H.S. Baseball: Unbeaten Pittston Area advances to D2-5A championship

HUGHESTOWN — Through rain and shine, Pittston Area scored six times in the first inning Friday.

And no matter what the weather conditions, the Patriots kept scoring throughout the game.

Finally, after a delay for heavy rain, Pittston Area ended a miserable day for baseball. The Patriots scored two runs in the bottom of the fifth to defeat Dallas 16-6 in a District 2 Class 5A semifinal game.

“The at-bats we put on today and the way we ran the bases,” Pittston Area coach Paul Zaffuto said. “Again, when they punched, we punched back. They kept firing, but we kept having an answer for them. I’m just very proud of the team that we have.”

Jacoby Harnen followed Rich Tonte’s RBI single with an RBI double to stop the game via the 10-run rule. Pittston Area (21-0) will now play in the championship game tentatively scheduled for Tuesday at a time and site to be determined.

The other semifinal game between North Pocono and Abington Heights still needs to be played. That game is scheduled for Saturday.

Rain was falling when Pittston Area leadoff hitter Dom Innamorati walked to start the first inning. By the time inning ended, the sun was shining. The first inning was indicative of the weather all game until a downpour halted it going to the bottom of the fifth.

In between, the Patriots scored in every inning starting with the six-run first where Jake Aftewicz had an RBI single, Chase Montigney had a two-run double, Tonte brought in a run with a groundout and Harnen hit a sacrifice fly.

Dallas (13-8) got a run back in the second on an RBI single by Jack Leandri, but Pittston Area answered with four in the bottom of the inning.

Beau Widdick followed consecutive singles by Silvio Giardina and Aftewicz with a two-run double. Harnen finished off the scoring with an RBI single for a 10-1 lead.

Again, Dallas fought back with an RBI each from Brady Youngblood, Dylan Geskey and Jack Dale in the third. And again, the Patriots answered as Elijah Barr hit and RBI double and Widdick singled in a run to make it 12-4.

The fourth was similar. Two runs for Dallas, two for Pittston Area.

“We chipped away but they hit the ball all over the place,” Dallas coach Mike Viglone said. “We couldn’t win an inning or anything like that. Credit to them.”

Barr picked up the win, going three innings despite being ill.

Wilkes-Barre Area 9, Williamsport 3

Nathan Fritz was 3-for-4 with a homer and double as Wilkes-Barre defeated host Williamsport in a District 2/4 Class 6A semifinal game.

WBA will play Hazleton Area for the title and spot in the state tournament on Wednesday at a time and site to be announced.

Jake Howe added a double and three RBI. Tyler Daugherty also drove in a run.

Fritz pitched 5.2 innings to pick up the win.

Hazleton Area 6, Scranton 5

The Cougars scored two runs in the bottom of the seventh to edge Scranton in a District 2/4 Class 6A semifinal game.

Hazleton Area will go for its sixth consecutive D2-6A championship when it plays Wilkes-Barre Area on Wednesday at a site and time to be determined.

Nick Ledger homered, doubled and had three RBI for Hazleton Area. Ryan Racho and Marcos Gil Pena had an RBI each.

Chris Peters pitched 3.2 innings of shutout relief to get the win.

MMI Prep 12, Forest City 2

MMI Prep scored five runs in the fifth and five more in the sixth to defeat Forest City in a District 2 Class 2A semifinal game.

MMI will play Susquehanna for the title on Tuesday at a time and site to be announced.

Evan Pedri, Josh Witner, Bryce Radzwich and Tommy Horvat all had two RBI for the Preppers.

Witner pitched a complete game, striking out nine and allowing four hits.

Honesdale, Wyoming Area suspended

Honesdale and Wyoming Area played one inning of their District 2 Class 4A quarterfinal game before it was suspended by rain.

The teams will resume the contest at noon Saturday at Wyoming Area.

SOFTBALL

Tunkhannock 11, Wyoming Area 0

MaKenzie Bevan homered, doubled and drove in four runs as Tunkhannock defeated Wyoming Area in a District 2 Class 4A semifinal game.

Taryn Newswanger, Emily Patton and McKenzie Hannon all had triples for the Tigers, who will play Valley View for the title on Wednesday at a time and site to be announced. Lucy Karp had a double.

Alexa Gasek had two of Wyoming Area’s four hits.

Valley View 12, Dallas 2

Dallas’ season came to an end with a six-inning loss to Valley View in a District 2 Class 4A semifinal game.

Taylor Cawley, Emily Moyles and Abbi Call all homered for Valley View, which will play Tunkhannock for the championship on Wednesday at a site and time to be announced.

Cawley and Moyles had four RBI each.

Nina Barrouk and Lia Riley each had an RBI for Dallas.

Dunmore, Redeemer suspended

Rain came in the first inning and forced the suspension of the District 2 Class 2A semifinal game between Dunmore and host Holy Redeemer.

The game will be resumed at 1 p.m. Saturday but moved to Lake-Lehman’s turf field.

H.S. BASEBALL

District 2 Class 5A Semifinals

Pittston Area 16, Dallas 6

(5 inn.)

Dallas`AB`R`H`BI

Nocito lf`4`0`1`0

Coyne cf`2`2`1`0

Zangardi rf`3`2`2`0

Youngblood c`3`0`1`1

Healey ss`3`1`2`2

Williams dh`2`0`0`0

Rischawy rf`0`0`0`0

Patton p`0`0`0`0

Geskey 1b`2`1`0`1

Dale 3b`2`0`0`1

Leandri 2b`2`0`1`1

Flanagan 1b`1`0`0`0

Totals`25`6`8`6

Pittston Area`AB`R`H`BI

D.Innamorati cf`3`2`1`0

Barr p`4`1`2`2

Noone cr`0`1`0`0

Giardina ss`3`2`1`0

Aftewicz c`4`1`2`1

Cerasaro cr`0`1`0`0

Widdick 2b`3`3`3`2

Montigney 1b`3`2`1`2

Tonte 3b`3`2`1`2

Harnen dh`3`1`3`2

Mead rf`0`0`0`0

N.Innamorati lf`1`0`0`1

Totals`27`16`14`13

Dallas`013`20 — 6

Pittston Area`642`22 — 16

2B — Zangardi, Barr, Widdick, Montigney, Harnen.

Dallas`IP`H`R`ER`BB`SO

Patton (L)`0`3`6`6`3`0

Zangardi`4`8`8`8`3`2

Chapman`1`3`2`2`0`0

Pittston Area`IP`H`R`ER`BB`SO

Barr (W)`3`6`4`3`1`3

Widdick`1`2`2`2`1`1

Giardina`1`0`0`0`1`2

District 2/4 Class 4A Semifinals

Wilkes-Barre Area 9, Williamsport 3

W-B Area`AB`R`H`BI

Hufford 2b`4`1`3`0

Flowers c`4`1`2`0

Bottger ss`4`1`1`0

Howe 3b`4`1`2`3

Jerez rf`4`1`1`0

Davies cf`3`2`0`0

Fritz p`4`1`3`4

Gregor 2b`0`0`0`0

Daugherty 1b`4`1`1`1

Chupka lf`4`0`2`0

Cour cr`0`0`o`o

Totals`35`9`15`8

Williamsport`AB`R`H`BI

March ss`4`0`0`0

D.White 2b`4`1`1`0

Rodgers rf`2`1`1`0

Franzen 3b`4`1`2`0

Bair 1b`4`0`1`2

G.White cf`2`0`2`1

Deitrick p`3`0`1`0

J.March c`3`0`0`0

Vilello lf`3`0`2`0

Schur cr`0`0`0`0

Totals`29`3`10`3

Wilkes-Barre Area`000`315`0 — 9

Williamsport`003`000`0 — 3

2B — Fritz, Howe, Vilello, Deitrick.

W-B Area`IP`H`R`ER`BB`SO

Fritz (W)`5.2`9`3`3`4`4

Hufford`1.1`1`0`0`1`1

Williamsport`IP`H`R`ER`BB`SO

Deitrick (L)`4.2`10`4`4`2`2

Bair`2.1`5`5`5`1`1

District 2/4 Class 4A Semifinals

Hazleton Area 6, Scranton 5

Scranton`AB`R`H`BI

Kelly p`4`0`0`0

McIntyre cf`2`0`0`1

Thomas c`4`0`1`2

T.Bartlebaugh`0`0`0`0

Wozniak 1b`4`1`1`0

Booth 1b`2`0`1`0

H.Bartlebaugh 3b`3`1`1`0

S.Leonori ss`3`1`0`1

J.Leonori lf`1`1`0`0

Wahlers rf`2`1`0`1

Totals`25`5`4`5

Hazleton Area`AB`R`H`BI

Hearity 2b`4`1`2`0

Racho 1b`2`1`1`1

Ledger c`3`1`2`3

Higgins lf`3`0`0`0

Marino dh`2`0`1`0

Diaz 3b`3`0`0`0

Festa cf`2`1`1`0

Knelly ss`1`1`0`0

Pecora rf`1`1`0`0

Gil Pena`1`0`1`1

Serra cr`0`0`0`0

Totals`22`6`8`5

Scranton`000`500`0 — 5

Hazleton Area`102`010`2 — 6

2B – Ledger. HR — Ledger.

Scranton`IP`H`R`ER`BB`SO

Kelly (L)`6.1`8`6`4`2`3

H.Bartlebaugh`0.0`0`0`0`0`0

Hazleton Area`IP`H`R`ER`BB`SO

Corrado`3.1`3`5`5`4`2

Peters (W)`3.2`1`0`0`0`3

H.S. SOFTBALL

District 2 Class 4A Semifinals

Tunkhannock 11, Wyoming Area 0

(6 inn.)

Wyoming Area`AB`R`H`BI

Ad.Gaylord ss`2`0`0`0

Gasek p`3`0`2`0

Kivak cf`3`0`1`0

Brown 1b`3`0`1`0

Giardina 3b`3`0`0`0

Ar.Gaylord lf`2`0`0`0

Haddock c`3`0`0`0

Gula`1`0`0`0

Lewis`2`0`0`0

Layland 2b`2`0`0`0

Gallagher 2b`0`0`0`0

Totals`24`0`4`0

Tunkhannock`AB`R`H`BI

Waterman 2b`3`1`1`1

Karp rf`2`1`1`1

E.Van Ness 3b`4`1`0`0

Patton ss`4`1`1`0

Newswanger cf`3`2`1`0

Kinney lf`3`1`2`1

Bevan c`4`2`2`3

Hannon p`3`0`2`1

Bamberger 1b`3`0`1`1

S.Van Ness cr`0`2`0`0

Totals`29`11`11`9

Wyoming Area`000`000 — 0

Tunkhannock`311`042 — 12

2B — Karp, Bevan. 3B — Newswanger, Patton, Hannon. HR — Bevan.

Wyoming Area`IP`H`R`ER`BB`SO

Gasek (L)`1.0`2`3`0`0`1

Ar.Gaylord`4.2`9`8`8`5`0

Tunkhannock`IP`H`R`ER`BB`SO

Hannon (W)`6`4`0`0`2`7