Pittston Area’s Richard Tonte signals to his dugout after hitting a double in the second inning.
Fred Adams | For Times Leader
Pittston Area right fielder Elijah Mead catches a flyball hit by Holy Redeemer’s Zachary Schultz in the third inning.
Fred Adams | For Times Leader
Pittston Area starting pitcher Silvio Giardina threw three innings, surrendering one hit.
Fred Adams | For Times Leader
Pittston Area’s Beau Widdick is safe ahead of the throw to Holy Redeemer third baseman Nick Mazzarella in the third inning.
Fred Adams | For Times Leader
Holy Redeemer third baseman Nick Mazzarella holds up the ball as Pittston Area’s Dom Innamorati was called out in the first inning on a force play. Mazzarella had knocked down a line drive and beat Innamorati to the bag.
Fred Adams | For Times Leader
Holy Redeemer first baseman Chase Binker sets to throw to first covered by pitcher Drew Cisney after fielding a bunt in the second inning.
Fred Adams | For Times Leader
Holy Redeemer starter Drew Cisney threw five innings against Pittston Area.
Fred Adams | For Times Leader
HUGHESTOWN — It was a matchup of Wyoming Valley Conference baseball division leaders with the two best records in District 2.
The much-anticipated — and twice-postponed — meeting between Pittston Area and Holy Redeemer finally occurred Wednesday.
Pittston Area was the better team in the only meeting this season as Silvio Giardina and Elijah Barr combined on a two-hitter in a 6-1 victory.
Division 1 leader Pittston Area improved to 16-0 overall. Division 2 leader Redeemer fell to 11-2.
While Pittston Area maintained its lead over Abington Heights for the top seed in the District 2 Class 5A playoffs, the Patriots face a very tough three-game schedule next week.
So defeating D2-2A frontrunner Redeemer could be crucial should Pittston Area slip up a couple times.
“I’m happy we’re playing it at this time because we have three tough games coming up,” Pittston Area coach Paul Zaffuto said. “We see Hazleton, Dallas and (Wilkes-Barre Area ace James) Bottger.
“We’re going to see all good pitching and that was the start of it right there.”
Redeemer starter Drew Cisney, a former Patriot, struck out six over five innings, but some miscues led to three unearned runs.
The Royals’ offense, though, sputtered against Giardina and Barr. They combined for 10 strikeouts and Redeemer’s Chase Binker had the only hits — singles to start third and seventh innings.
“They’re one of the best teams in the area. You can even say the state,” Redeemer coach Ryan Knowles said. “That was a great test for us moving forward into our stretch season and getting ready for playoffs.
“That’s why they’re on the schedule — to see guys like that.”
Pittston Area took a 3-0 lead in the first inning. Jake Aftewicz doubled in Barr and Giardina. Beau Widdick brought in the third run with a sacrifice fly to right.
Redeemer got a run back in the fourth on a groundout by Chase Binker that scored Noah Hummel from third, but the Patriots responded with two runs in the bottom of the inning. Barr singled in one of them and Giardina knocked in the other with a sacrifice fly.
An error on a pick0ff attempt allowed pinch runner Zach Budzak to score Pittston Area’s final run in the fifth.
Wyoming Area 14, Hanover Area 1
Cody Meade drove in four runs and pitched a complete game as Wyoming Area handled Hanover Area in five innings.
Meade and Jacob Morgan each had a double. Morgan also had two RBI. Alex Vacula was 2-for-2 with three runs scored. David Fath was 2-for-2 and scored twice.
Nate Wright had a double to account for one of Hanover Area’s three hits.
Tunkhannock 4, MMI Prep 2
Brandon Kozlansky struck out 14 and surrendered just three hits as Tunkhannock edged MMI Prep.
Jaden Baltrusaitis had two RBI for the Tigers. Jimmy Patton was 2-for-4.
Nick Pantages doubled and had an RBI for MMI.
Lake-Lehman 5, Wyoming Seminary 2
Jake Naugle allowed one hit over six innings to pick up the win as Lake-Lehman defeated Wyoming Seminary.
Sam Finarelli was 2-for-3 with two runs scored for Lehman. Scott Egbert was 2-for-3 with an RBI. Tanner Evans, Jake Evans, Tristan Purdy and Von Voelker each had one RBI.
Leo Nockley had two RBI for Seminary.
Pittston Area 6, Holy Redeemer 1
Redeemer`AB`R`H`BI
Quaglia ss`3`0`0`0
Marranca 2b`2`0`0`0
Gordon cf`3`0`0`0
Hummel dh`2`1`0`0
Shovlin rf`0`0`0`0
Stevenson c`2`0`0`0
Dugan cr`0`0`0`0
Cisney p`3`0`0`0
Binker 1b`3`0`2`1
Schultz lf`3`0`0`0
Mazzarella 3b`2`0`0`0
Totals`23`1`2`1
Pittston Area`AB`R`H`BI
D.Innamorati cf`3`1`0`0
Barr ss`3`1`1`1
Bradley cr`0`0`0`0
Giardina p`3`1`0`1
Aftewicz c`3`0`1`2
Cerasaro cr`0`1`0`0
Widdick 2b`2`0`0`1
Montigney 1b`2`0`0`0
Budzak pr`0`1`0`0
Tonte 3b`3`0`2`0
Harnen dh`2`0`0`0
Johnson pr`0`0`0`0
Mead rf`0`0`0`0
N.Innamorati lf`2`1`1`0
Totals`23`6`5`6
Holy Redeemer`000`100`0 — 1
Pittston Area`300`210`x — 6
2B — Aftewicz, Tonte.
Redeemer`IP`H`R`ER`BB`SO
Cisney (L)`5`5`6`3`2`6
Schultz`1`0`0`0`0`0
Pittston Area`IP`H`R`ER`BB`SO
Giardina`3`1`1`0`4`4
Barr (W)`4`1`0`0`1`6
Wyoming Area 14, Hanover Area 1
(5 inn.)
Hanover Area`AB`R`H`BI
Kolbicka ss`1`0`1`0
Engleman lf`3`0`0`0
C.Richardson rf`2`0`0`0
L.Richardson p`2`0`1`0
Kratz 1b`1`0`0`0
Kablick 2b`2`0`0`1
Garrison dh`2`0`0`0
Wright 3b`2`1`1`0
Martinez cf`2`0`0`0
Totals`17`1`3`1
Wyoming Area`AB`R`H`BI
Snyder dh`2`2`0`1
Layland c`1`2`1`1
Vacula 3b`2`3`2`0
Belza`0`0`0`0
Fath 2b`2`2`2`1
Wiedl 2b`1`0`1`1
Rogish rf`1`1`0`1
Morgan rf`2`0`1`2
Meade p`1`0`1`4
Spiecher 1b`1`0`0`0
DeSanto`1`0`0`0
Crane lf`2`2`0`0
Yatsko ss`0`1`0`0
McDermott ss`1`1`1`1
Pugliese cr`0`0`0`0
Totals`18`14`9`12
Hanover Area`000`10 — 1
Wyoming Area`255`2x — 14
2B — Wright, Meade, Morgan.
Hanover Area`IP`H`R`ER`BB`SO
L.Richardson (L)`1.0`1`5`5`4`0
Engleman`1.1`4`5`5`2`0
Kolbicka`1.1`3`4`4`2`2
Kablick`0.1`1`0`0`0`0
Wyoming Area`IP`H`R`ER`BB`SO
Meade (W)`5`3`1`1`1`2
Tunkhannock 4, MMI Prep 2
MMI Prep`AB`R`H`BI
Frask cf`2`0`0`0
Kranyak ss`3`1`1`0
Pantages lf`3`0`1`1
Skuba 1b`3`0`0`0
Witner c`3`0`0`0
Horvath p`3`0`1`0
Pesotine 3b`2`0`0`0
Drobnock 2b`2`0`0`0
Gombeda dh`2`0`0`0
Pedri rf`1`0`0`0
Totals`24`2`3`1
Tunkhannock`AB`R`H`BI
Patton c`4`2`2`0
Gregory cf`2`2`1`0
Kozlansky p`2`0`0`1
Dominick rf`1`0`0`0
Baltrusaitis dh`3`0`1`2
Welles lf`1`0`0`0
Poepperling 3b`2`0`0`0
Kaleta`0`0`0`0
Gilroy ss`2`0`1`0
Mislevy 2b`1`0`0`0
Harvey`1`0`0`0
Totals`19`4`5`3
MMI Prep`000`001`1 — 2
Tunkhannock`200`020`x — 4
2B — Pantages.
MMI Prep`IP`H`R`ER`BB`SO
Horvath (L)`3.0`3`2`2`1`4
Skuba`1.2`1`2`0`3`2
Frask`1.1`1`0`0`1`1
Tunkhannock`IP`H`R`ER`BB`SO
Kozlansky (W)`6`3`1`0`2`14
Poepperling (S)`1`0`0`0`1
Lake-Lehman 5, Wyo. Seminary 2
Lehman`AB`R`H`BI
Sholtis rf`2`1`1`0
T.Evans ss`3`0`1`1
Jenkins c`4`0`1`0
Finarelli 1b`3`2`2`0
J.Evans`3`0`1`1
Morris`1`0`0`0
Purdy cf`4`1`1`1
Voelker 3b`3`0`1`1
Naugle p`2`0`0`0
Smigielski p`0`0`0`0
Egbert 2b`3`1`2`1
Totals`28`5`10`5
Seminary`AB`R`H`BI
Donovan cf`3`1`1`0
Kraus 1b`2`0`0`0
Nockley ss`2`0`1`2
Evan 3b`4`0`0`0
Aponick p`3`0`1`0
Behrens lf`3`0`0`0
Weinberger 2b`3`0`0`0
Finlay rf`2`0`0`0
Medico`1`0`0`0
Ruderman c`1`0`0`0
Saltz 1b`0`1`0`0
Totals`24`2`3`2
Lake-Lehman`111`110`0 — 5
Wyo. Seminary`000`000`2 — 2
Lehman`IP`H`R`ER`BB`SO
Naugle (W)`6`1`0`0`4`4
Smigielski`1`2`2`2`2`2
Seminary`IP`H`R`ER`BB`SO
Aponick (L)`5`8`5`4`4`5
Donovan`2`2`0`0`0`2
