Pittston Area was struggling along with a two-run deficit with two out in the bottom of the third inning Tuesday when Josh Barr turned the momentum with a game-tying, two-run triple.
Barr was the first of nine straight Patriots to reach base in a 10-run outburst that carried Pittston Area past visiting Berwick 14-3 in a Wyoming Valley Conference Division 1 baseball game.
The victory kept Pittston Area even with Hazleton Area, which had caught the Patriots days earlier. Pittston Area then regained sole possession of the division lead when Hazleton Area fell to Dallas 3-1 Thursday.
Pittston Area is 9-1 in the division and leads the race for the top seed in District 2 Class 5A with a 13-2 overall mark.
The big inning kept the Patriots on top.
Barr had the first of seven hits, five of them for extra bases, among the nine straight who reached.
Kellen Kroski also had a two-run triple. Alex Rosencrance put Pittston Area ahead with an RBI double then Joe Bradley and Dom Salvo added their own RBI doubles.
Beau Widdick provided the last three runs with a two-run single before scoring for the third time in his 3-for-3 day.
Barr, Kroski and Zach Budzak all finished with two hits and three RBI.
Ashton Lepore threw 18 of his 23 pitches for strikes while striking out three in two perfect innings of relief of Rosencrance.
Wyoming Area 6, Holy Redeemer 3
Alex Vacula’s bases-clearing triple was the game-winning hit and the highlight of the five runs Wyoming Area scored in the bottom of the sixth inning Tuesday to get past Holy Redeemer.
The Warriors also lead both their races. Their 7-1 mark is a game ahead of Hanover Area and Lake-Lehman, both 7-3, in WVC Division 2. They are 12-2 overall and first in District 2 Class 4A where they clinched a playoff berth early.
Mitchell Rusinchak and Jake Snyder singled to start the sixth with Wyoming Area trailing 3-1. Ben Rogish drew a walk to load the bases for Vacula.
David Favata finished 3-for-4, including a double to drive in the final run. Rusinchak had two hits.
Ryan Nemshick did not allow an earned run or a walk in five innings. Snyder got the win in relief.
BOYS TRACK AND FIELD
Jordan Relays
Caden Boettger and Jacob Ivey contributed to Pittston Area’s top performances during Thursday night’s 70th annual Jordan Relays at Scranton Memorial Stadium.
The Patriots threatened in the team standings before Wallenpaupack used the final race of the night to beat out Pittston Area 39-38 for the Class 3A championship.
Valley View was a distant third with 29 points.
Boettger anchored the 1600-Meter Sprint Medley Relay team that finished second overall and first among Class 3A teams in 3:46.54. He ran the 800 leg after Kayden Bailey and Deondre Miller each ran 200s and Ivey ran a 400.
The 3200 Relay, led off by Boettger and anchored by Ivey, finished third overall and second in Class 3A. Jakob Mead and Brady Tucker ran the second and third legs for the team, which finished in 3:51.85.
Santino Capitano, Lucas LoPresto, Bailey and Miller ran the 400 Relay in 44.30 to take fourth overall and third in 3A.
Crestwood 89, Pittston Area 61
Crestwood won at Pittston Area in Tuesday’s meet that broke a third-place tie in the WVC Division 1 standings.
The Comets finished 4-2 while the Patriots ended up 3-3.
Jakob Mead (800), Jacob Ivey (400) and Caden Boettger (1600) won their individual races and were part of the 3200 relay win. Lucas LoPreston (javelin) and Deondre Miller (100) had individual wins as well as being part of a 400 relay win.
GIRLS TRACK AND FIELD
Jordan Relays
Nadia Rawhouser ran both an 800 leg and a 100 leg, helping the 3200 and 400 relay teams to Pittston Area’s top finishes Thursday night.
The Lady Patriots were fourth overall and third in 3A in the 3200 relay with the team of Bella Dessoye, Maggie Gruber, Rawhouser and Kathryn Scagliotti running a time of 10:54.80.
Annika Lien, Rawhouser, Elinor Schardien and Isabella Pisano were seventh overall and fourth in 3A in the 400 relay.
Crestwood 105, Pittston Area 45
Crestwood completed an unbeaten run to the WVC Division 1 title with Tuesday’s victory at Pittston Area, which entered the day with a shot at forcing a three-way tie for first.
The Lady Patriots gave the Lady Comets their second-closest challenge of the season, but were unable to dent Crestwood’s dominance.
Lexi Drozginski won the 100 hurdles and triple jump for the Lady Patriots.
SOFTBALL
Pittston Area 18, Wilkes-Barre Area 12
Juliana Cocco went 5-for-5 and winning pitcher Samantha Herbert added three of Pittston Area’s 20 hits in Friday’s WVC Division 1 victory.
The Lady Patriots are 6-2, second to Tunkhannock, in the division and 8-7 overall. They are third of six teams in the District 2 Class 5A seeding race.
Jillian Haas drove in three runs with a single and double.
Gabby Roman tripled and also drove in three runs. Mikaila Sarf scored three times and had two hits. Lili Hintze singled, doubled and drove in two runs.
Wilkes-Barre Area led 8-4 after two innings before Herbert took over in the circle and allowed just two earned runs the rest of the way.
Wyoming Area 15, Nanticoke 0
Wyoming Area needed just 2½ innings to pick up a pair of wins over two days.
The Lady Warriors scored 14 runs in the second inning to beat visiting Nanticoke, 15-0, in the shortest possible Mercy Rule game, ending before having to bat in the bottom of the third.
The victory over Nanticoke clinched a District 2 Class 4A playoff berth for the Lady Warriors, who added a forfeit win over MMI Prep the next day.
Wyoming Area is 5-2 and third in the division. The Lady Warriors are 10-4 overall and fourth of 10 teams in the race for eight spots in Class 4A.
Addison Gaylord had a three-run triple and Londyn Sobeck a three-run double.
Josie Kivak had a double and also drove in three runs.
Alexa Gacek struck out six in a two-hit shutout.
Wyoming Area 8, Elk Lake 5
Wyoming Area defeated the Lackawanna League small school power in Monday’s non-league road game.
Addison Gaylord ripped a three-run triple to help Wyoming Area build a 7-0 lead, then, after Elk Lake closed the gap with five runs in the sixth, Gaylord led off the seventh with an inside-the-park home run.
Josie Kivak, who had two hits, and winning pitcher Alexa Gacek also had triples. Gacek struck out eight and did not walk a batter.
GIRLS LACROSSE
Dallas 17, Pittston Area 5
Leah Ricardo scored seven goals to lead visiting Dallas to Friday’s WVC victory.
Milania Widdick scored all five goals for Pittston Area, which is 1-11 in the conference and 2-11 overall.
Holy Redeemer 18, Pittston Area 4
Holy Redeemer defeated visiting Pittston Area Tuesday in a WVC game.
Lake-Lehman 15, Wyoming Area 4
Wyoming Area fell to 2-10 and 3-10 when it lost on the road in WVC play Tuesday.
Pittston Area 14, Wallenpaupack 5
Milania Widdick scored seven goals Monday as Pittston Area defeated host Wallenpaupack in a non-league game.
Ciera Serino added two goals and two assists while Addyson Kelly had two goals and an assist.
BOYS TENNIS
Tunkhannock 5, Pittston Area 0
The team portion of Pittston Area’s season came to an end with Thursday’s road loss.
The Patriots went 2-10 in the WVC and 2-11 overall.
Wyoming Area had finished its season early with records of 4-8 and 4-9.
BOYS LACROSSE
Lake-Lehman 18, Wyoming Area 3
Wyoming Area remained winless through nine conference and 10 overall games with Wednesday’s loss at home.
