Wyoming Area won three times in three days to capture the Wyoming Valley Conference Division 2 baseball title.
The Warriors swept a Tuesday doubleheader from MMI Prep by scoring in all nine of their at-bats, then defeated Wyoming Seminary Thursday to improve to 10-1 in the division with one game remaining. Hanover Area and Lake-Lehman each have three losses and therefore cannot catch Wyoming Area.
Wyoming Area 11, Wyoming Seminary 4
Robbie Yatsko drove in four runs with a pair of two-run doubles, and winning pitcher Jake Snyder also doubled twice in the clinching victory.
Yatsko drove in the game’s first two runs in the second inning, then stole third, putting him in position to score on a Bruno Pizzano groundout.
Wyoming Seminary moved in front 4-3, heading into the sixth inning.
The Warriors used two straight errors, then three consecutive walks to move ahead. Snyder followed with a two-run double, and Yatsko capped the seven-run outburst with his second double.
Snyder struck out five of the eight batters he faced and allowed just one walk while working the final 2 1/3 innings.
Alex Vacula tripled and scored twice.
Yatsko, Ben Rogish, and Pizzano also scored twice.
Pittston Area 7, Wilkes-Barre Area 2
Nick Innamorati went 3-for-3, stole three bases, and scored three runs Friday as Pittston Area won on the road to remain even with Hazleton Area in the loss column in the Wyoming Valley Conference Division 1 race.
The Patriots are 10-2 in the division with two games remaining. The Cougars are a half-game in front at 11-2.
Elijah Barr held Wilkes-Barre Area scoreless on two hits for five innings as Pittston Area built a 7-0 lead through 5½. He struck out five and did not walk a batter.
Beau Widdick drove in two runs.
Wyoming Area 14, MMI Prep 4
Wyoming Area had 14 hits, including six for extra bases, and stole nine bases while needing just 4½ innings to complete the doubleheader sweep.
Alex Vacula’s grand slam in the six-run third inning broke the game open, giving the Warriors an 11-3 lead.
Vacula added another hit and finished with five RBI and two runs scored.
David Favata and Tyler Smith each doubled and singled. Mitchell Rusinchak, who scored three times and drove in two runs, and Jake Snyder, who had two RBI and two runs scored, also had doubles.
Ben Rogish tripled in his only official at bat and scored twice.
Rusinchak, Snyder, and Yatsko drove in two runs each. Favata scored twice.
Caleb Pavinski struck out five while holding the Preppers to three hits in four innings.
Wyoming Area 16, MMI Prep 0
Marco Altavilla threw a three-hit shutout in the five-inning victory to open the doubleheader.
Altavilla walked three and struck out three.
Mitchell Rusinchak, Zane Smith, and Robbie Yatsko each had two of Wyoming Area’s 14 hits and scored twice. Rusinchak doubled, and Smith drove in two runs.
Bruno Pizzano had two hits and drove in two runs.
Alex Vacula hit a two-run homer and drove in another run. He scored twice.
Hazleton Area 11, Pittston Area 8
Hazleton Area jumped ahead of visiting Pittston Area in the Division 1 standings Tuesday by avenging a loss from earlier in the season.
Fred Corrado struck out seven in 5 2/3 innings as the Cougars built leads of 10-2 through five innings and 11-3 through six.
Dom Salvo homered, singled, and drove in three runs for the Patriots. Jacoby Harnen had three hits, including a double, and drove in two runs. Elijah Barr homered and singled.
Pittston Area 11, Crestwood 0
Alex Rosencrance threw a five-inning, two-hit shutout, and Pittston Area scored in all four of its at-bats to defeat visiting Crestwood in Monday’s WVC Division 1 victory.
Rosencrance struck out four and walked one.
Widdick had a double, triple, two runs, and two RBI.
Jacoby Harnen had two hits while joining Widdick, Rosencrance, and Elijah Barr in driving in two runs each.
Nick Innamorati doubled and scored twice.
SOFTBALL
Wyoming Area 5, Holy Redeemer 2
Addison Gaylord’s second double of the day broke a tie with one out in the top of the eighth inning and lifted third-place Wyoming Area to the WVC Division 2 road victory over second-place Holy Redeemer on Friday.
The Lady Warriors did not score until putting up two runs in the seventh inning to force the extra inning, where they scored three more times.
Ashlee Gustitus also had two doubles, including one that tied the game in the seventh.
Alexa Gacek went the distance, striking out seven, not walking a batter, and limiting Holy Redeemer to a single run over the final seven innings.
Gustitus and Londyn Sobeck had three hits each. Gaylord, Gacek, and Josie Kivak added two. Kivak’s hits included a double.
Pittston Area 4, Hazleton Area 1
Lili Hintze went 3-for-4 with two doubles, and Samantha Herbert pitched a four-hitter Thursday as Pittston Area won at Hazleton Area to keep its slim WVC Division 1 title hopes alive.
The Lady Patriots are 8-2 in the division and the only team mathematically alive to catch unbeaten Tunkhannock.
Hintze scored twice and drove in two runs.
Herbert took a one-hit shutout into the sixth inning. She walked four and did not strike out a batter.
Julianna Cocco had two hits, and Gabby Roman doubled.
Pittston Area 6, Crestwood 1
Lili Hintze and Gabby Roman had two-run homers in the five-run fifth inning to lead Pittston Area to the victory at Crestwood on Tuesday.
Hintze broke a scoreless tie.
Roman finished with two hits and two runs scored.
Mikaila Sarf went 4-for-4 with a triple.
Samantha Herbert had two hits, the same number she allowed by Crestwood while going the distance in the circle. She struck out four and walked five.
Herbert, Julia Long, and Anabele Viglone all had doubles.
Lake-Lehman 5, Wyoming Area 2
Hannah Chipego struck out 11 in a three-hitter Tuesday as Lake-Lehman remained unbeaten in WVC Division 2 by defeating visiting Wyoming Area.
Alexa Gacek had an RBI double for the Lady Warriors.
Wyoming Area 7, Berwick 0
Alexa Gacek gave up a lead-off double to start the game, then did not allow another hit the rest of the way.
Gacek’s one-hit shutout featured nine strikeouts and just two walks. She finished strong, striking out the side in the seventh and retiring the final eight batters she faced.
Sophia Wardell and Allison Layland each had two hits and two RBI. Addison Gaylord added a run-scoring triple.
BOYS LACROSSE
Crestwood 17, Wyoming Area 0
Crestwood shut out visiting Wyoming Area on Tuesday.
The Warriors finished 0-10 in the WVC and 0-11 overall, ending a difficult season in which they were outscored 211-23.
