Greater Pittston was the top team in the Wyoming Valley Prep American Legion Baseball League regular season, but following a playoff loss, it found itself in a Friday game for the second of the league’s two state tournament berths.
Leaving no doubt about who that team would be, Greater Pittston hammered Swoyersville, 17-1, in five innings to join the program’s Senior team as state tournament qualifiers.
The state tournament begins July 30 at Devon Preparatory High School in the Philadelphia suburbs.
Lucas LoPresto led the way in the clinching victory, getting the pitching win and going 4-for-4 with four RBI.
LoPresto struck out six while working four innings, giving up four hits, two walks and a run. He hit a home run and scored twice.
Greater Pittston got hits from nine players, including Nico Cielo going 3-for-3 and Gavin Wardecki going 2-for-2. Cielo and Wardecki each scored three runs and drove in two.
Brady Baldrica, Ryan Tonte, Kellen Kroski, Elijah Barr, Hayden Harris and Jack Scagliotti also had hits.
Baldrica tripled and drove in two runs.
Tonte, who pitched a scoreless inning, scored two runs.
Kroski drove in one.
Barr, Harris and Scagliotti each scored a run.
Back Mountain-1 Prep 5, Greater Pittston 4
Back Mountain-1, the second-place team during the regular season, took advantage of four Greater Pittston errors, building a 5-1 lead after three innings and holding on for the win.
Greater Pittston trailed by two before scoring one run and loading the bases in the bottom of the seventh.
Lucas LoPresto led off with a single and eventually scored.
Elijah Barr doubled with one out.
Nico Cielo, who went 3-for-4 with a double, had an RBI single.
Brady Baldrica allowed just one earned run while striking out six in 5 2/3 innings. He also provided two hits and an RBI to the offense.
Barr finished with two hits, two RBI and a run scored.
LoPresto had two hits and scored twice.
Greater Pittston 13, Back Mountain-2 Prep 3
Greater Pittston, the top seed following an 11-1 regular season, opened the playoffs with a five-inning romp over Back Mountain-2.
Winning pitcher Gavin Wardecki went 2-for-3 with an RBI. He struck out five in 3 2/3 innings.
Elijah Barr and Nico Cielo each went 2-for-3 with three RBI.
Barr’s bases-loaded double in the bottom of the fifth ended the game on the 10-run rule.
Brady Baldrica, Jacoby Harnen, Ryan Tonte and Jack Scagliotti also had hits.
Swoyersville 4, Greater Pittston Youth 0
Swoyersville ended the Greater Pittston season in the Wyoming Valley League playoffs July 16.
