Carson Baker stopped a Mountain Top challenge in the second when he caught a fly ball to center, then fired a strike to catcher T.J. Stepanski for a double play. pep talk was required. “I don’t have to do a lot. These kids do it themselves,” he said. “They were down 5-0, but there wasn’t a head hung after that in- ning. That speaks a lot.” Hunter Englehart led off the top of the fourth with a double. Kon- rad Kraszewski followed with a home: run that easily¢leared the center field fence, cutting the lead to 5-2. Carson Baker reached on an error, and T.J. Stepanski sin- gled. Chris Dailey singled, scoring Baker. After a wild pitch put run- ners on second and third, Adam Holena followed with a two-run single to tie the game. Cannon lat- er doubled in Holena to put Back Mountain on top, 6-5. Stepanski added an insurance run on a solo shot in the top of the fifth. Smith struck out seven of the 11 batters he faced to pick up the win in relief. Hunter Englehart went the dis- tance on the mound, limiting Mountain Top to one run over the final four innings. Northwest 7, Horlacher/Harveys Lake 3 July 2 — R.J. Barr went 3-for-3 with an RBI and Matt Stephenson had two hits in the losing cause. Brian Freeman struck out six Northwest batters. See LITTLE LEAGUE, PG 8 RUNNING Rome captures Bernie's Memorial 3 Mile Staff report Shavertown, 16:54 WILKES-BARRE — Amy Rome, the 37-year-old from Dallas and former Penn State standout easily won the fe- male division of the 21st an- nual Wilkes-Barre YMCA’s Bernie's Memorial 3 Mile Run, breaking the tape in 17:14. She finished 13th over- all in the July 4 event. “lI went out at about a 5:30 (per mile) pace,” Rome said. “And I kept gradually slowing down after that. But I had a lot of guys running near me. And that was good. I just tried staying with them.” Ann Charney, 39, of Dallas, was the first female walker to finish the three-mile race- walk. She clocked in at 32:12. Local runners’ results Top 20 10. Sean Robbins, 34, 13. Amy Rome, 37, Dallas, 17:14 17. Justin Emershaw, 18, Shavertown, 17:25 18. John Sobocinski, 36, Dallas, 17:29 19. Jon Schmig, 17, Lehman Twp., 17:38 Male: Overall: Kevin Borel- li. Age Group Winners: 16-20: 2. Justin Emershaw, Shaver- town, 17:25; 3. Jon Schmig, Lehman Twp., 17:38. 31-40: 3. Sean Robbins, Shavertown, 16:54. 61 & Over: 3. Joe O’- Donnell, Dallas, 22:57. Female: Overall: Rome. Age Group Winners: 10 & Un- der: 1. Regan Rome, Dallas, 25:21. 11-15: 1. Kenslie Ker- estes, Dallas, 20:39. 21-30 3. Amanda Young, Dallas, 21:35. 41-50: 3. Joyce Foster, Dallas, 22:20. See RUNNING, PG 8 National gold for Mariel Adams Mariel Adams of Dallas won a gold medal in Floor Exercise at the YMCA National Cham- pionships held on July 5 at Hatboro-Horsham High School near Philadelphia. Mariel, the current YMCA State All-Around Champion, competed in the Junior Divi- sion of Level 7 against com- petitors from all over the country. Her score of 9.4 is her best to date. Mariel also medaled in Vault, finishing 7th with a score of 9.25; and in the All-Around, finishing 8th with a score of 35.35. Mariel competes for the Wilkes Barre YMCA Shooting Starz and is an eighth grade student at Dallas Middle School where she is also a District medalist in cross country and track. At left, Mariel performs her floor exercise at the YMCA National Championship meet. Dallas High School and Middle School physicals Physical exams for Dallas students who want to participate in fall sports will be held in July and August. July 15: High school soccer, 8 a.m.; middle school boys soccer, 8:30 a.m.; high school boys cross country, 9 a.m.; middle school boys cross country, 9:30 a.m. July 20: High school volleyball, 8 a.m.; tennis, 8:15 a.m.; middle school girls soccer, 8:30 am. high school/middle school cheerleading, 9 a.m.; boys makeup physicals, 9:30 a.m. August 10: High school field hockey, 8 a.m.; middle school field hockey, 8:30 a.m.; high school/middle school girls cross country, 9 a.m.; girls make- up physicals, 9:30 a.m. In order to have a physical, the stu- dent must bring completed paper- work. Exams will be given at the Dal- las High School nurse’s office. Dallas Jr. Football meeting The Dallas Junior Football Associa- tion will conduct a monthly board meeting on July 11 at 7 p.m. at the Dallas Township municipal building, Route 309. The public is welcome. 8
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