WEST PITTSTON — Chances are Wyoming Area has never had a first inning in its long baseball history like the one on Monday.
Chances are the Warriors may never match it again.
The first 14 batters reached base and all of them scored as Wyoming Area routed Hanover Area 18-3 in four innings in a game for first place in Division 2 of the Wyoming Valley Conference.
Wyoming Area (3-0 Div. 2, 7-1 overall) took over first place in the division. Hanover Area fell to 3-1 in the division and 5-3 overall.
The only intrigue remaining after the 14-run outburst was whether Wyoming Area’s Alex Vacula was going to hit for the cycle. Not just a normal cycle but a natural cycle.
Vacula singled and doubled in the first inning and tripled in the third. He launched a deep flyball to left-center in the fourth that one-hopped the fence for an RBI double.
“Not going for it, but if I hit one,” Vacula said. “I mean, I knew they cycle was on and a walk-off for the cycle, too. So I guess you can say yeah (I was going for a homer).”
As for the first inning, there was plenty to unbox and some assembly required.
There were errors, walks, bunts, stolen bases, a hit batter and three RBI doubles. When everything was attached, Wyoming Area sent 18 players to the plate and led 14-1 after one inning that took 45 minutes to play.
Vacula had an RBI single and two-run double in the first. David Favata had a two-run double. Robbie Yatsko had a two-run single and an RBI double. Jacob Snyder knocked home two runs with a single. Hanover Area was on its third pitcher before recording an out.
“That was pretty bizarre,” Wyoming Area coach Rob Lemoncelli said. “I hadn’t see a team come to the plate three times in the same inning and we were pretty close. I think we scored 11 with nobody out which was also another first for me.
“I was very, very pleased with my team because coming off a big win (against Pittston Area) on Saturday, that’s a classic letdown game. You have a young, hungry team over there. They came in pretty hot, they came in feeling pretty good.”
Hanover Area entered the game a victory shy of doubling last season’s win total. The Hawkeyes sat alone atop a division that has been steered by Wyoming Area, Holy Redeemer and Lake-Lehman in recent years.
The Hawkeyes loaded the bases in the first on walks and scored on a sac fly by Ryan Bennett. Their other two runs scored on an error in the fourth.
The rough afternoon extended to a Hanover Area fan whose rear windshield was shattered by a foul ball off the bat of a Hawkeye.
Wyoming Area reached the 15-run mercy rule in the fourth with Ben Rogish and Zach Smith providing RBI singles along with Vacula’s RBI double.
Wyoming Area 18, Hanover Area 3
(4 inn.)
Hanover Area`AB`R`H`BI
Kolbicka ss`2`1`0`0
Peck 2b`3`0`2`1
C.Richardson 1b`1`0`0`0
L.Richardson 3b`1`0`0`0
Bennett lf`1`0`0`0
Kratz p`1`0`0`0
Wright p`1`0`0`0
B.Richardson c`1`0`0`0
Cruz lf`1`1`1`0
Kelsall rf`1`1`0`0
Martinez cf`1`0`0`0
Totals`15`3`3`2
Wyoming Area`AB`R`H`BI
Favata 3b`3`2`1`2
Rusinchak lf`3`2`3`0
Snyder cf`4`3`3`3
Rogish rf`2`3`1`1
Vacula 1b`4`4`4`4
Z.Smith fh`4`1`2`3
Altavilla p`0`0`0`0
Yatsko ss`3`1`2`3
Langdon c`3`1`1`0
Pizzano 2b`3`1`0`0
Totals`29`18`17`16
Hanover Area`100`2 — 3
Wyoming Area`(14)01`3 — 18
2B — Vacula 2, Rogish, Favata, Yatsko. 3B — Vacula.
Hanover Area`IP`H`R`ER`BB`SO
Kratz (L)`0`3`5`5`1`0
Martinez`0`2`4`2`0`0
Wright`3.2`11`9`9`1`1
Bennett`0`1`0`0`0`0
Wyoming Area`IP`H`R`ER`BB`SO
Altavilla (W)`4`3`3`3`5`3
