LEHMAN TWP. — It took seven years — and an extra inning — for Holy Redeemer to win another Wyoming Valley Conference baseball divisional championship.
And a touch of confidence.
Luke Kopec launched a two-run double to deep center as part of a three-run eighth inning as the Royals defeated two-time defending Division 2 champion Lake-Lehman 4-1 Tuesday to grab their first divisional title since 2016.
Redeemer improved to 10-1 in the division and 13-3 overall. Lehman finished divisional play at 7-5 and dropped to 10-8 overall.
Kopec was given the OK to swing with a 3-0 count with the bases loaded and one out. Redeemer loaded the bases with one out when Colin Whitman and Cody Quaglia reached on errors and Chris Maciejczyk walked.
“I was just looking for a good pitch to hit,” Kopec said. “I knew he was going to throw a fastball, so I had to be on it.”
Redeemer coach Ryan Knowles believed Kopec could deliver and he did. Maciejczyk, who moved to third on Kopec’s double, scored on a wild pitch to make it 4-1.
“A 3-0 green light there,” Knowles said. “He’s been our hottest hitter all season, and I think in a spot like that you let one of your hottest hitters hit. He did, and I’m really proud of him.”
Redeemer clung to a 1-0 lead until the bottom of the seventh when after squandering numerous scoring chances Lehman finally scored.
Cole Kaiser singled with one out and moved to second when Graedon Finarelli walked. Kaiser then stole third and an error on the play allowed him to score the tying run. The Black Knights had the bases loaded with two outs, but a fielder’s choice ended the threat.
Lehman had two runners on with two outs in the eighth and failed to score. In all, the Black Knights stranded 15 runners.
The first and sixth innings epitomized Lehman’s offensive frustrations.
Evan Kaiser, Cole Kaiser and Finarelli opened the first inning with singles to load the bases. A base-running gaffe resulted in one out and the threat ended on a double play. Lehman again loaded the bases with no one out in the sixth. A base-running mistake and consecutive strikeouts by Redeemer reliever Dino DiMauro led to another unfulfilled opportunity.
“Mental mistakes,” Lehman coach Mike Sholtis said. “Physically, we were there. Mentally, we weren’t here tonight. Everybody is so equal in the conference this year that one mistake costs games.”
Redeemer took a 1-0 lead in the first as Whitman was hit by a pitch, stole second and scored on Kopec’s single to center.
NOTE: Had the Royals lost, they still would have been Division 2 champion because Nanticoke Area lost to Wyoming Area.
Holy Redeemer 4, Lake-Lehman 1 (8 inn.)
Redeemer`AB`R`H`BI
ColinWhitman lf`3`2`0`0
McDermott dh`3`0`0`0
Koons p`0`0`0`0
Schultz p`0`0`0`0
Quaglia ss`1`1`0`0
C.Maciejczyk 1b`2`1`2`0
Hurst pr`0`0`0`0
Kopec cf`4`0`2`3
DiMauro ss-p`4`0`0`0
Gryboski 2b`3`0`0`0
M.Maciejczyk 3b`4`0`0`0
Stevenson c`3`0`1`0
Revitt cr`0`0`0`0
ColeWhitman rf`3`0`1`0
Totals`30`4`6`3
Lehman`AB`R`H`BI
E.Kaiser dh`5`0`1`0
Wallace ss`0`0`0`0
C.Kaiser cf-p`4`1`3`0
G.Finarelli c`3`0`1`0
Bean p`4`0`0`0
S.Finarelli 1b`3`0`1`0
Sholtis rf`3`0`1`0
Jenkins 3b`2`0`0`0
T.Jones lf`1`0`0`0
Evans pr`0`0`0`0
J.Jones ph`1`0`0`0
Smith lf`1`0`0`0
Naugle 2b`3`0`0`0
Totals`30`1`7`0
Holy Redeemer`100`000`03 — 4
Lake-Lehman`000`000`10 — 1
2B — Kopec.
Redeemer`IP`H`R`ER`BB`SO
Koons`3.2`4`0`0`3`1
Schultz`1.1`1`0`0`1`1
DiMauro (W)`3.0`2`1`0`2`3
Lehman`IP`H`R`ER`BB`SO
Bean (L)`7.1`6`4`1`2`1
C.Kaiser`0.2`0`0`0`1`0
