Mason Slusser of Greater Pittston Area fields his position against Abington Little League.
Buck Norton-Jennings | For Times Leader
Ben Hillebrand makes sold contact for Abington during their game against Greater Pittston Township.
Buck Norton-Jennings | For Times Leader
Abington reliever Jaxon Hizny fires toward home plate against Greater Pittston Township.
Buck Norton-Jennings | For Times Leader
Greater Pittston Township’s Jack Homschek squares to bunt during their game against Abington.
Buck Norton-Jennings | For Times Leader
Dylan Lyle pitches for Abington Little League during their July 12 game against Greater Pittston Township.
Buck Norton-Jennings | For Times Leader
Abington’s Grady Tomachick (23) throws to first baseman Justin Johnson (11) during their game against Greater Pittstion Township.
Buck Norton-Jennings | For Times Leader
Greater Pittston Area’s Armando Oliveri collects the out at first base.
Buck Norton-Jennings | For Times Leader
Lucas Deschaine of Abington rips a line drive into left field.
Buck Norton-Jennings | For Times Leader
Abington Little League’s James Kane makes solid contact during the first inning against Greater Pittston Township.
Buck Norton-Jennings | For Times Leader
SCOTT TWP. — In just four innings, the Abington little leaguers showed Saturday that they’re going to be an extremely tough out in the Section 5 Major Baseball tournament.
Max Vazquez homered twice and drove in six runs, ending the game on a grand slam in the bottom of the fourth as Abington defeated Greater Pittston Township 12-0 in the Section 5 opener for both teams at Lakeland Little League.
While Vazquez was mashing at the plate, Abington pitchers Dylan Lyle and Jaxon Hizny combined for four no-hit innings, allowing just four walks total against seven strikeouts.
Greater Pittston Township’s best chance at bat came in the third inning, when the District 16 champs loaded the bases on three walks. GPT couldn’t scratch anything across, however, as Lyle found his command to get a strikeout to strand the bases full.
“Lyle’s been our go-to guy since they’ve been 10 years old,” Abington manager Paul Keeler said after the game. “He came in and set the tone for this game … he handles tense situations well.”
Abington struck quick in the home half of the first, Vazquez launching the first of his two homers to score himself and leadoff man James Kane to make it 2-0.
The District 17 champions tacked on two more in the second inning, and then blew the doors open in the fourth with eight runs.
Starting with Grady Tomachick, who drew a one-out walk, seven straight Abington hitters reached base safely on a combination of walks and singles. Before GPT reliever Jordan Tonte recorded the second out, four more runs scored to make it an 8-0 Abington lead.
Tonte picked up a strikeout to give GPT a chance to survive the inning, but Vazquez wasn’t having it. The Abington slugger came up with the bases loaded and crushed a 1-1 pitch way out to left-center for a grand slam, ending the game on one swing.
“When I hit it, I felt like I knew it was gone,” Vazquez said.
Vazquez added a single in between the two homers to make it a three-hit day. Hizny and Oliver Giroux each added two singles to boost the Abington lineup.
Wyatt Nielsen, David Klansek, Andy Sperazza and Nicholas Sanguedolce each reached on a walk for GPT in the loss.
Greater Pittston Township will fall into the elimination bracket, playing Sunday at 1 p.m. against Lakeland.
Section 5 Major Baseball Tournament
Abington 12, Greater Pittston Township 0 (4 inn.)
GPT`AB`R`H`BI
Tonte ss`2`0`0`0
Slusser p`2`0`0`0
Oliveri 1b-p`2`0`0`0
Vazquez 2b-p`1`0`0`0
Hulse eh`1`0`0`0
Karboski lf`1`0`0`0
Rossi c`1`0`0`0
Nielsen 3b`0`0`0`0
Klansek cf`0`0`0`0
Homschek rf`1`0`0`0
Sperazza eh`0`0`0`0
Rowlands eh`1`0`0`0
Sanguedolce eh`0`0`0`0
Totals`12`0`0`0
Abington`AB`R`H`BI
Kane c`3`1`1`0
Vazquez ss`3`2`3`6
Eckenrode 3b`1`0`0`0
Johnson 1b`2`0`0`0
Deschaine rf`2`0`0`0
Tomachick rf`1`1`0`0
Giroux eh`2`2`2`0
Hillebrand eh`2`1`1`0
Hizny eh-p`2`2`2`1
Lyle p`1`1`0`1
Keeler cf`1`1`0`0
McDonough lf`1`1`1`1
Totals`21`12`10`9
GP Township`000`0 — 0
Abington`220`8 — 12
HR — M. Vazquez 2.
GP Township`IP`H`R`ER`BB`SO
Slusser (L)`3.1`6`4`3`1`3
Vasquez`0.0`3`5`5`1`0
Tonte`0.1`0`2`2`2`1
Oliveri`0.0`1`1`1`0`0
Abington`IP`H`R`ER`BB`SO
Lyle (W)`3`0`0`0`3`4
Hizny`1`0`0`0`1`3
