Greater Pittston beat Back Mountain twice Thursday in drastically different Wyoming Valley Senior American Legion Baseball League games.
First, Greater Pittston had to pick up a tied game that was suspended because of darkness in the top of the 10th inning June 18. It took until the 12th inning for Greater Pittston to emerge with a 7-6 victory.
The regularly scheduled game followed and lacked the suspense of the previous matchup. Greater Pittston rolled to a 16-0 victory in a game shortened by the 10-run rule.
Dominic Innamorati’s speed helped decide the completed game.
Both teams scored a run in the 10th inning.
Drew Cisney, who did all the pitching in Thursday’s completion of the game, then settled in. He allowed just the unearned run in the 10th inning on two hits and a walk while striking out two in three innings to get the win.
Innamorati drew a walk with one out in the bottom of the 11th, then stole second and third with Paul Rusincovitch at the plate.
Rusincovitch also walked and took second base with one out.
Jake Aftewicz then lifted the game-winning sacrifice fly to center field.
Rusincovitch had also walked in the 10th. He took second on a groundout and scored on Chase Montigney’s single to extend the game.
Jeremy Layland finished the game 4-for-5 with a double, two steals and two RBI.
Tommy Carlin had a single and double.
Going back to June 18, Prestyn Reeves, Zach Condeelis and Cisney combined for 11 innings in relief without allowing an earned run. Condeelis worked five innings while the other two worked three each and all three allowed two hits.
Montigney, Innamorati and Cisney were all prominent in the blowout win in the regularly scheduled game.
Greater Pittston scored in every inning, including four runs in the third, followed by seven in the fourth to win the game in five innings on the Mercy Rule.
Montigney went 4-for-5 with a triple, three RBI and two runs scored.
Jake Aftewicz had an RBI triple in the first and scored on Montigney’s single. Montigney’s triple highlighted the big fourth inning.
Innamorati had two hits and drove in three runs.
Cisney continued on the mound and worked the first two innings of a combined three-hitter. He also went 2-for-3 with a walk, three stolen bases and two runs scored.
After Cisney struck out three with a hit and a walk allowed, Rusincovitch pitched the third inning and Richie Tonte worked the last two, each striking out a pair of batters. Tonte retired all six batters he faced without allowing a ball out of the infield.
Greater Pittston now has another game to complete.
In a battle of the league’s top two teams, Stripes & Strikes from Hazleton has an 8-7 lead after six innings in a game that was halted by darkness Tuesday. League rules require the game to be completed.
Innamorati has a double, single, stolen base and two RBI.
After Stripes & Strikes scored seven runs in the top of the fourth, Logan Laskowski pitched 2 1/3 scoreless innings for Greater Pittston.
Greater Pittston has one more full game left in the regular season schedule, Monday at Back Mountain, then will return home Tuesday to complete the suspended game.
Greater Pittston has clinched a bye in the first round of the Wyoming Valley playoffs Thursday and will begin its postseason Friday. It is 11-1 while Stripes & Strikes is 10-1, well in front of third-place Mountain Post (6-4).
The Greater Pittston record includes three forfeits over Tunkhannock that were awarded this week.
