Montgomery’s Paul Cummings knew what he was facing Tuesday, July 13 after watching Steve Moskwa slug a pair of shots for Wallkill Area the day before.

Moskwa powered Wallkill Area Friday, July 9 with three home runs against Pine Bush, going 4/5 and ending the game with a walk-off three-run homer to win 17-16.

When Wallkill Area faced Montgomery in the Town of Newburgh, Monday, July 12, he did it again with a pair, a solo in the fifth and a third-inning three-run shot, his ninth and tenth of the postseason when Wallkill Area won 9-4 to force a District 19, Major boys, 11-12-year-old final Tuesday.

So Cummings did not allow Moskwa to become a factor in the game, intentionally walking him four times. The 12-year-old slugger protested with wide swings at even wider pitches, careful not to strike out.

“You take all the stats for that team, and he’s been a huge, big hitter for that team. He’s had mammoth home runs. Unbelievable,” said Cummings, after Montgomery won the title with a 9-8 seven-inning thriller.

Donavan Murphy delivered the deciding run with a two-out right-center liner to bring home Kenny Cummings.

“My heart was pounding when I was about to hit it. And then when I hit it, it felt so good off the bat,” said Murphy, who ended one of the best title series in many years.

Montgomery beat Wallkill Area 4-3 earlier in the series before losing 9-4 during Moskwa’s power streak. Each had one loss and the second means elimination.

And the only way Moskwa was going to be a factor was to be smart on the base paths.

“We are not going to let him beat us,” said Cummings. “I put him on. I just couldn’t let him get the big hit.”

Montgomery opened the final with Rudy Gervolino’s sacrifice fly for a 1-0 lead to end the first. Moskwa came up to open the second with his first intentional walk. Cullen Dana made it 2-0 for Montgomery with a solo shot in the third.

Montgomery led 5-2 before Wallkill Area tied it in the fifth, scoring two runs when Montgomery’s Chris Skermo bobbled the ball at short and overthrew at first.

Errors helped Montgomery to score three in the fifth before Wallkill’s Matt Franz hit a two run-single in the top of the sixth to tie it 8-8.

Montgomery went down in order for the first time in the bottom of the sixth before Wallkill Area endured that fate in the top of the seventh.

Montgomery’s Skermo originally doubled to open the top of the seventh. But his head-first slide was ineligible, and he was out.

Cummings then doubled before Murphy ended the evening with his liner – and a title for Montgomery.

Moskwa was emotional after the game and said he wasn’t sure if he’d play next year. And he didn’t think it was fair the way he was taken out of the game.

“I guess they were just scared to pitch to me,” he said. I don’t think it should be allowed.”

By Bond Brungard
sports@tcnewspapers.com