Pittston Area’s Elijah Barr (17) jumps high in the air with teammates catcher Jacoby Harnen, left, and Dom Salvo, right, after Barr helped his cause on the mound by hitting his second homer on the day driving in two runs.
Tony Callaio | For Times Leader
Pittston Area shortstop Beau Widdick fields a grounder and tosses out Hazleton Area’s Mason Eckert at first base.
Tony Callaio | For Times Leader
Hazleton Area third baseman Jeudi Hidalgo attempts to make the tag on Pittston Area’s Zack Budzak, who was safe from the throw from catcher Chris Knelly.
Tony Callaio | For Times Leader
Elijah Barr got Pittston Area on the scoreboard by clubbing a solo home run to left field in the first inning.
Tony Callaio | For Times Leader
Pittston Area senior Elijah Barr pitched a complete game with seven strikeouts as the Patriots defeated Hazleton Area 6-1 for the Wyoming Valley Conference Division 1 championship.
Tony Callaio | For Times Leader
PLAINS TWP. — Two rockets and a roller summed up Elijah Barr’s four-RBI game Friday.
There was more, though, to the Pittston Area standout’s performance in the Wyoming Valley Conference Division 1 baseball championship game.
Barr also quelled Hazleton Area’s batters as the Patriots posted a 6-1 win for their second consecutive divisional championship.
Barr, a Pitt commit and Major League Baseball draft prospect, struck out seven and scattered four hits in pitching a complete game as the Patriots finished 11-2 in the division and improved to 18-3 overall.
“I thought it was incredible,” Pittston Area coach Paul Zaffuto said. “We’ve been waiting all year for him, but he wasn’t full and wasn’t himself. He has a lot to think about. He has a lot of scouts that are calling. He’s a major league prospect and a Division I prospect.”
Barr missed a few weeks after injuring his left, non-throwing wrist on a slide. He has methodically worked back to form.
“It’s amazing being back after three weeks and being able to go seven innings,” said Barr, who says he’s 6-foot-6 but looks taller.
Logan Hearity had two of Hazleton Area’s four hits. He doubled in the third and scored on two wild pitches, one of the few mistakes Barr made on the mound.
As for the hitting, Barr blasted a solo home run to left in the first inning. He rolled an infield single in the second to score Zach Budzak, who started a two-out rally with a single to right.
Barr added a two-run homer to left in the sixth, not as impressive as his first homer but more effective as the Patriots took a 6-1 lead.
Pittston Area scored its other two runs in the third. Jacoby Harnen led off with an infield single, moving to second on a error on the play. Dom Salvo and Gavin Wardecki followed by getting hit by pitches, with Salvo taking his off the helmet. He was able to stay in the game.
Joe Bradley and Budzak then hit consecutive RBI singles, but a double play prevented more damage.
Pittston Area is set up well for the District 2 Class 5A playoffs. The Patriots have a bye to the semifinals as the top seed and Barr would be available to pitch that game as well as the championship game if they get that far.
Hazleton Area (10-3 Div. 1, 16-5) will be the second seed in the D2/4 Class 6A playoffs, but will enter off a three-game losing streak. The Cougars also lost non-conference games to Central Mountain and Mount Carmel.
“We got some questions that need to be answered for sure,” Hazleton Area coach Russ Canzler said. “Dropping three in a row and really not playing characteristic Hazleton Area baseball the last week and a half.
“It was a great opportunity today to figure some things out and see how guys respond and react.”
The championship game had no bearing on the District 2 power rankings which determine seedings for next week’s playoffs. District seedings are based on regular-season games only.
WVC Division 1 Championship
Pittston Area 6, Hazleton Area 1
Pittston Area`AB`R`H`BI
Widdick ss`3`1`1`0
E.Barr p`4`2`3`4
J.Barr dh`3`0`0`0
Rosencrance 3b`0`0`0`0
Harnen c`4`0`2`0
Bernardi cr`0`1`0`0
Salvo lf`3`1`0`0
Wardecki 1b`3`0`0`0
Bradley rf`4`0`1`1
Budzak 2b`3`1`2`1
Innamorati cf 2`0`0`0
Totals`29`6`9`6
Hazleton Area`AB`R`H`BI
Hearity ss`2`1`2`0
Knelly c`3`0`0`0
Marino dh`3`0`0`0
Glickert rf`0`0`0`0
Esposito p`0`0`0`0
Hidalgo 3b`3`0`1`0
Masias 2b`2`0`0`0
Rinker cf`2`0`0`0
Ortega ph`1`0`0`0
Cunniffe lf`1`0`0`0
Spare rf`0`0`0`0
Serra rf`2`0`0`0
Corrado p`3`0`1`0
Eckert 1b`1`0`0`0
Welch ph`1`0`0`0
Totals`23`1`4`0
Pittston Area`112`020`0 — 6
Hazleton Area`001`000`0 — 1
E — Hazleton Area 1. DP — Pittston Area 1, Hazleton Area 1. LOB — Pittston Area 8, Hazleton Area 4. 2B — Harnen, Hearity. HR — E.Barr 2.
Pittston Area`IP`H`R`ER`BB`SO
E.Barr (W)`7`4`1`1`2`7
Hazleton Area`IP`H`R`ER`BB`SO
Corrado (L)`2`5`4`3`2`6
Esposito`4`4`2`2`0`1
HBP — Salvo, Wardecki (by Corrado)
