GPA claims Section 5 Major Little League Baseball title

DALLAS — Down to their final at-bat.

The Greater Pittston Area all-stars hadn’t been in that situation all postseason.

Not in the District 16 tournament, where they rolled past opponents. Not in the Section 5 tournament, where they did the same for the most part.

Yet that was GPA’s predicament against Abington, an opponent determined to force another game Tuesday for the Section 5 Little League Major Baseball championship.

Two home runs later, GPA remained undefeated and was the champion with a 5-4 victory.

John Jadus hit a two-run homer with one out in the sixth to extend the game, then Ethan Aftewicz led off the seventh with a homer to send GPA to the state tournament.

“I was looking at it this morning,” GPA manager Joe Rusincovitch said in a postgame interview. “Coming into this game we outscored everybody 119-6. Coming into this game, we’ve had some really, really good performances, but quite honestly we needed a game like this to go forward, have some pressure on us and have the kids handle it.

“They obviously reacted very well.”

GPA checked all those boxes, but more importantly checked the final box — the one for a victory.

Down 4-2, Jacoby Harnen led off the GPA sixth with a walk. Colin Rusincovitch followed with a fly to center which was hauled in on a sliding catch. Jadus was up next and GPA wanted his at-bat to end the day for Abington starter Christopher Naegele, who was nearing his pitch limit.

Jadus missed a take sign, but battled Naegele past his pitch limit and deposited his 89th pitch just over the left-field fence to tie the score 4-4.

“I saw the left fielder like turn around and keep spinning,” Jadus said, “so I knew it was going to drop, but I didn’t know if it was going to be a home run. It felt so good. It felt amazing.”

GPA got two more runners on in the sixth, but a flyout sent the game to the seventh.

Aftewicz, who came on in relief in the fifth, gave up a leadoff single to Abington’s Henri Giroux in the seventh. The threat soon fizzled. Aftewicz then ended the game and made himself the winning pitcher with a blast to left in the bottom of the inning.

“I saw the height on it so I thought to myself it had a chance,” Aftewicz said.

GPA took a 2-0 led in the second on double steal by Harnen and Jadus, with Harnen on the scoring end, and an RBI single by Nick Innamorati.

Innamorati was the starting pitcher and, after a walk to start the game, retired nine in a row, with six Abington batters looking at the third strike. Trouble popped up in the fourth as a walk, single and error loaded the bases for Nathan Krempasky, who delivered a two-run double.

Ryan Boyd’s RBI single gave Abington a 3-2 lead.

Abington boosted its lead to 4-2 in the fifth when Jack Pavuk walked, moved to second on Luke Dougherty’s double and scored on a groundout.

Innamorati gave up three runs on five hits and three walks while striking out nine in 4 2/3 innings. Afterwicz did not allow a run in 2 1/3 innings, striking out two while giving up two hits and a walk.

Greater Pittston Area 12, Back Mountain National 1

DALLAS — Ethan Aftewicz started the power display for Greater Pittston Area July 18 and also ended it.

The result was a five-inning win over host Back Mountain national in the Section 5 winners’ bracket final.

GPA led 4-1 going into the bottom of the fourth when Aftewicz hit a two-run homer to center. Gavin Wardecki and Jacoby Harnen followed with solo shots. The three consecutive homers boosted the lead to 8-1.

Then, after Kellen Kroski hit an RBI single in the fifth, Aftewicz ended the game with a three-run homer to center. He finished 4-for-4 with seven RBI and three runs scored.

“The ironic thing about Ethan is he’s even a better wrestler than he is a baseball player,” GPA manager Joe Rusincovitch said. “He’s an outstanding athlete. His bat has been coming alive lately and he’s just dialed in and focused.”

GPA had 14 hits — including four homers and four doubles — and didn’t strike out. First-inning doubles by Kroski, Aftewicz and Colin Rusincovitch led to two runs. Aftewicz singled in another in the second and an error allowed Harnen to score in the third.

BMN scored its only run in the third.

Three pitchers split the mound duties. Innamorati started and struck out four in a scoreless 1 2/3 and Kroski finished, striking out three in 1 1/3 scoreless.

Afterwicz got the win with two innings in which he gave up a run on two hits and a walk while striking out three.

Greater Pittston Area 11, Lakeland 1

GPA also needed just five innings to get through the July 17 tournament opener against Lakeland.

The game was delayed one day because of rain but the GPA offense was ready to go with 14 total hits and runs in four of the five innings.

There were a few errors early and some baserunning miscues that will be addressed. There was nothing wrong with the hitting and pitching.

GPA had five singles in the second inning to score three runs and build its lead to 5-0. Kellen Kroski and Gavin Wardecki drove in runs with their hits.

The fourth inning featured consecutive doubles by Ethan Aftewicz, Wardecki and Jacoby Harnen. Those two-baggers were followed an out later by an RBI single by John Jadus for a 9-1 lead.

GPA scored two more runs in the fifth. Wardecki doubled in a run and Aftewicz scored when Lakeland committed its eighth error of the game.

Harnen, Kroski and Nick Innamorati combined for eight strikeouts and limited Lakeland to five hits, none after the second inning. Kroski fanned five of the six batters he faced.

Aftewicz went 3-for-3 and scored four times. Innamorati was 3-for-4 with three runs scored. Wardecki had three RBI on his two doubles. Harnen also had two hits.