Greater Pittston Area got off to a fast start in the state Little League Major Baseball Tournament at the Camp Hill Little League.
GPA won its first two games and took a lead in the third game. That lead, however, got away, putting GAP into an elimination bracket game Friday night, needing a win to advance in the tournament.
Going into Friday night, there were three teams left in state title contention – one unbeaten and two meeting in the elimination game. The tournament began with eight section champions from around the state.
Silvio Giardina had two hits for GPA in each of the first three state tournament games.
The state champion advances to play for the Mid-Atlantic Region title where the champion advances to the Little League Baseball World Series in Williamsport.
Greater Pittston Area 5
Council Rock Holland 4
Josh Lentowski took advantage of the international tiebreaker rule to score the game-winning run in the top of the ninth inning July 21 when Greater Pittston Area opened the state tournament with a win over Council Rock Holland.
CRH forced extra innings by scoring in the bottom of the sixth to create a 4-4 tie.
After one additional scoreless inning, the tiebreaker rule kicked in.
The player who makes the last out of the previous inning begins each inning on second base.
Even with that assistance, neither team could score in the eighth inning.
Lentowski began the top of the ninth on second. He tagged up and moved to third on a flyout, then scored the winning run on an error.
Dominic Innamorati retired CRH 1-2-3 in the bottom of the ninth, with the help of two strikeouts. He worked 5 1/3 innings in relief, giving up two runs on two hits and a walk while striking out three, to get the win.
GPA scored twice in the top of the first and led until the bottom of the sixth.
Two walks and an error got GPA started. Chase Montigney singled in one run and Paul Rusincovitch’s groundout brought in another.
Silvio Giardina scored an unearned run in the second for a 3-0 lead.
CRH scored twice in the bottom of the third, but Montigney led off the fifth with a homer to make it 4-2. He finished 3-for-4 with two RBI.
After scoring once in the bottom of the fifth, CRH tied the game on a one-out homer by Jack Albright.
Giardina finished with two hits and two runs scored. Innamorati had a hit and a run.
Greater Pittston Area 3
Newtown-Edgmont 2
Greater Pittston Area scored in the sixth inning to extend the game for Silvio Giardina to drive in the winning run in the bottom of the seventh Monday when GPA defeated Newtown-Edgmont to reach the winners’ bracket final with a second straight extra-inning victory.
T.J. Johnson, who pitched the first five innings, scored the winning run. He reached on an error to lead off the seventh.
Josh Lentowski’s bunt moved Johnson to second where he was able to score on Giardina’s single to right field.
Johnson gave up two runs (one earned) on six hits while striking out eight and not walking a batter.
GPA trailed, 2-1, going into the sixth inning.
Dominic Innamorati singled and took second when winning pitcher Chase Montigney reached on an error.
Paul Rusincovitch’s single drove in the tying run, but GPA left two runners stranded in scoring position and had to head back to extra innings.
Montigney pitched two innings. He gave up two hits and two walks while striking out one.
Matt Walter homered for a 1-0 GPA lead in the first.
The only other GPA hits in the first five innings came in the third when Giardina doubled, but was thrown out at the plate trying to score on an Innamorati single.
Giardini, who had an RBI, and Innamorati, who scored, each finished with two hits.
East Pennsboro 5
Greater Pittston Area 3
East Pennsboro scored three times in the top of the sixth inning Thursday night to pull out the victory in the winners’ bracket final.
The loss forced Greater Pittston Area into another meeting with Newtown-Edgmont Friday with tournament survival at stake.
GPA carried a 3-2 lead into the last inning of the game that moves the winner to within one game of a state title.
Steel Bayer doubled, Mason Smith tied the game with a single for East Pennsboro and two runs scored on an error.
Silvio Giardina, Dominic Innamorati and Matt Walker started the game with singles to load the bases.
Chasey Motigney’s fielder’s choice drove in Giardina. Walter took third on the play after Innamorati was forced out there.
GPA attempted a double steal. Montigney was thrown out at second for the second out, but Walter scored for a 2-0 lead.
Four walks gave GPA a 3-0 lead after three.
Walter, Montigney and Paul Rusincovitch started the inning with walks to load the bases. T.J. Johnson drew another walk with two outs to drive in a run.
Joe Erdossy struck out nine in four innings to earn the win for East Pennsboro. He retired seven of the last eight GPA batters and had a two-run home to begin his team’s scoring.
Giardina went 2-for-3 and scored a run for GPA. He also struck out eight while giving up just two hits, two runs and four walks in five innings.
Walter had a hit and scored twice.
Montigney entered the game with none out in the seventh and got three outs on two strikeouts without allowing a run.
