Anthony Cerasaro receives a slap on the back from Greater Pittston Township teammate Anthony Cortese after Cerasaro drew the game-ending, bases-loaded walk in Sunday’s 11-10 win over Carbino Club/Archbald. Dominic Macario is at right.
Tom Robinson | For Times Leader
GLENBURN — Fast starts have been a big part of Greater Pittston Township’s early success in the Section 5 Minor Little League Baseball Tournament.
But, GPT was fortunate to have the last shot to finish things at the plate Sunday.
Anthony Cerasaro’s bases-loaded walk in the bottom of the sixth forced in Kaysen Simmons with the winning run as GPT recovered from letting a seven-run lead evaporate and moved within one win of a title with an 11-10 victory over Carbino Club/Archbald in the winners’ bracket final.
“Every one of our kids is battling,” GPT manager John Cerasaro said. “That’s a great team, Carbino-Archbald, to come back with seven on the board in one inning, but I think we’re grateful that we had the last at-bats today.”
One day after an eight-run lead was reduced to one in a 15-14 victory over host Abington, the 10-3 advantage that GPT built with five runs each in the first and second innings was not enough Sunday.
“It seems like we like to jump out early, then our pitchers – it doesn’t matter which one is on the mound – we have that one inning when the other team is placing the ball and we have some walks,” John Cerasaro said.
Carbino/Archbald combined three hits, three walks, two hit batters, four stolen bases, two passed balls and two wild pitches into the seven-run fifth for the 10-10 tie.
The GPT offense had stalled, with six straight batters retired at one point and no runs in the third, fourth or fifth inning.
Trouble timing the differing speeds of four Carbino/Archbald pitchers limited GPT to one hit in that time.
“That last inning, we stayed focused, got a couple men on base and were fortunate enough to get a walk for the walk-off,” John Cerasaro said.
Simmons was fooled on two pitches to start the inning, but then hit a hard groundball that led to an error.
Santino Rynkiewicz singled to right field to put runners on the corners.
Carbino/Archbald chose to intentionally walk Joey Basile, who had the decisive two-run double Saturday, loading the bases.
Anthony Cerasaro fouled off a 3-2 pitch before working out a walk to end the game.
Basile also struck out three in 1 2/3 scoreless innings as the second GPT pitcher. Rynkiewicz got the last four outs in succession after allowing a hit to the first batter he faced.
“We were playing for that day of rest, so we were able to use our pitchers today up to 35 pitches and get a couple innings out of some,” John Cerasaro said.
Still, GPT was stretched to the limit again after its 10-3 start.
Rocco Skula and Simmons had hits in each of the first two innings. Skula scored the first run and singled to center field for the last two of the second. Simmons drove in Skula and singled in the first.
Anthony Cerasaro had a triple in the first and Crue Ziobro led off the second with a double.
The win gives GPT Monday off while Abington and Carbino/Archbald play the elimination bracket final at 6. The winner takes on GPT Tuesday, needing a win then and again Wednesday to prevent GPT from taking the title.
“Having (Monday) off is huge — staying in the winners’ bracket and whichever team comes through has to beat us twice,” John Cerasaro said. “Obviously, we want to take care of business Tuesday and not come back here Wednesday.”
Greater Pittston Township 11, Carbino/Archbald 10
Carbino/Archbald`AB`R`H`BI
Perry c`2`2`2`0
Eremo 2b`2`1`1`1
Hanicak eh`2`1`0`0
Smoko lf-p`3`0`1`1
LaCoe 1b`2`1`0`0
Wiseman cf-p`1`1`0`0
Krabak ss-p`3`0`0`1
Farrell eh`3`0`0`0
Heim p`2`1`2`1
Lantka 3b`1`1`0`0
Fenton eh`1`1`0`0
McAfee eh`1`1`0`0
Sotak rf`1`0`0`1
Totals`24`10`6`5
Greater Pittston Twp`AB`R`H`BI
Yonki cf-p`2`1`1`1
Skula p-ss`3`1`2`2
Talerico c`2`1`0`0
Simmons 2b-p`3`2`2`1
Rynkiewicz 1b-p`2`1`1`0
Basile 3b-p`2`0`0`1
Cerasaro ss`2`1`1`1
Cortese lf`2`0`0`0
Ziobro rf`2`1`1`0
Verdekal eh`2`0`0`0
Garubba eh`2`1`2`1
Martinelli eh`1`1`0`0
Macario eh`0`1`0`0
Waters eh`1`0`0`0
Totals`26`11`10`7
Carbino/Archbald` `120`070 — 10
Greater Pittston Twp` `550`001 — 11
2B — Ziobro. 3B — Cerasaro.
Carbino/Archbald`IP`H`R`ER`BB`SO
Heim`0.2`4`5`1`1`0
Wiseman`1`3`5`4`3`2
Krabak`2.1`2`0`0`0`2
Smolko (L)`1.0`1`1`0`3`1
Greater Pittston Twp`IP`H`R`ER`BB`SO
Skula`1.2`1`3`3`2`4
Basile`1.2`2`0`0`2`3
Yonki`1`1`3`3`3`0
Simmons`0.1`1`4`4`1`0
Rynkiewicz (W)`1.1`1`0`0`0`1
