Deshaun White did not say a word. His look provided Williamsport coach Tyler Albert all the confidence he needed while weighing a crucial decision.

A thrilling Backyard Brawl semifinal against South Williamsport tied in the bottom of the seventh Friday night at Millionaire Mountain; the bases loaded and one out, Albert signaled for co-staff ace Trey Damschroder to come in from left field. Looking at White, though, Albert reversed course and stuck with him. It was a bold choice, especially since White was throwing for the first time this season.

And White made it look brilliant.

The junior right-hander received a huge assist from shortstop Lucas Naughton who made a fabulous catch in foul territory before White produced an inning-ending strikeout. Camden March drew an RBI walk an inning later; Naughton added a sacrifice fly and Damschroder worked a hitless ninth as Williamsport won a wild semifinal, 9-7 in eight innings. White threw three scoreless innings, earning the win, and the two-time defending champions earned a shot at a three-peat, securing a title game rematch against Montoursville.

“I kind of just stood there,” White said. “He started talking to me and I thought he was going to bring Trey in, too, but he was like, ‘Lock in.’ That’s what I had to do.”

“With the bases loaded in that situation we had to make a call. I called Trey in and, looking at Deshaun and the guys around him, I had a feeling we’re going to get out of this,” Albert said. “I thought he could get us out of it, we can play for one the next inning and bring Trey in to shut it down.”

It played out just as Albert hoped. Even better, Damschroder threw 15 pitches, keeping him eligible to start the championship. That a player who had not pitched yet this season would be one of the game’s biggest heroes seemed appropriate on a night when South stormed back from a 5-0 deficit and when rain threatened to end the game after five innings.

At times, it felt like up was down and down was up. Add in 27 combined walks and a marathon game also became a battle of wills. White was the fourth Williamsport pitcher used and the Division I recruit who wanted the ball, made the most of his opportunity at huge times, also stranding three total runners in his first two innings.

“Whenever I come on this baseball field, I leave my heart on it, so whatever the team needs right there, I’m going to give it to them,” White said. “Honestly, it’s a surreal feeling, not just to get on the mound again but to help my team get that win. That’s all I was focused on in the moment.”

“He’s been nagging about wanting to get on the bump. We ask him to do a lot and had him out of position the first half of the season before finally getting him back in the outfield,” Albert said. “We were talking all week about being in an emergency situation and bringing him in, and he came up huge, just putting the team on his back there.

“That’s impressive. It just shows the type of kid and ball player he is.”

Levi Butler and Cade Lusk opened the seventh with walks before catcher Jaxson March caught a popped up bunt. Following Trace Wertz’s fourth walk, the winning run stood 90 feet away. Jaymes Carpenter then took White to the max, working a full count before lofting a foul ball into no-man’s land in shallow foul territory down the left-field line.

Naughton covered the long distance, made an over the shoulder catch and quickly set up to throw in case Butler tried tagging up and scoring. The web gem gave White an added boost and he blew a 2-2 fastball by for a strikeout a batter later as Williamsport stayed alive.

“Shout out to Lucas for making that play right there. All props to the team behind me for making the plays they had to make, so that we could win that game,” White said. “I’m going to do whatever I can in my power to help my team win. That’s all I care about and that’s what baseball is all about.”

Damschroder enjoyed a strong night, going 2 for 3 with three RBIs and his lead-off double ignited the game-winning rally moments later. Wyatt Bair and Nolan Brelsford walked, loading the bases, and March drew another walk, scoring Damschroder with the go-ahead run. Naughton (2 for 3) added a big insurance run a batter later, hitting a sacrifice fly and making it, 9-7.

A year after earning the win in the Brawl championship, Damschroder secured a save. Not that the resilient Mounties made it easy. Kamdyn Bubb hit a lead-off single, bringing the tying runner to the plate. Unfazed, Damschroder produced a strikeout; Brelsford combined with Bair on an excellent tricky ground ball and Damschroder sealed victory with another strikeout.

“The first thing we talked about with after that Jersey Shore game (Thursday) was the team you’re going to face are dogs. They are going to fight no matter what and with (Cole) Gerber on the mound they can beat any team on any given day,” Albert said. “They understood that. We knew this was going to be a real test as far as creating a playoff atmosphere. We said it’s going to be your first test of what the playoffs are going to be like, and I just couldn’t be prouder.”

South’s coaching staff felt similar pride as the Mounties fought back after trailing 5-0 in the fourth inning. Rather than folding against a team which has won 13 straight games, South thundered back under the rain drops and scored seven fourth inning runs, turning a five-run deficit into a 7-5 advantage.

The Mounties (10-6) scored four two-out runs and Marc Molina highlighted the eruption with a two-out, two-run go-ahead single. Chance Quimby, who threw gutsy in relief, ignited the rally with a lead-off single and Carpenter, Torin Haug and Bubb all had RBIs that inning. Gerber struck out five in 3 1/3 innings and every South starter reached base.

It was quite an impressive comeback after Williamsport looked poised to break open the game, scoring two runs in the first inning, another in the third and two more in the fifth. Damschroder’s sacrifice fly and four walks produced the first two runs before catcher Jaxson March, who saved a potential run by picking a runner off first in the first inning, belted a two-out, RBI double in the third, making it, 3-0.

The clutch two-out hitting continued an inning later when Damschroder smoked a two-run double and made it, 5-0. Just when it seemed the defending District 4 Class AA champions might be down for the count in a game which featured several questionable calls, they came back throwing haymakers.

Following a scoreless fifth inning, Williamsport opened the sixth with White and Giovanni White walking and Damschroder being intentionally walked with one out to load the bases and set up a force at any base. Then the rains came, halting the game for 15 minutes. When play resumed Wyatt Bair drew an RBI walk and March tied the game with a sacrifice fly.

Both teams have built reputations for embracing the hard and Williamsport did so with both its answer to that seven-run South rally and the way it handled bad luck before the game even started. Albert suffered a potential broken hand throwing pregame batting practice and first baseman Camron Spangler was injured during pregame infield practice.

Williamsport (15-1) has been hit hard by injuries the past two seasons, but the next man up continues stepping up and through it all, it has gone 29-8 the past two seasons. Both South and unfortunate circumstances put up a great battle Friday, but the reigning champions still hold the title belt and are eager to continue fighting.

“These guys haven’t blinked once when it comes to stuff going on,” Albert said. “They keep their nose down and keep grinding and they trust each other. They play this game hard and the right way.”

“Our team is built on being tough. Our team is built on rising up to adversity, no matter what it is,” White said. “We’ve been in situations like this before, maybe not injuries before the game, but adversity in general, and this team never fails to step up to the challenge.”

Williamsport 9, South Williamsport 7, 8 innings

Williamsport 201 202 02–9 6 2

South 000 700 00–7 8 0

L.J. Hill, Nate Crowe (4), Brayden Wolfhope (4), Deshaun White (5) and Jaxson March. Cole Gerber, Chance Quimby (4) and Trace Wertz. W–White. L–Quimby. SV–Damschroder.

Top Williamsport hitters: Damschroder 2-3, 2B, 3 RBIs, R; Lucas Naughton 2-3, RBI, 2R; Wyatt Bair 5 BB, 2R; March 1-4, 2B, 2 RBIs; Camden March 1-4, BB, RBI. Top South hitters: Marc Molina 2-5, 2 RBIs, R; Trace Wertz 1-1, 4 BB; Garrett Lorson 1-4, BB, R; Jaymes Carpenter 1-4, BB, RBI, R; Torin Haug 1-4, RBI; Kamdyn Bubb 1-5, RBI, R; Quimby 1-2, 2 BB.

Records: Williamsport 15-1. South 10-6.