H.S. Baseball: Pittston Area routs Shikellamy in district quarterfinals

HUGHESTOWN — The second inning changed everything Monday.

Shikellamy had a prime opportunity for a big inning and didn’t seize it. Then the Braves helped Pittston Area get one of its own.

Three errors, a couple walks and a two-run single by Drew DeLucca produced three runs. Pitcher Nick Cerasaro then shut down Shikellamy the rest of the way as Pittston Area won 11-1 in six innings in a District 2/4 Class 5A baseball quarterfinal game.

Pittston Area (17-3) will be at home at 4:30 p.m. Wednesday against Wallenpaupack (10-11) in the semifinals. Wallenpaupack defeated Abington Heights 11-3. Shikellamy, one of two District 4 teams in the tournament, finished its year at 9-12.

Wednesday’s game will push the D2/4 Class 5A softball semifinal game involving Pittston Area to Thursday. Baseball and softball can’t be played at the same time at the complex because foul balls often land in the softball outfield.

Now on to the second inning.

Shikellamy loaded the bases with no outs when Connor Nickey singled, Kayden McClusky was hit by a pitch and Luke Beyer rolled a perfect bunt down the third-base line. Cerasaro got a strikeout and force play at home for two outs before walking in a run. He then got a flyout to end the inning, starting a string of 11 consecutive batters he retired.

“It was really all my teammates,” Cerasaro said. “Anthony Cencetti called a timeout and came to talk to me. It really boosted my confidence up after giving up a couple walks and getting wild a little bit. It settled me in. We came up strong with three out and only gave up one run and got out of a huge jam.

“It really saved the game and the momentum for us.”

As bad as the top of the second was for Shikellamy, the bottom of the inning was worse. The Braves dropped two flyballs and a foul pop and should have been out of the inning unscathed. Instead, DeLucca made them pay for the miscues with a two-out single to make it 3-1.

Pittston Area increased its lead to 4-1 in the third as Elijah Barr led off with a double and eventually scored on a sac fly by Jake Aftewicz.

The score stuck at 4-1 until Pittston Area tore open the game with three runs in the fifth and ended it with four runs in the sixth.

Drew Menendez had an RBI single in the fifth and Anthony Ranieli knocked in two more with a single up the middle. Menendez also had a two-run triple in the sixth and scored on a single by Ranieli to end the game via the 10-run rule.

Cerasaro, a senior, had Tommy John surgery as a freshman and played exclusively outfield as a sophomore. He got back on the mound last year. His complete game was key because it means all other pitchers are available on Wednesday.

“Tremendous, especially not having to run him out there in the last inning,” Pittston Area coach Paul Zaffuto said. “We were going to finish with him and he already had 81 pitches. We wanted to see what he could do, but we’re going into a big game on Wednesday against a tough opponent. We’d like to have all our guns ready and Nick helped us out on that.”

Pittston Area 11, Shikellamy 1 (6 inn.)

Shikellamy`AB`R`H`BI

Deitrich ss-p`2`0`0`1

Boyer 2b-ss`3`0`1`0

Wilson 1b`3`0`0`0

Lytle p-2b`3`0`1`0

Nickey dh`3`0`1`0

Kistner lf`0`0`0`0

McClusky cf`2`1`0`0

Beyer rf`2`0`1`0

Bottiger 3b`2`0`0`0

Culp c`2`0`0`0

Totals`22`1`4`1

Pittston Area`AB`R`H`BI

Cawley ss`3`1`0`0

DeLucca cf`4`0`2`2

Davis rf`3`2`1`1

Barr 2b`3`1`1`0

Mead pr`0`1`0`0

Menendez 1b`2`3`2`3

Aftewicz c`2`0`0`1

Bonomo cr`0`2`0`0

Ranieli lf`4`0`2`3

Cerasaro p`2`1`0`0

Cencetti 3b`3`0`1`0

Totals`26`11`9`10

Shikellamy`010`000 — 1

Pittston Area`031`034 — 11

2B — Davis. 3B — Menendez.

Shikellamy`IP`H`R`ER`BB`SO

Lytle (L)`4`3`4`1`3`3

Deitrich`2`6`7`4`3`0

Pittston Area`IP`H`R`ER`BB`SO

Cerasaro (W)`6`4`1`1`1`3