TUNKHANNOCK – In the quarterfinals of the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association Tournament last year, Dallas pitcher Darren Kerdesky got out of a bases-loaded, no-out jam en route to a shutout win during the Mountaineers’ state title run.
Ten months later, Kerdesky was in the same situation against Wyoming Valley Conference rival Tunkhannock Wednesday afternoon.
This time, the righthander allowed one run to score, but the team got a huge boost and immediately rallied to score three runs as Dallas knocked off the Tigers, 6-2, in a Division 2 game.
“It gives the team a lot of confidence for the rest of the game,” Kerdesky said about getting out of a similar tough situation. “It gives me a lot of confidence because then I know my team is going to be making a lot of plays for me, and I knew we were probably going to get more runs.”
In a scoreless game in the bottom of the third, Tunkhannock loaded the bases on a pair of walks sandwiched around a double. But Kerdesky then got Nick Reposa on strikes before Matt Goodwin hit a sacrifice fly, with the third out being made on the bases.
“You’re facing the guys that killed us last year in (Tyler) Faux, Reposa, Goodwin, (David) Baltrusaitis,” Dallas coach Ken Kashatus said. “All those guys had good games against us last year, and to manage to get out of there with one run after bases loaded and no out, that’s like winning the inning.
“I felt like we were off the hook after giving up just one because I felt like we could get one or two or three. But in that spot, they had the right guys batting, I believe, and it worked out for us.”
Not only did Kerdesky get confidence from getting out of the jam, the whole team did.
Six of the first seven batters in the top of the fourth reached base for the Mountaineers (2-0 WVC Division 2) on three singles, two walks and a Tunkhannock error as Dallas took a 3-1 lead.
Kerdesky settled in as well, not allowing a hit until he was taken out in the sixth. All afternoon, he showed good command of his fastball. When the fastball velocity declined, his breaking ball kept the hitters off-balance. He struck out five and allowed just three hits and four walks in five-plus innings on the chilly and breezy afternoon.
The junior was relieved by Alex Kapral in the sixth after giving up a double to Reposa and walking Goodwin. The double by Reposa was the first hit off Kerdesky for Tunkhannock since the third.
“It took me a while to really zone in. And once I did, I could just place it wherever I wanted to,” Kerdesky said about his fastball command. “I have a lot of confidence in my (breaking ball) and once I started getting ahead in the count, I started just putting it in there and getting a lot of strikes.”
The Tigers also loaded the bases with no outs in the sixth. Kapral allowed an inherited run to score on a fielder’s choice.
Preceding that inning by Tunkhannock was another three-run inning by Dallas in the top of the frame. The Mountaineers took advantage of two Tigers errors in the sixth and got a sac fly from Mike Luksic to open a 6-1 lead.
Tunkhannock (1-2) was one of just two teams to finish within one run of Dallas during the postseason last year. Goodwin gave the Tigers a strong start on the mound going 5 1/3 innings, striking out three and giving up three earned runs on six hits. Tunkhannock’s Denny Robinson and Reposa accounted for the game’s only extra-base hits with doubles.
“They got a lot of good guys and whenever I face them I know I gotta hit my spots and just hope for the best,” Kerdesky said.
Dallas and Tunkhannock, which squared off four times last season, will meet in the regular season again on May 7 at Dallas.
Lake-Lehman 14
Northwest 3
Jacob Wesley went 2-for-3 with two runs and two RBI Tuesday to lead Lake-Lehman to the five-inning WVC Division 3 win over visiting Northwest.
Dylan Wesley also scored twice and drove in two runs while Luke Spencer had two hits and Chris Hadsall scored three times.
Lake-Lehman 10
GAR 0
Kyle Sincavage went 2-for-3 with a double and three RBI while Alex Magdalinski and Henry Selingo combined on a three-hit shutout Monday to lead Lake-Lehman to the six-inning victory in WVC Division 2 play.
The Black Knights scored three runs each in the fourth, fifth and sixth innings, ending the game in the sixth on the 10-run rule.
Magdalinski worked five innings and Selingo pitched the sixth.
Dallas 2
Berwick 1
Nick Kocher started off by striking out nine in five scoreless innings, then Michael Anderson finished with a perfect inning that included one strikeout for the save when Dallas edged Berwick in eight innings in a WVC Division 2 game Monday.
Darren Kerdesky had a triple and single.
Drew Patton tripled and scored. Josh Holdredge had a hit and RBI.
Josh Lydon got the win with 1 2/3 innings of relief in which he struck out two and allowed one run.
SOFTBALL
Holy Redeemer 5
Lake-Lehman 0
Leadoff hitter Corinna Scoblick went 3-for-3 with two doubles Tuesday when Lake-Lehman battled four-time defending WVC Division 3 champion Holy Redeemer.
The Black Knights stayed within 1-0 until the visiting Royals scored four times in the seventh inning to secure their 65th straight conference victory with the help of a 15-strikeout performance by Morgan Bienkowski.
Lake-Lehman 3
Hanover Area 2
Abbey Hogan struck out 11 to get the win for Lake-Lehman in Monday’s WVC Division 3 game.
Chloe Van Gorder had a single and double. Hunter Kline had a double and an RBI.
Hazleton Area 8
Tunkhannock 5
Kyra Antolick went 3-for-3 with a double, homer and three RBI to lead Tunkhannock in the April 6 game between 2017 state finalists.
Hailey Farr went 3-for-4 with a double while Kendra Schultz was 2-for-4 with two RBI for Tunkhannock.
GIRLS TRACK AND FIELD
Lake-Lehman 95
Northwest 53
Jade Fry won four times Wednesday to help Lake-Lehman reach 2-0 in Division 2 of the WVC.
Fry won the 800-, 1600- and 3200-meter runs and ran a leg of the winning 3200 relay.
Dallas 102
Wyoming Area 48
Samantha Mazula won the 100-meter dash and long jump while running on the winning 400- and 1600-meter relays to help Dallas to a WVC Division 1 win on the road Tuesday.
Abby Zolner won both hurdles while Kaitlyn Hodakowski won the 1600 and 3200.
BOYS TRACK AND FIELD
Dallas 96
Wyoming Area 53
Matt Maransky showed off his versatility, winning the pole vault, javelin and long jump while running on the winning 400-meter relay team when Dallas posted a WVC Division 1 road win Tuesday.
The Mountaineers outscored the Warriors, 31-1, in distance races between 800 and 3200 meters.
Lake-Lehman 96
Northwest 53
Floyd McCroy, Chandler Longstreth and Riley Newman each won three events Wednesday to help the Black Knights improve to 2-0 in WVC Division 2.
McCroy won the 100 and 300 hurdles and was on the 400 relay team win. Longstreth won the 1600 and 3200 as well as running on the 3200 relay team. Newman was also on the 3200 relay while winning the 400 and 800.
GIRLS LACROSSE
Dallas 13
Hazleton Area 0
Lauren Delamater had five goals and two assists while Bailey Slacktish had an eight-save shutout Monday to lead Dallas to the WVC Division 1 victory.
Samantha Banks added four goals. Melinda Ratchford had a goal and an assist.
Lake-Lehman 19
Abington Heights 4
Alicia Galasso scored seven goals and added an assist to help Lake-Lehman win at Abington Heights in a WVC game Monday.
Jess Evans added five goals and an assist, Kate Roberts had four goals and two assists and Madison Tereska had a goal and three assists.
Lake-Lehman 23
Tunkhannock 2
Kate Roberts had five goals and three assists to lead Lake-Lehman to the April 6 victory.
Jess Evans added five goals and an assist while Alicia Galasso had four goals and three assists. Mikella Monaco scored three times and Ava Radel twice. Rachel Shook had a goal and three assists.
Quinn Hammersly scored both Tunkhannock goals.
Lake-Lehman 15
Wyoming Area 4
Alicia Galsso scored four times while Jess Evans and Kate Roberts scored three goals each April 5 in the WVC win.
Grace Butler made 13 saves.
BOYS LACROSSE
Tunkhannock 11
Lake-Lehman 6
Adam Martin scored four goals and assisted on two Wednesday to lead Tunkhannock to a home win in a WVC Division 2 game.
Sergey Montross helped Tunkhannock improve to 2-1, matching last season’s WVC win total
Jake Hawley, Izaiah Simon and Brad Martin all added two goals in the win. Hawley also had two assists and Simon had one.
Liam O’Brien scored three goals for Lake-Lehman (0-3).
Dallas 10
Wyoming Seminary 9
Dallas used overtime to pull out a win Tuesday in a meeting between two of the three teams that tied for first place in WVC Division 1 last season.
Tunkhannock 12
Coughlin 2
Adam Martin had five goals and three assists when Tunkhannock won the April 5 WVC opener for both teams.
Jaxson Montrose added three goals and an assist.
BOYS TENNIS
Dallas 4
Pittston Area 1
John Toussaint, at number one singles, and both doubles teams won their matches without ever letting a set get past 6-3 during Wednesday’s WVC victory over Pittston Area.
Dallas 5
Wyoming Area 0
Dallas took every point in straight sets in Monday’s WVC match.
Dominick Rizzo won his match at third singles, 6-0, 6-3.
BOYS VOLLEYBALL
Berwick 3
Lake-Lehman 0
Unbeaten Berwick swept Lake-Lehman, 25-14, 25-12, 26-24, Wednesday.
Dallas 3
Coughlin 0
Logan Evanosky had 10 kills, four aces and 12 total service points for Dallas in a 25-19, 25-17, 25-17 win Tuesday.
Caleb Hill had six aces and 17 assists. Mike Huntington had nine digs to help the Mountaineers to their first win of the season.
