Under Pressure, Patriots prevail

After Pittston Area and Crestwood each won their league opener. They played in Mountain Top on Monday afternoon to see which one would go 2-0 in league play. Matt Trimmer started on the mound for Crestwood and Pittston Area countered with Chris Merithew. Joe DeLucca would lead off by getting hit by a pitch then stole second. After a strikeout, Kyle O'Fier singled and score DeLucca to make it 1-0 Patriots. Trimmer would get out with O'Fier caught stealing and getting a strikeout to end the top half of the first. Merithew threw a 1-2-3 1st to keep it 1-0 in favor of Pittston Area. After Trimmer got the first two outs, Tyler Jackson and Kevin Krawczyk each singled. Steve Shamnoski singled home Jackson and Krawczyk to make it 3-0 Patriots. A flyout would end the top of the 2nd. Justin Darden led off with a single, after Merithew retired the next two, Wyatt Kindler walked and then Steve Wegener singled to load the bases but a pop out kept the Patriots' 3-0 lead. Joe Stella hit a two out single but a fielder's choice end the top of the 3rd. James Graves reached on an error with two outs then Justin Darden singled to move Graves to third and would score on a passed ball to make it 3-1 and moved Darden to second but a sharp line out ended the third. CJ Pisack led off with a walk and Trimmer retired the next three batters to keep it a two run ballgame. Anthony Kovalchik led off by getting hit by a pitch then Wyatt Kindler doubled and moved Kovalchik to third and Wegener drove in Kovalchik to make it 3-2 and advanced Kindler to third but a line out doubled off Kindler off third for the Double Play. Tyler Spurlin drew a one out walk and Brandon Brozena came in to pitch for the Comets. O'Fier would walk. A fielder's choice scored Spurlin on a bad throw to make it 4-2 but a ground out ended the top of the 5th. Merithew threw a 1-2-3 5th to keep it a two run ballgame. Brozena would throw a 1-2-3 sixty for the Comets. Darden, Tokach and Kovalchik each singled to load the bases and Hunter Ralston comes in to pitch for Pittston Area. He would strikeout the next two batters and then a pop out to get out of the inning with no runs. Shamnoski led off with a walk then stole second and third and then DeLucca drove in Shamnoski to make it 5-2 then Spurlin singled then after a caught stealing, a flyout and a pop out gets out of the top of the seventh. Colin Macko led off by reaching on an error then pinch hitter Jacob Morra hit a double to left center to move Macko to third and Macko would score on a James Graves sacrifice fly to make 5-3 but a comebacker to Ralston and a flyout to DeLucca gave Ralston the save and gave the Patriots the 5-3 victory against Crestwood in Mountain Top. 

Thoughts on the game: Crestwood had plenty of chances to either tie the game or take the lead but Merithew and Ralston got the Patriots out of the jams. Pittston Area's offense was very balanced with 7 different players getting hits.

Pittston Area 1 2 0 0 1 0 1 5

Crestwood 0 0 1 1 0 0 1 3

Pittston Area

CF Jo DeLucca 3 1 1 1

LF Spurlin 3 1 1 0

LF Zuba 0 0 0 0

SS O'Fier 3 0 1 1

3B/1B J Stella 4 0 1 0

P Merithew 0 0 0 0

P Ralston 0 0 0 0

DH Brody 3 0 0 0

1B Pisack 2 0 0 0

3B Cencetti 0 0 0 0

RF Jackson 3 1 1 0

2B Krawczyk 3 1 1 0

C Shamnoski 3 1.1 2

Crestwood

LF Macko 4 1 0 0

SS Caladie 3 0 0 0

PH Morra 1 0 1 0

1B Graves 3 1 0 1

2B Darden 4 0 3 0

3B Tokach 4 0 1 0

PR Antosh 0 0 0 0

P Trimmer 0 0 0 0

P Brozena 0 0 0 0

DH Kovalchik 2 1 1 0

RF Kindler 2 0 1 0

C Wegener 3 0 1 1

CF Taleroski 3 0 0 0

2B: Kindler, Morra

Pitching

Pittston Area

Merithew (W) 5+ IP 24 BF 2 R 2 ER 7 H 3 K 1 BB PC: 76

Ralston (S) 2 IP 8 BF 1 R 1 ER 1 H 2 K 0 BB PC: 28

Crestwood

Trimmer (L) 4.1 IP 20 BF 4 R 3 ER 5 H 3 K 2 BB PC: 72

Brozena 2.2 11 BF 1 R 1 ER 2 H 1 K 2 BB PC: 41