Members of the Back Mountain Little League – 2015 District 31 Little League Major softball championship team are, from left, first row, Carley Kavanagh, Maura Berecin, Emily Smith, Alison Francis, Lyndsey Hornlein, Madyson Pendolphi. Second row, Coach John Hornlein, Riley Egan, Abby Jayne, Julia Kocher, Manager Larry Egan, Mia Fenske, Riley Wren, Sydney Hornlein, Kaci Hockenberry, Coach Scott Berecin.

Back Mountain catcher Peyton Ross tags out Northwest’s Savannah Purdy at the plate in the fifth inning of Wednesday’s Little League softball game in Shickshinny.

Back Mountain shortstop Kendra Saba bobbles the ball in Wednesday’s girls Little League softball against Northwest in Shickshinny.

SHICKSHINNY – Back Mountain teams claimed the first two District 31 championships awarded this season, adding the Junior softball title Wednesday night after sweeping through the Major softball tournament.

Players with past district championship experience contributed to both of the titles, continuing Back Mountain’s recent history of success in the softball all-star tournaments.

JUNIOR

Bailey Slacktish threw a three-hitter with eight strikeouts Wednesday when Back Mountain defeated Northwest, 4-2, in the deciding game of the best-of-three championship series between the tournament’s only entries.

The win sends Back Mountain into Section 5 play at either Nanticoke or Pittston Area July 8-11.

Manager Brent Berger has most of the same players from the 2013 team that won the District 31 and Section 5 titles before finishing third in the state.

“Our bats ran out when we got to states,” Berger said.

Back Mountain will again rely on pitching and defense as it tries to put together another extended tournament run.

“Bailey Slacktish pitched her game,” Berger said after the final. “She’s very consistent.

“She’s a good pitcher. She’s very steady. That’s the key for her.”

The defense had its highs and lows Wednesday with four errors in the deciding game, but also came up with clutch plays.

Shortstop Kendra Saba cut down a runner at the plate to protect a one-run lead in the fifth inning while center fielder Megan Borton, second baseman Emma Berger and catcher Peyton Ross all handled tough plays.

Saba also doubled for the game’s only extra-base hit and scored twice. Borton and Mikayla Engier each added a hit and a run.

Sam Kern drove in two runs and Peyton Ross one.

Emily Culver had an RBI single for Northwest and Alea Parnell threw a four-hitter.

The teams had split the first two games of a series in which the road team won every game.

Back Mountain rolled, 8-2, in the June 28 opener with the help of three hits by Kern and two by Saba.

Slacktish struck out six in the win.

Nicki Cragle had three hits, including a double, when Northwest bounced back to win, 4-1, Monday.

Olivia Johnson had a double and an RBI single for Back Mountain in the loss.

MAJOR

Sydney Hornlein and Riley Wren led the way June 28 when Back Mountain an unbeaten run through the district tournament with a 5-0 victory over West Side.

Back Mountain went 3-0 in the tournament.

Hornlein threw a two-hit shutout with four strikeouts while also going 2-for-3 with a double.

Wren went 3-for-3 with two doubles, one of which drove in three runs in the fifth inning.

“That hit gave us the breathing room that I know my heart needed,” Back Mountain manager Larry Egan said.

Hornlein finished the tournament with just three earned runs allowed in 15 innings, all in the last inning of the Greater Wyoming Area game.

Back Mountain has five players from last year’s 9-10-year-old district champions and almost the same roster as the team that reached the district final on that level before losing to Greater Wyoming Area two years ago.

“It’s a big achievement this year for that group to come back and get this,” Egan said. “It’s good to be able to get a district title for the other half of the group.”

Riley Egan, Maura Berecin, Kaci Hockenberry, Mia Fenske and Abby Jayne were all part of last season’s 9-10 championship team, which was also managed by Larry Egan.

The Back Mountain defense committed just one error in 16 innings over three tournament games.

“Our defense has been doing very well,” Larry Egan said. “Besides our timely hitting and Syd’s pitching, when you can go three games with only one error, and it didn’t cost you anything, that’s been a real big key.”