H.S. BASEBALL: Unbeaten Cougars celebrate second straight WVC title
May 14—Hazleton Area's baseball team followed their title-clinching victory on Wednesday with another dominating performance Thursday, beating Pittston Area 12-0 in a game that last six innings.
Kyle Peters and Michael Kilker combined on a two-hitter with 11 strikeouts and no walks to pave the way for the Cougars, now 19-0 overall and 14-0 in the Wyoming Valley Conference Division 1 standings.
Peters went the first four innings for the win, fanning six and allowing two hits. Kilker threw the final two scoreless innings of no-hit ball, with five strikeouts.
Bryce Molinaro led the Cougars' bat brigade with a 4-for-4 plate performance, featuring two doubles and three RBI.
"Bryce is insane right now," head coach Russ Canzler said.
Kilker (2-for-3) banged out a double and single and drove in a pair, and Grant Russo (2-for-3) doubled and scored twice.
Matt Shamany, Chris Genao, Marcus LaBuda and Michael Mehalshick all came off the bench and provided hits for the Cougars.
The Cougars have a makeup game at Berwick on Tuesday.
Hazleton Area 10 Tunkhannock 0
Perhaps it was only fitting that Hazleton Area clinch its second straight WVC Division 1 baseball with a home shutout on Wednesday.
After all, five straight opponents hadn't scored against the Cougars.
Wednesday, it was Tunkhannock, after Brett Antolick and Luke Russo combined on a three-hitter in Hazleton Area's 10-0 victory that ended in the sixth inning because of the 10-run rule, the ninth game to end early because of the Cougars' dominance.
Antolick allowed only three only singles, had eight strikeouts and two walks and Russo finished up things with a tidy sixth inning than included one strikeout as the Cougars continued their season-long win streak.
Jatnk Diaz, Ryan Verbonitz, Bryce Molinaro each smacked a home run to power the offense, with Molinaro adding two singles and Diaz a single. Molinaro drove in four runs and Diaz and Verbonitz each plated three more for Hazleton Area, which now has outscored conference opponents 131-13 entering Thursday's game at Pittston Area.
Leadoff man Grant Russo contributed three singles and two runs scored for the Cougars.
Munley, Brown and Wood each singled for the Tigers (3-11, 3-7).
Tun (3-11, 3-7)..........000 000 — 0 3 0
Haz (18-0, 13-0)......302 302 — 10 11 0
MacMillion, Gavek (6) and Sheridan; Antolick, L. Russo and G. Russo. W — Antolick. L — MacMillion.
Hits: Tunkhannock — Munley, Wood, Brown. Hazleton Area — Russo 3, Molinaro 3, Diaz 2, Verbonitz, Biasi, Schell.
2B — Biasi. HR — Diaz, Verbonitz, Molinaro.
Schuylkill Haven 12 Shenandoah Valley 2
Jake Houtz threw a two-hitter and struck out six, helping himself with a 4-for-4 day at the plate, as the Hurricanes (16-3, 11-2 D-II) clinched the Schuylkill League Division II title to earn a spot in Tuesday's Schuylkill League semifinals.
Schuylkill Haven will play Division I wild card North Schuylkill in the first game of the semifinal doubleheader at 4:30 p.m. at Pine Grove's Stump Stadium, with Division I champion Blue Mountain facing Division III winner Panther Valley in the nightcap at 7 p.m.
The Hurricanes wasted no time in jumping on the Blue Devils (10-10, 7-6 D-III), as the first five Schuylkill Haven batters reached safely against Shenandoah Valley starter Luke Matta in what ended as a four-run first inning.
Houtz opened the scoring with a bases-loaded single and Cole Canfield followed with another RBI single. After a strikeout, Dawson McAllister was hit by a pitch to force in a run and Jack Davis later added a bases-loaded walk for the only runs Schuylkill Haven needed.
Houtz got into trouble on the mound only once, when an infield error with one out in the third inning was followed by a double to right field by Joey Vevasis. Owen Kosar plated one run with an RBI groundout, and Kaleb Maksimik knocked in the other with an infield single.
SV (10-10, 7-6) 002 00 — 2 2 3
L. Matta, Najda (4) and Vevasis; Houtz and Pothering. W — Houtz. L — L. Matta.
Hits: Shenandoah Valley — Maksimik, Vevasis. Schuylkill Haven — Houtz 4, Canfield 2, Davis 2, Buletza
2B — Vevasis.
North Schuylkill 7 Pine Grove 6
In the resumption of a suspended game, Josh Chowansky's bases-loaded walk with one out in the bottom of the eighth inning scored courtesy runner Collin Stanakis with the winning run.
After retiring the side in order in the top of the eighth, Logan Burke singled to lead off the winning rally. Dillon O'Neill's bunt was bobbled, allowing Stanakis to reach second base and putting O'Neill on first base. After both advanced on a wild pitch, Pat Cooney walked to load the bases. Chowansky's walk came after a strikeout.
Jaxson Chowansky led the Spartans with three hits, while Tanner Walacavage and Dylan Dietz each had two.
Owen Hannevig's three hits led Pine Grove.
PG (8-9, 5-6) 102 021 00 — 6 9 1
NS (13-7, 9-3) 042 000 01 — 7 12 4
E. Hannevig, Deichert (5), Umbenhauer (8) and Zimmerman; Markosky, Dietz (5), Burke (8) and Burke, Cooney. W — Burke (3-1). L — Umbenhauer (2-1).
Hits: Pine Grove — O. Hannevig 3, Unger, Conrad, Leininger 2, Deichert 2. North Schuylkill — Walacavagae 2, Dietz 2, Hall, Ja. Chowansky 3, Markosky, Burke, O'Neill, Stanakis
2B — Hall. HR — O. Hannevig.
Tamaqua 5 Lehighton 1
Tyler Hazlett hit a two-run single to complete a three-run fifth inning for the Blue Raiders, who defeated Lehighton in a Schuylkill League Division I game Wednesday.
Tamaqua led 1-0 when it posted its three-run inning, which included an RBI single by Joel Schellhammer.
Mason Moyer had two hits for the Blue Raiders to back winning pitcher Tom Case, who struck out and walked one over six innings.
Branden Kocher tripled for Lehighton.
Tam (6-11, 3-9) 001 031 0 — 5 9 1
Leh (2-16, 0-12) 000 010 0 — 1 4 0
Case, Moyer (7) and Mushock; Bowman, Bongiorno (5) and Kocher. W — Case (2-2). L — Bowman (0-5).
Hits: Tamaqua — Case, Moyer 2, Wickersham, Schickram, Coccio, Schellhammer, Milot, Hazlett. Lehighton — Kocher, I. Rarick, Gable, Hoffman.
3B — Kocher.
Little League Interleague Fire & Rescue 10 Perchak's 4
Greyson Tihansky smacked an inside-the-park home run and Nolan Marsch and Mitchell Chicalese added two singles apiece for the winners. Joseph Elena helped with a single.
Billy Eberts rapped a home run over the fence in left field for Perchak's. Teammate Ethan Zaboski pitched well.
Valley East Diamondbacks 5 Phillies 5 (tie)
Austin Lutz drove in two runs and delivered solid pitching for the Diamondbacks. Teammate Brady Williams also pitched well, fanning four of the five batters that he faced and helping his cause with a double. Caleb Taft chipped in a single.
Scott Mooney had the biggest hit for the Phillies, a two-run homer over the left-field fence. Giano Corrado contributed a single and Kaiden Cunnife was a standout on the mound.
Valley West Maylath Therapy 13 Cony. Builders 2
Maylath's Landyn Klinger had himself a day at the plate with a triple, double and single. Ellie Merrit also had a hot bat with a double and two singles and Logan Billig added a single and run scored.
Lucas Tranguch singled twice for the Builders and scored their two runs.
Maylath Therapy 20 Cony. Builders 7
Mason Eckert was a hitting and pitcher star for Maylath Therapy in its win, hitting a home run and driving in five runs at the plate and striking out seven batters on the mound.
Caleb Sniscak collected three singles and Ethan Ungermach had a single and scored a run.
Contact the writer: dseamon@standardspeaker.com; 570-501-3595; @SeamonSaysSport on Twitter
