First Posted: 5/2/2015
MOOSIC – John Fagotti showed early in his high school baseball career that he had the delivery and approach to consistently throw strikes.
His coaches asked for more.
Without a fastball that would consistently overpower opponents, Fagotti rebuilt his motion to become the pitcher who has provided most of the highlights for a young Pittston Area team in a rebuilding season.
“Early on, as a freshman, he threw strikes, but he came over the top and his ball was a little flat,” Pittston Area coach Paul Zaffuto said. “We convinced him that if he was going to be effective, he had to throw from a funky arm angle. He just gave up throwing from over the top and went from down underneath.
“All we preach is location, location, location.”
Fagotti showed off the ability to work both corners of the plate April 25 when he earned the Andy Ashby Award as the Most Valuable Player of the annual rivalry game with Wyoming Area, pitching the Patriots to a 2-1 victory at PNC Field.
“He didn’t really throw too many off-speed pitches,” Zaffuto said. “He pounds the zone where we want to. He’s able to control his pitches.
“He goes after them and says, ‘OK we’re not going to walk anybody and we’re going to go on the aggressive and not be defensive.’”
Fagotti allowed just six singles and a walk while striking out seven. He threw 72 of his 105 pitches for strikes.
“He was outstanding,” Wyoming Area coach Ron Musto said, “not only in his physical demonstration, but he was mentally tough.
“He had one of his better games against us, but I want to commend him for that.”
This was the second straight year that Fagotti was Pittston Area’s starting and winning pitcher in the Ashby Game, which is supported by the former Major League pitcher who now lives in the Pittston Area School District.
“Fagotti threw the ball great,” Ashby said after presenting the senior with his MVP trophy.
He had to.
Fagotti was taking on a Wyoming Area team that is leading Division 2 of the Wyoming Valley Conference. It was an assignment he looked forward to while others pitched the Pittston Area games leading up to the rivalry game under the lights on the big stage.
“That’s something John talked about early this year that he wanted to do. We had four games this week. John said he wanted Wyoming Area. We said, ‘You know what, are we going to get a chance to play here this year for a district championship? Maybe not.’ So we took our shot here.”
The Patriots made the most of that shot.
“Everything worked out right,” Fagotti said.
It worked out because of the altered pitching motion that Fagotti developed allowed him to emerge as one of the Wyoming Valley Conference’s top pitchers last year as his junior season neared an end. And, it worked because of the way he kept control of each at-bat.
“I try to stay ahead as much as possible,” Fagotti said. “If you get behind in the count, stuff happens. You don’t want to have to try to throw down the middle.”
Fagotti battled through against a respected opponent that he knows well.
“They’re a really good team,” he said. “They came out swinging against everybody. They beat Wyoming Valley West earlier in the week.
“We were just trying to stay in the game, be confident. It doesn’t matter records in this game, everybody brings their best.”
Ashby Game
Pittston Area managed just two hits and two runs in winning the Ashby Game.
Michael Delaney and Joe DeLucca provided one of each.
Delaney, who was hit by pitches twice to reach base in three of four plate appearances, stole second and third with two outs in the bottom of the fourth, then scored on a wild pitch to break the scoreless tie.
That aggression on the basepaths broke a scoreless tie after Pittston Area stranded seven runners in the first three innings.
Wyoming Area tied the game, but Delucca won it in the bottom of the seventh.
Delucca led off with an infield single and took second on a throwing error. He scored the winning run from there with one out when a groundball got through the infield and the throw to try to get him at the plate was too high.
Wyoming Area put together its only run with two outs in the fifth.
Evan Musto singled. Courtesy runner Brandon Charney stole second, then scored on Marty Michaels’ second hit of the game.
Zach Lopatka and Josh Kopcza combined on a two-hitter for Wyoming Area. Lopatka started and struck out six in four innings.
Wyoming Area 11, Tunkhannock 0
Wyoming Area bounced back Friday when Jeremy Zezza threw a six-inning shutout in an 11-0 victory at Tunkhannock.
Tyler Dougherty had three hits for the Warriors, who host West Scranton at 1 p.m. Sunday in a non-league game.
Hazleton Area 15, Pittston Area 1
Hazleton Area pounded Pittston Area, 15-1, in a WVC Division 1 game Monday.
The Cougars led, 6-1, then broke the game open with four runs in the top of the sixth and five more in the seventh.
Michael Delaney had two hits for the Patriots. Kyle O’Fier, who scored the only run, and C.J. Pisack, who drove in the run, were among the other players with hits.
Wyoming Valley West 4, Pittston Area 0
Ryan Hogan went 2-for-2 with a triple Thursday to lead Wyoming Valley West to a 4-0 shutout of Pittston Area in a Division 1 game.
Robert Swartz, Jared Melochick and Jeff Donnora had singles for the only Pittston Area hits.
Patriots starting pitcher Tyler Jackson kept the game scoreless into the fourth inning.
Dallas 11, Pittston Area 4
Dallas used a 10-run second inning to rough up Pittston Area, 11-4, in a WVC crossover game Friday.
Jeff Donnora went 3-for-4 while Kyle O’Fier and Tyler Jackson drove in two runs each for the Patriots.
