CLARKS SUMMIT – Chase Montigney did not need long to show how much of a game-changer he could be.
In just his third game back after being sidelined most of the season following Tommy John surgery, the Pittston Area designated hitter crushed a first-inning grand slam to left-center field, sending the Patriots on their way to a 10-0, five-inning rout of host Abington Heights in Thursday’s District 2-4 Class 5A Subregional semifinals.
The victory makes Pittston Area the first team to claim a District 2 baseball title this season. It also vaults the Patriots (18-4) into a rematch with Selinsgrove (18-2) for the subregional title and a Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association state Class 5A tournament berth at PNC Field in Moosic Tuesday at 6 p.m.
A year ago, Selinsgrove dealt Pittston Area a heart-breaking, 5-3, eight-inning loss in the same game.
Montigney was thrilled to be back in position to spark Thursday’s five-run first inning.
“It’s a great feeling,” Montigney said. “My coaches and teammates believed in me, helped me get back. … Now we’ve got one more game to win.”
Hitting out of the seventh spot in the order, Montigney got his chance right away on Thursday, with the bases loaded and a 1-0 Patriots lead.
Montigney picked out the second pitch he saw and launched it into orbit.
“I knew I had to attack with the bases loaded,” Montigney said. “I just got my fastball.”
A wave of two-out production from the guys in front of him made Montigney’s grand slam possible; after Abington Heights pitcher and Auburn University commit Nick Bradley retired the first two batters, the middle of the order guys for Pittston Area got to work.
Silvio Giardina drew a walk, followed by an Elijah Barr single. Jake Aftewicz drove in Giardina with a base hit up the middle, and Beau Widdick drew one of the Patriots’ seven team walks to load the bases for Montigney.
The Patriots tacked on two more runs in the third inning on a Drew DeLucca single — again coming with two outs.
“It’s something we preach all the time, we can’t go down in order,” Pittston Area coach Paul Zaffuto said. “Even if we don’t score a run, we’ve got to extend the inning. … That’s what our guys practice every day, and they executed it well.”
Pittston Area was able to push the game into mercy rule territory with three more runs in the fourth to make it a 10-0 game. In the middle of it again was Montigney, this time drawing a bases-loaded walk to pick up his fifth RBI of the afternoon.
The big first inning seemed to shellshock Abington Heights a bit, and facing Giardina on the mound didn’t help matters, either.
Giardina allowed just one hit and two walks over five scoreless innings, getting stronger as the game went on. Abington Heights got a runner to third base in the first inning, Giardina left him stranded there, and the Comets never got another man into scoring position.
Jake Lenahan had the lone hit of the day for Abington Heights, a fourth-inning single into center field that was very nearly caught on the dive by DeLucca.
Second-seeded Abington Heights, the Lackawanna League Division 1 champion, finished 18-4.
Selinsgrove, the top seed in the subregional, reached the final with a 10-3 victory over Wallenpaupack Friday.
Pittston Area 15, North Pocono 2
Pittston Area pounded visiting North Pocono in five innings in Wednesday’s subregional quarterfinals.
The Patriots have beaten three straight opponents in five innings, outscoring them by a total of 39-3, since back-to-back, shutout losses cost them a shot at the Wyoming Valley Conference Division 1 title.
Beau Widdick led the 13-hit attack, going 3-for-3 with a triple, four RBI and two runs scored.
Rich Tonte also had three hits. He scored twice.
Silvio Giardini doubled twice and Chase Montigney also had two hits.
Giardina drove in three runs and scored two.
Dom Innamorati scored three runs.
Drew DeLucca tripled.
Elijah Barr did not allow an earned run or walk while throwing a four-hitter. He struck out nine.