It seemed fitting that an 0-2 count preceded Zack Neill living a baseball player’s dream. Montoursville fought from behind nearly the entire afternoon Friday at Millionaire Mountain and given the opportunity, Neill helped it fight off the ropes one last time to land a knockout blow.

Neill scorched a walk-off single into right field, scoring Elijah Eck from third and lifting Montoursville to a dramatic 4-3 semifinal win against rival Loyalsock in the Backyard Brawl’s opening game. Neill also earned the win, throwing two scoreless innings as Montoursville (15-3) reached its second straight championship.

There, the Warriors will get another chance against two-time defending champion Williamsport in a title game rematch Saturday, back at Millionaire Mountain.

“It’s absolutely all grit. Our team will not quit. We will refuse to quit,” Neill said. “Anytime, anyway, we’re willing to get after it and I absolutely believe anyone on our team could have done what I did at any point. It just happened that I was up was able to get it two inches over his glove.”

Eck ignited the rally when he also refused to give in down 0-2 and hit a lead-off single. Kane Moore (3 for 4) then dropped a perfect bunt single. A Noah Kirby grounder advanced the runners into scoring position before Neill fell behind 0-2.

The junior shortstop/pitcher then took two balls before going the opposite way with a pitch on the outside corner. The line drive sailed above a leaping Loyalsock second baseman Carter Cowden and landed in right field, scoring Eck and giving Montoursville its only lead on a day it trailed 2-0 before batting.

“Baseball is a funny game. I’m 0 for 3 with three of the same exact shots (center field flyouts) but coach (Jeremy) Eck has trust in us and lets us go out and do our thing,” Neill said. “We go out and play hard. We live for these moments. No one is scared of them. It doesn’t matter who’s up 1-9. We have absolute faith in whoever it is.”

Loyalsock played with similar confidence and determination and nearly pulled the upset. The Lancers (6-11) became the first team in seven starts to score more than one run against Montoursville ace Logan Kirby, producing two in the first inning and another in the fifth when it moved ahead, 3-2. Jahvon LaRosa went 3 for 4 with two RBIs, his first inning RBI single making it, 1-0 and his fifth inning single, 3-2.

Loyalsock is playing better than its record indicates, losing three straight games this week to Warrior Run, Mifflinburg and Montoursville teams that are a combined 39-12. The results have not been what the Lancers want, but they certainly are representing themselves well and will play South Williamsport for third place in Saturday’s opening game.

“(Loyalsock coaches) J.C. Keefer and Mike Frederick are both baseball guys. They’ve been doing this for a long time and do a great job,” Jeremy Eck said. “I warned our team before we came out on the field tonight that if you don’t come out and play quality baseball, they’re going to come out with their pants on fire and that’s what they did.”

Drake Dupont pitched six outstanding innings for Loyalsock, scattering four hits and striking out six. The senior did not overpower Montoursville, but located and mixed his pitches well, especially performing well in key moments.

Less than 24 hours after Montoursville erupted for 16 runs and 14 hits in five at-bats at Central Columbia, Dupont contained it and allowed just two earned runs.

“Dupont did a great job today,” Jeremy Eck said. “I told him after the game that we have a potent offense at times and but that he did a did terrific job keeping us off-balance. He pitched a great game.”

And while Kirby may not have dominated like he so often has this season, the senior still battled well and repeatedly delivered in crucial spots, twice fanning the final two batters in an inning after Loyalsock had runners in scoring position. He struck out six and combined with Neill to strand 10 baserunners. Loyalsock kept turning up the pressure in a game which featured a 40-minute rain delay, but Kirby and Neill limited it to three hits in 18 at-bats with runners in scoring position.

Dupont and Parker Frederick drew one-out, seventh inning walks, but Neill induced a fielder’s choice and a pop out to end the threat. Elijah Eck built on the momentum with his lead-off single, Moore brilliantly did his job and Neill ended the game moments later as Montoursville celebrated its second straight comeback win against Loyalsock at the Brawl.

“The thing I’m happy about is we could have quit two or three times. Our ace is on the mound and didn’t have his best stuff today and we probably could have said we’re in and we’ll play in the district playoffs but we didn’t,” Jeremy Eck said. “We hung tight and we battled. We had some guys do some uncharacteristic things but at the end of the day, we found a way. That’s what I’m proud of.”

Loyalsock started strong, going up 2-0 when Kayden Keefer walked, stole second and scored on LaRosa’s RBI single. A batter later, Frederick fought back from down 0-2 and hit an opposite field RBI single. Montoursville quickly countered, cutting it to 2-1 when Brody Aldenderfer walked, stole second and third and came home on Moore’s RBI single. The Warriors tied it 2-2 in the fourth inning when Kirby walked, Austin Davidson bunted and Carson Menne drilled a two-out RBI single.

Neither team flinched in this game and just when it seemed one had the momentum, the other took it away. That was the case in the fifth inning when Loyalsock regained the lead, 3-2, as Brecken Gusick singled, went to third on a throwing error and scored on LaRosa’s RBI single. On cue, Montoursville quickly tied it in the bottom half with Aldenderfer walking and Noah Kirby hitting an RBI grounder to the right side, scoring him from third.

In a game which saw a little bit of everything and revealed each team’s tenacity, the only thing missing at that point was an exciting ending.

Neill delivered it. It was not easy and the Warriors know they have to play better moving forward. Still, after nearly seven full innings, Montoursville finally chased down exactly what it wanted Friday.

“We’re scrappy. We’ll fight until the bell rings, there’s no doubt about it,” Neill said. “We will hunt you until you can’t run anymore and that’s what we did. We hunted. We fell behind but we came right back even stronger. That’s the heart of the team right there.

Montoursville 4, Loyalsock 3

Loyalsock 200 010 0–3 7 1

Montoursville 100 110 1–4 7 3

Drake Dupont, Nolan Rall (7) and Bennett Singer. Logan Kirby, Zack Neill (6) and Noah Kirby. W–Neill. L–Rall.

Top Loyalsock hitters: Javhon LaRosa 3-4, 2 RBIs; Brecken Gusick 1-4, R; Parker Frederick 1-3, BB, RBI; Singer 1-4; Rall 1-3. Top Montoursville hitters: Kane Moore 3-4, RBI; Neill 1-4, RBI; Elijah Eck 1-3, R; N. Kirby 1-4, 2B, RBI; Carson Menne 1-3, RBI.

Records: Montoursville 15-3. Loyalsock 6-11.