HAWLEY — The 2026 high school baseball season came to a heartbreaking end for a talented Wallenpaupack Area squad over Memorial Day weekend.
Paupack hosted Dallas May 22 in the semifinals of the District 2 tournament, playing one of its best all-around games of the entire season.
The Buckhorns received an outstanding effort on the mound from ace Cameron Lynch, but unfortunately for local fans it wasn’t enough as the visiting Mountaineers eked out a 2-1 decision.
“That game was tough,” said an emotionally drained skipper Eric Lenz. “When your starting pitcher throws a two-hitter, you expect to win the game. But, we just couldn’t get the timely hit. That’s baseball. It’s a great sport, but sometimes it can break your heart.”
With the win, Dallas advances to the Class 5A championship game to take on top-seeded Pittston Area. The Patriots punched their ticket to the finals via a shutout of Abington Heights in the other semi.
First pitch for this year’s title tilt is set for 4:30 p.m. May 28 at the University of Scranton’s Volpe Field.
A big enthusiastic crowd gathered in the shores of The Big Lake last Friday to cheer on the Buckhorns who came into the game seeded second in the Class 5A bracket.
Dallas arrived on the scene as the third seed, boasting an overall 14-6 record and a 9-5 mark in Wyoming Valley Conference action.
Cameron Lynch took the mound as Paupack’s starting pitcher. A fireballing senior righty, Lynch entered the fray leading his team in wins (6), strikeouts (59) and ERA (1.01).
“Cam is a tenacious competitor,” Lenz said of his ace. “He likes to work quickly and attack the zone. Cam has a nice mix of pitches including two and four seam fastballs, curve and change-up.”
Lynch wasted no time in going right after Dallas batters. He fanned two in the first, needing just 11 pitches to retire the side.
It was a harbinger of things to come as Lynch pitched a complete game gem. He went seven innings, allowing just two hits while striking out 10 and not walking a single batter.
Paupack’s starter made just two real mistakes in the entire game, but they proved costly. He surrendered a solo home run to Dallas’ Peyton VanValkenburgh in the top of the second, then allowed another solo shot to Brady Youngblood in the seventh.
Meanwhile, the Buckhorns had their hands full with Mounties’ ace Nick Bednar. A hard-throwing junior righty, Bednar also pitched a complete game. He worked seven innings, giving up five hits and fanning 10.
Paupack’s evened the score at 1-1 in the home half of the fifth when senior second sacker Greg Van Gorder doubled home Jeff Klikus with the trying run.
Van Gorder led the offensive attack with two hits in three at-bats. CJ Doty, Thomas Kiersted and Ben Anderson chipped in with one hit each.
Paupack closed out its 2026 campaign with an overall record of 15-6.
The Buckhorns posted a 10-4 mark in Lackawanna League action, finishing in a tie with Abington Heights for first place in the Division I standings.
This year’s team was anchored by a battle-tested group of seniors and several talented underclassmen who blended seamlessly on the field and off. While those graduates will be difficult to replace, Paupack coaches believe the future looks bright.
“The season was a lot of fun,” Lenz said. “The guys really came together and played unselfishly. They gave us everything they had. Those seniors will definitely be missed. They were a key part of our success and it’s going to be hard to replace them.”
This article originally appeared on Tri-County Independent: District 2 Class 5A baseball Wallenpaupack Area versus Dallas
