Freshman Patrick Ruane was the medalist twice and figured into the Pittston Area team score in each match as the Patriots won three times in five days to move into sole possession of second place in Wyoming Valley Conference Class 3A Division golf.
The Patriots, who had lost their opener, are 3-1 and trailing only unbeaten Crestwood in the standings of the eight-team division.
A look back at the week’s matches:
Pittston Area 172, Wilkes-Barre Area 177
Mark Korea and Andrew Nocito each shot 6-over-par, 42 at Wilkes-Barre Muni and Pittston Area used balance to pull out a win over Wilkes-Barre Area, which had a three-stroke advantage in the first three spots.
The Patriots won with five players shooting 44 or better while the Wolfpack was only able to have three break 50.
The top four scores among six players form the team score.
Ethan Owen, Matt Mesaris and Patrick Ruane all shot 44 in the win.
Wilkes-Barre Area’s Jordan Wychock was medalist with a 40.
Crestwood 145, Wyoming Area 177
Owen Blazick fired a 4-under-par, 31 Friday morning at Fox Hill Country Club to help Crestwood 2improve to 5-0 in the WVC Class 3A Division.
Tommy Biscotti shot even-par, 35 and Derek Johnson 38, giving the Comets the best three scores in the match.
Brady Noone shot 40 to lead Wyoming Area.
Dane Schutter (44), Matt Rusinchak (46) and Jack Mulhern (47) completed the team score for Wyoming Area (2-2).
Pittston Area 164, Wyoming Valley West 189
Patrick Ruane shot a 3-over-par, 38 at Fox Hill Country Club Wednesday to lead Pittston Area to the comfortable victory.
The Patriots had five of the best six scores in the match and tied for the seventh-best score.
Matt Mesaris shot a 40, Ethan Owen 42 and both Braydon Strucke and Andrew Nocito 44s. Mark Korea added a 45.
Luke Bowen led Wyoming Valley West with a 40.
Wyoming Area 185, Dallas 185 (WA, 236-237 on tiebreaker)
Wyoming Area used the fifth-score tiebreaker to defeat defending District 2 Class 3A champion Dallas on its home course of Irem Temple Country Club Wednesday.
Both teams had four-player team scores of 185, meaning the fifth score was needed to determine a winner.
Ryan Bonin and Mario Belza each shot 51 to edge the fifth Dallas player by one stroke and give the Warriors the win.
Jack Mulhern led Wyoming Area with an 8-over-par, 44.
Brady Noone sho6t 45, Matt Rusinchak 47 and Dane Schut6ter 49 for the Warriors.
Charlie Letwinsky from Dallas was medalist with a 43.
Pittston Area 173, Tunkhannock 175
Patrick Ruane’s 5-over-par, 40 led Pittston Area to Monday’s victory at Fox Hill.
Matt Mesaris added a 42, Mark Korea a 45 and Ethan Owen a 46 in the tight match in which players from the two teams were within two strokes of each other in all six spots when ranked post-match after their scores were in.
Hazleton Area 155, Wyoming Area 179
Koen Gaydos shot an even-par, 36 and Hazleton Area teammates Gabe Fatula and Connor Matteo added 38s at Valley Country Club to lead the Cougars to Monday’s home-course win.
Jeremy Layland led Wyoming Area with a 41. Jack Mulhern, Matt Rusinchak and Dane Schutter followed with 45, 46 and 47.
Bob Simons Classic
Old Forge shot a four-player team score of 414 and finished 19th of 21 teams when Lackawanna League teams got together Monday for the Bob Simons Classic at Elkview Country Club.
Simons, the state’s all-time leader in golf coaching wins, is in his 52nd season as coach at Wallenpaupack.
Dom Palma led the Blue Devils with a 97.
Abington Heights won the team title and Eddie Kaufman from Mid Valley shot even-par, 72 to win individual honors.
