Palmyra’s Julian Meley steals home and is safe on an errant throw to Pittston Area catcher Jake Aftewicz for the go-ahead run in the fifth inning.
Tony Callaio | For Times Leader
Palmyra second baseman Julian Meley eludes Pittston Area’s Jake Aftewicz’s attempt to break up double play.
Tony Callaio | For Times Leader
Pittston Area’s Jacoby Harnen gets to first base after being hit by a pitch from Palmyra’s Jonathan Strohecker.
Tony Callaio | For Times Leader
Pittston Area third baseman Richard Tonte gets up high off the turf for a grounder, tossing out Palmyra’s Braeden Sommer at first base in the fifth inning.
Tony Callaio | For Times Leader
Palmyra’s Jack Santana barely gets back to first base ahead of the Pittston Area first baseman Chase Montigney’s tag.
Tony Callaio | For Times Leader
Aiden Willard got Palmyra on the scoreboard at the top of the fourth inning with an RBI double to knock in Luke Risser.
Tony Callaio | For Times Leader
HUGHESVILLE — One bad inning can change everything in the PIAA baseball playoffs.
Hazleton Area had one in the Class 6A state semifinals in 2022. Pittston Area had one in the Class 5A first round on Monday against one of the best teams in the state.
Unlike Hazleton Area three years ago, where errors led to only it second loss, Pittston Area was done in by an assortment of issues. The result was Palmyra defeating the Patriots 7-3, sending the District 2 champions to their only loss of the season.
District 3 runner-up Palmyra (23-1) used some timely hitting, a bit of good fortune and a dash of daring baserunning to score five times in the fifth inning to take a 7-3 lead.
The Cougars had four hits in the fifth after having three through the first four innings. None was bigger than Jack Santana’s bloop two-run single to center where three Patriots chased the fly, but none could get to it.
Earlier in the inning, Julian Meley made a delayed steal of home when Pittston Area catcher Jake Aftewicz threw the ball back to pitcher Silvio Giardina.
“You need a little bit of luck when it goes on,” Pittston Area coach Paul Zaffuto said. “Luck just wasn’t with us. Balls fell in. We preach all the time we can’t fall asleep and we fell asleep for a second and they got us.”
Nate Osteen and Aiden Wallace added RBI singles for Palmyra in the five-run inning. To put the scoring in perspective, Pittston Area allowed fewer than five runs in 18 games.
The Patriots had first-and-second with one out in the seventh, but Palmyra turned its second 6-4-3 double play to end the game.
“One thing is for sure,” Zaffuto said. “These guys gave everything we asked all season and I couldn’t be more proud. Coming to an end right now is just really tough because of the group.
“Not because of the loss, but because of the kids that we’re not going to be with anymore.”
Pittston Area took a 2-0 lead in the first. Dom Innamorati opened with an infield single and Elijah Barr followed with a walk. Beau Widdick’s two-run single with two outs brought them home.
The Patriots had three hits in the first, but only four more the rest of the game. Palmyra pitcher Jonathan Strohecker settled in after a 31-pitch first inning.
“Jonathan is a really calm, cool, collected player,” Palmyra coach Justin Hileman said. “It got to him our last district game (an 8-2 loss to Lampeter-Strasburg). It was the first time in three years I’ve seen him get a little bit rattled.
“There might have been a little bit of that left over. We had a two-hour trip and then you run our here quick and play a game.”
The only other run-producing hit for Pittston Area was an RBI double by Nick Innamorati in the fourth to give the Patriots a 3-2 lead.
Even though Strohecker could have pitched into the seventh, Palmyra elected to use Brayden Bown to get the final three outs.
“(Strohecker) might have had 10 pitches (left),” Hileman said, “but it’s nice to get a reliever a clean inning and not come in with maybe guys on base and such.”
Palmyra will play in the quarterfinals Thursday against District 3 third seed Elizabethtown (15-9).
PIAA Class 5A First Round
Palmyra 7, Pittston Area 3
Palmyra`AB`R`H`BI
Dorta ss`3`0`0`0
Osteen cf`4`1`1`1
Peck c`2`0`0`0
Risser cr`0`2`0`0
Willard rf`3`2`2`1
Sommer 1b`4`0`1`0
Santana 3b`3`0`2`3
Hathaway dh`3`0`0`0
J.Strohecker p`0`0`0`0
A.Strohecker lf`2`1`0`0
Meley 2b`3`1`2`0
Totals`27`7`8`6
Pittston Area`AB`R`H`BI
D.Innamorati cf`4`1`1`0
Barr ss`1`1`0`0
Giardina p`4`0`1`0
Aftewicz c`4`0`1`0
Widdick 2b`3`0`1`2
Montigney 1b`3`0`1`0
Tonte 3b`3`0`0`0
Harnen dh`1`1`0`0
Mead rf`0`0`0`0
N.Innamorati lf`3`0`2`1
Totals`26`3`7`3
Palmyra`000`250`0 — 7
Pittston Area`200`100`0 — 3
2B — Willard, Harnen.
Palmyra`IP`H`R`ER`BB`SO
J.Strohecker (W)`6`6`3`3`1`3
Bown`1`1`0`0`1`0
Pittston Area`IP`H`R`ER`BB`SO
Giardina (L)`4.1`6`7`7`3`3
Barr`2.2`2`0`0`1`5
