Former Pittston Area pitchers Hunter Ralston and Tyler Jackson formed the combination needed to hand the Black its only loss in its last nine Baseball U Pennsylvania Collegiate Summer League games.
Ralston and Jackson teamed to take care of the first six innings of a combined seven-inning, three-hitter in the second game of a July 18 doubleheader, leading Gray to a 6-2 victory that snapped a seven-game Black winning streak.
Ralston, who plays at the University of Scranton, started and struck out six in four innings. He gave up two runs, just one earned, on a hit and a walk.
Jackson, who plays for Penn State Harrisburg, followed with two scoreless innings to earn the win. He gave up two hits and a walk while striking out one.
Following a Thursday night rainout, Gray and White were scheduled to play one of their two earlier postponed games Friday night at Keystone College.
A recap of league games from July 18-22:
Black 3, Steel 0
Joe Cencetti went 3-for-4 and drove in a run Tuesday night at Keystone College’s Christy Mathewson Field to lead the Black offense in a shutout victory over Steel to force the second-place tie.
Cencetti, a Pittston Area graduate who is headed to Thomas Jefferson University, played third base in the game.
Steve Homza, from Wyoming Area and Central Connecticut State, played left field in the win and went 0-for-3.
Vegas 14, White 5
Cole Coolbaugh pitched two scoreless innings and former Wyoming Area teammate Toby Hallman finished up for Vegas in Tuesday’s victory at Covington Township Park.
Coolbaugh did not allow a hit, but walked three while striking out two.
Hallman gave up two runs on three hits while striking out one in the final inning.
Joe Stella, from Pittston Area and the University of Maine, was 0-for-3 but drew a walk while playing third base for the White.
Orange 2, Gray 1
The Orange opened its league lead to three games with Tuesday’s win at the Pittston Area Secondary Center in Hughestown.
Black 2, Gray 0
Gray 6, Black 2
Hunter Ralston and Tyler Jackson gave Gray the required pitching answer to being on the wrong end of a no-hitter in the July 18 doubleheader.
Cory Wall struck out nine in 5 2/3 innings before Thomas Federici and Michael Aronica finished off the combined no-hitter by getting two outs each.
Wall, a Fordham University pitcher from North Pocono, walked just one.
Left fielder Steve Homza went 1-for-3 for Black and second baseman Joe Cencetti was 0-for-3 in the opener.
R.J. Gouldsbury hit a three-run homer in the bottom of the fifth in the second game to break a 2-2 tie and make a winner of Jackson.
Steel 8, White 2
Steel 9, White 4
Steel swept the July 18 doubleheader at Covington Township Park.
Joe Stella went 0-for-2 with a walk in each game for the White. He served as designated hitter in the first game and played first base in the second.
Orange 2, Vegas 1
Orange 12, Vegas 6
C.J. Peechatka went 4-for-4 with a homer for Orange in the second game of the July 18 doubleheader sweep at the Pittston Area Primary Center.
Toby Hallman had a rough outing as the Vegas starting pitcher in the second game. He gave up eight runs on seven hits and two walks while lasting just one inning.
