HUGHESTOWN – Lucas Jurchak shut down the Wilkes-Barre offense to get the Greater Pittston Senior team headed toward its first Wyoming Valley American Legion Baseball League win of the season.
Just as importantly, the offense got rolling with seven runs in the first two innings of Wednesday’s 9-3 romp to give the team hope of more success as the season progresses.
“It was good that we strung some hits together,” Greater Pittston manager Jerry Ranieli said. “We didn’t hit well the other day, but we hit the ball hard and we hit it right at people.”
Greater Pittston had managed just five singles a week earlier in a 4-2 loss to Mountain Post, but manager Jerry Ranieli attributed some of that to rust.
About half of the team is made up of Wyoming Area players, who had a 12-day layoff since their high school season. For the two postgraduate starters, there was a longer break.
“It was Cory Lescavage and Tyler Dougherty’s first game since we lost last year in the playoffs,” Ranieli said.
The win started a busy stretch of games, making up for lost time from early-season rainouts and waiting for some teams in the league to be available after their feeder high school programs are eliminated from state play.
“Playing three days in a row and four out of five, hopefully, now we’ll get in a groove and start playing like that,” said Ranieli, who got a positive sign of that possibility with an 11-run outburst on the road the next day.
Greater Pittston scored four times in the first and three in the second while Jurchak was making sure Wilkes-Barre could not get its offense started.
Jurchak struck out at least two in each of the first five innings, including five straight at one point. He carried a no-hitter into the sixth until it was broken up by Rob Shinal’s bunt single.
“He was commanding his fastball,” Ranieli said. “He was hitting corners and he was playing at the knees the whole time.
“He was keeping the ball down.”
Jurchak wound up allowing just the one hit in 5 2/3 innings. He gave up two runs, but just one was earned, while striking out 11 and walking one.
Matt Wright gave up one run on two hits while getting the last five outs.
Greater Pittston got the first five batters on base, including singles by Mikey Bonita, Steve Homza and Lescavage to start the game and load the bases.
Cole Keating was hit by a pitch to drive in the first run.
Aaron Lee singled in the next two and Keating scored the fourth run on a first-and-third steal situation where Wilkes-Barre took an out at second base.
Lescavage and Keating reached with two out in the second on a walk and a hit and each scored their second run.
Lee singled in one run and Kyle Ralston doubled in the next two.
“Aaron’s solid behind the plate, first and foremost,” Ranieli said of Lee, the catcher who drove in three runs. “He came up with some big, line drive hits.
“When he stays compact and stays up the middle, he’s a tough out.”
Anthony Nardell singled and scored in the fifth on Homza’s second hit.
Hunter Ralston tripled and scored on an error in the sixth.
Keating finished 2-for-3 and reached base three times.
Greater Pittston Senior 11
Tunkhannock 3
Cory Lescavage tripled and drove in three runs Thursday when Greater Pittston went to Tunkhannock and picked up its second win in as many days.
Aaron Lee had two hits and scored twice.
Cole Keating had a hit, drove in two runs and scored twice. Steve Homza singled, walked twice and scored twice.
Plains Senior 2
Tunkhannock 1
Chris Merithew threw a three-hitter with nine strikeouts as Plains edged Tunkhannock Wednesday.
Leroy Fettig had two hits for Plains. Darryn Marek and Taylor Chronowski each delivered RBI singles.
Plains Senior 5
Wilkes-Barre 0
Michael Cinti and Leroy Fettig combined on a shutout Thursday to lead Plains to a win for the second straight day.
Cinti went 4 2/3 innings for the win and Fettig went the last 2 1/3 for the save.
Darryn Marek and Taylor Chronowski had RBI singles.
Greater Pittston Youth 4
Back Mountain 3
Seth Kopcza struck out three while getting the last four outs for the save when Greater Pittston edged Back Mountain June 4 in a game shortened to five innings because of rain.
Cole Cherkas went 2-for-2 with a triple and scored twice.
Winning pitcher Caleb Graham drove in a run with a sacrifice fly.
Greater Pittston Youth 3
Mountain Post 1
Cole Cherkas doubled to drive in the game-winning run, then scored the second run of a two-run fifth inning that helped Greater Pittston improve to 4-0 Thursday.
Daniel Wiedl scored from first on the Cherkas double.
Toby Hallman picked up the win with a save from John Angelella. Hallman allowed just one run on five hits and three walks while striking out four in six innings. Angelella overcame two hits and a walk to pitch a scoreless inning with the help of two strikeouts.
Mountain Post led until Tyler Granahan’s pinch hit single drove in Frank Braccini in the fourth.
Plains Youth 9
Tunkhannock 4
Plains defeated visiting Tunkhannock June 4 for its first win of the season.
Stars & Stripes 6
Plains Youth 3
Thursday’s loss at Hilldale dropped Plains to 1-2.
