HUGHESTOWN – Two games in the Wyoming Valley American Legion baseball season, Greater Pittston Senior team manager Jerry Ranieli can see how his team is shaping up.
“Our pitching staff, hopefully, will be the strength of our team,” Ranieli said after the team split its first two games.
Greater Pittston allowed just three runs in the first week of the season, but also scored only three.
“We just have to start hitting a little bit better, then we should be all right,” Ranieli said.
Cory Lescavage, one of the top two pitchers in Wyoming Area’s Wyoming Valley Conference Division 2 high school championship this spring, and Lucas Jurchak threw complete games the first two starts.
Joe Gavenonis, a 2014 Wyoming Area graduate and one of the program’s veteran leaders, is also back in the rotation.
Brandon Charney, another Wyoming Area pitcher, and Alex McAndrew, who pitched for Pittston Area this season as a sophomore, are also in the mix.
Aiden Joplin and Robbie Wychock, two other pitchers who gained experience with Pittston Area this season, provide depth.
Dylan Spurlin from Pittston Area and Aaron Lee from Wyoming Area are set to split catching duties after starting for their high school teams this season.
“It’s tough when you start having four or five games in a week, so it’s good that we have two catchers,” Ranieli said.
Tyler Mitchell, another post-graduate player, opened the season at first base. C.J. Pisack will also spend some time there along with playing third base.
Wyoming Area’s middle infield combination of Lescavage and Tyler Dougherty is in place, along with Nick Gushka, who has returned to the Legion team a year after finishing up his high school career.
Charney will also play third base.
Wyoming Area’s Steve Homza is in center field.
The other outfielders include McAndrew as well as Spurlin, when not catching, and Gavenonis, who will often serve as designated hitter.
Greater Pittston will also have a Junior team again this season, coached by Lou Falzone and Ang Falzone.
The Wyoming Valley Senior League is intact with the same nine teams from last season.
Greater Pittston 3, Plains 2
Cory Lescavage threw a five-hitter with seven strikeouts and Greater Pittston rallied with three runs in the bottom to defeat Plains in the season opener for both teams Tuesday.
Alex McAndrew, who had two hits, had an RBI double in the rally. Dylan Spurlin also had an RBI.
Joe Gavenonis, Steve Homza and Lescavage also had hits in the win.
Albert Zuba had a hit for Plains while playing against many of his Pittston Area teammates.
Plains scored twice in the top of the first before being shut out by Lescavage over the final six innings.
Tunkhannock 1, Greater Pittston 0
Lucas Jurchak threw a three-hit shutout Thursday, but Greater Pittston fell at Tunkhannock, 1-0.
Steve Homza, Nick Gushka, Joe Gavenonis and Dylan Spurlin had hits in the loss.
