SENIOR AMERICAN LEGION BASEBALL CHAMPIONSHIPS

HUGHESTOWN — Evan Melberger’s bat and legs led Greater Pittston into the Region 5 Senior American Legion Baseball Tournament championship game.

His arm and glove locked up the title.

Melberger came on in relief to get the last two outs of Tuesday’s championship game, getting his glove on a dangerous bouncing ball up the middle on the final play of a 9-8 victory over Danville.

Earlier in the day, Greater Pittston had finished off a 11-5 semifinal victory over Carbondale/Lakeland in a game that had been suspended by rain a day earlier.

Melberger reached base all four times from his leadoff position in the semifinal and each time stole second base before coming around to score.

In the two bracket games, Melberger reached base seven out of eight times, going 2-for-3 with a double, four walks, a hit batter, four stolen bases and five runs scored.

The win sent Greater Pittston to the Pennsylvania Senior Legion Tournament, which was scheduled to get underway Saturday in Boyertown. Greater Pittston was set to face Philipsburg in the morning opener, which was not completed as of presstime for this edition.

Greater Pittston and Philipsburg are part of an eight-team field for the double-elimination event, which runs through Wednesday. The other teams are: Boyertown, Norchester, Falls, Paxton, Blackhawk and Wilcox.

First-year manager Steve Homza pointed to the team letting a lead get away against then-unbeaten Swoyersville in the Wyoming League Championship game as provided a push that helped his team win the region.

“We were up 3-1 and we let it get out of our hands,” Homza said. “The way it ended left us going into this tournament feeling like we didn’t get the job done.”

Greater Pittston 9, Danville 8

Greater Pittston held off a late charge from Danville, which had rallied to hand Swoyersville its only defeat of the season in the semifinals.

After scoring six unanswered runs to cut a 9-2 deficit to one, Danville had the bases loaded with two outs in the top of the seventh inning.

Matt Masala bounced a grounder off the turf, over Melberger’s head with a chance to get through the middle into center field.

Melberger reached and deflected the ball. Shortstop Max Paczewski adjusted well, scooping up the ball and hurrying the throw to first where it beat Masala’s head-first dive.

“At first, I thought Evan actually had it, but you never know with turf,” Homza said. “I’m glad he was able to slow it down enough for Max to make a play.”

Danville had reached the final by coming from four runs down to hand Swoyersville its first loss, 10-9, Monday.

“They had a lot of heart,” Homza said. “Every single game they played in pool play, they came back from behind, … then they pulled the upset (Monday) to get here and almost upset us today.”

Greater Pittston scored six runs in the bottom of the first and had the bases loaded with one out before Carl Price came on in relief to get two outs on two pitches.

That was the first step in keeping Danville in the game although Greater Pittston was first able to add to its lead with a run in the third and two more in the fourth when Kyle Skutack tripled to drive in one run and score the other.

Danville fought back with three runs in the fifth, two in the sixth and one in the seventh. It got two more runners into scoring position in the fifth, another runner to third in the sixth and the bases-loaded situation in the seventh.

Greater Pittston’s Ethan Elmes had a two-run triple to highlight the six-run first. He finished with three hits and two runs scored.

Skutack went 2-for-3 and scored twice.

Sam Supey drove in runs with a squeeze bunt and a sacrifice fly.

Sam Supey drove in two runs and Skutack scored twice.

Hunter Lawall started on the mound and had retired seven straight going into the fifth inning. When Danville started its rally, Adam Felinski came on in the fifth.

Pitching for the second time on a hot day, Felinski eventually needed the seventh-inning help from Melberger.

Greater Pittston 11, Carbondale/Lakeland 5

Adam Felinski took over on the mound when the game resumed and got the last five outs.

Carbondale/Lakeland had a single and a walk in Felinski’s 1 2/3 innings, but neither runner was able to advance beyond first base.

Greater Pittston scored eight runs in the bottom of the fifth to move within a run of ending the game early on the 10-run rule, but after successfully stealing on its first nine attempts of the game, it had a runner thrown out at third to end the inning.

Max Paczewski had two RBI singles and Evan Melberger scored twice in the fifth inning.

Kyle Skutack’s bases-loaded triple highlighted the eight-run outburst.

Melberger walked and singled in the inning. He drew three walks in the game.

Winning pitcher Aiden Mehal also drove in two runs while Skutack scored twice.

Mehal had a two-hitter going into the sixth inning, but three of four Carbondale/Lakeland batters reached as the rain’s intensity picked up to the point that the game had to be stopped.