MOOSIC – The consolation prize of being District 2 Class 5A champion did not do anything to soften the blow for Pittston Area baseball coach Paul Zaffuto when his Patriots fell to Selinsgrove 5-0 Thursday at PNC Field to fall one win short of a District 2-4 Class 5A Subregional title and Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association state tournament berth for the second straight season.
“Not even a little bit,” Zaffuto said. “Not one ounce.”
The Patriots went through the extremes in the final six games of the season after starting 15-2.
They were shut out in three of the final six games and scored in double figures for five-inning victories in the other three. After shutout losses to Dallas and Hazleton Area cost the Patriots a shot at the Wyoming Valley Conference Division 1 title, they outscored the next three opponents – division champions Wyoming Area and Abington Heights and defending District 2 champion North Pocono – 39-3 in just 15 innings.
A look at some of the other numbers put up by the Patriots during a championship season in which they outscored opponents 191-68.
The Patriots batted .334 as a team with the seven players who batted most all hitting over .300. Lehigh University commit Silvio Giardina led the team at .449, followed by: Dom Innamorati at .370, Beau Widdick .365, Richie Tonte .357, Drew DeLucca .333, Jake Aftewicz .319 and Elijah Mead .302.
Chase Montigney missed all but the last four games of the season, then hit .600, going 6-for-10.
Giardina led the team in on-base percentage (.567), slugging percentage (.667) and OPS (1.233). He also led in RBI (29), walks (15), stolen bases (15) and doubles (12).
Innamorati led in runs scored with 32. Widdick led in triples with four.
The Patriots stole 82 bases with Innamorati (14), DeLucca (12), Mead (12) and Steve Barnic (11) joining Giardina in double figures.
The team hit just three homers – Montigney’s grand slam in the first inning of the semifinal against Abington Heights, plus one each by Giardina and Innamorati.
Giardina led in pitching wins with six while Jacoby Harnen had three saves.
T.J. Johnson led in pitching appearances with 10 and was 5-1.
Nick Innamorati had a 1.56 earned run average in 18 innings.
Mead led in strikeouts with 29 in 22 innings.
