POTTSVILLE — Pittston Area fared as well as expected, considering their opposition had seven players committed to playing Division 1 baseball.
The Patriots recorded one hit in their 12-1 loss in five innings to the Red Land Patriots in Thursday’s PIAA Class 5A quarterfinals.
“What can you do. We had something special and proved that we were the best team in our area,” Pittston Area coach Paul Zaffuto said. “We made a little run by taking down the defending state champs Marple Newtown. We just realized what a class organization that is over there (in Red Land).”
“Nothing was going to affect them. They knew how to pitch. They knew how to hit and we were just overmatched. If it was a close game, I could be home and think about what I could have done differently. There was nothing we could have done. We threw everything at them and they just pounded the baseball.”
After a one-two-three top of the first, the Patriots quickly saw what Red Land was all about. First baseman Cole Wagner, a Georgia baseball commit, tattooed a fastball over the fence in right-center to give Red Land a 1-0 lead.
Pittston Area couldn’t muster up any offense in the top of the second inning against Luke Wagner, whose fastball sat in the mid-to-high 80s.
Wagner took the win after pitching three innings of one-hit ball while striking out three batters.
Red Land quickly got to work on Pittston Area starter Cole Cherkas. Having surrendered three runs before having recorded two outs, Red Land’s Kyle Hannon came up with a bases-clearing double.
After missing out on a diving play in the bottom of the second inning, center fielder Andrew Krawczyk was noticeably banged-up. He stayed in and drew a four-pitch walk.
“I should have taken him out,” Zaffuto said of Krawczyk. “He tried to battle because it was his senior year, but he couldn’t even squeeze his arm.”
Catcher Joe Stella battled back from a 2-1 count to roped an RBI double to right-center. He advanced to third base after a play at the plate never materialized.
“I’ve never seen a high school team as good as this, and I’ve been to travel tournaments in Florida and Georgia,” Stella said. “They hit the ball hard, they crushed the ball. The pitchers located their pitches.”
Stella, a Maine baseball commit, said they didn’t have a big scouting report on Red Land before the meeting but was familiar with a few of the names because several of them were members of the 2015 Little League World Series team that lost to Japan 18-11.
“Luke and Cole were really good,” he said. “I watched them a little bit in the Little League World Series, but I remember their home runs.”
Pittston Area finished its breakthrough season at 18-6, having won the program’s first PIAA tournament game earlier int the week after capturing its first District 2 crown in more than a decade.
Red Land 12, Pittston Area 1 (5 inn.)
Pittston Area`AB`R`H`BI
Krawczyk cf`1`1`0`0
Stella c`2`0`1`1
Cencetti 3b`2`0`0`0
DeLucca lf`2`0`0`0
Cherkas p/3b`2`0`0`0
Brody dh`1`0`0`0
Ralston`2`0`0`0
Cunis 2b`2`0`0`0
Dillon rf/cf`2`0`0`0
Baiera ss`0`0`0`0
Constantino rf`0`0`0`0
Totals`16`1`1`1
Red Land`AB`R`H`BI
L. Wagner p`3`2`2`1
C. Wagner 1b`2`3`2`3
Payne c`2`2`1`0
Hannon ss`3`1`2`4
Henline cf`2`1`0`0
Ebbert cf`0`0`0`0
Walker 3b`3`0`1`0
Montgomery rf`2`1`1`1
Cunkle dh`2`1`1`1
Kolmansberger 2b`1`0`0`0
Cramer rf`2`0`0`1
Totals`22`12`10`11
Pittston Area` `001`00 — 1
Red Land` `174`00 — 12
2B — Stella, L. Wagner, Payne, Walker, Cunkle; HR — C. Wagner 2
Pittston Area`IP`H`R`ER`BB`SO
Cherkas, L`1.2`5`8`8`2`2
Marrigi`0.`0`2`1`0`0
Ralston`2.0`5`4`4`0`2
Red Land`IP`H`R`ER`BB`SO
L. Wagner, W`3.0`1`1`1`2`3
Henline`2.0`0`0`0`0`3
