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The Bucknell baseball team upset top-seeded Florida State 7-0 in the first round of the NCAA Regionals but the Bison saw the season come to an end with a 4-1 loss to Tulane and a 24-9 setback to Florida State in the double-elimination tournament.
Freshman pitcher Dylan Seeley (Wyoming Seminary) and junior infielder Bret Sokirka (Wyoming Area) were members of the squad, which finished its season 30-24-2.
Seeley, a 6-foot-3, 183-pound right-hander, posted a 4-4 record with a 4.77 ERA. He played in 13 games with 11 starts and had two complete games.
In 60 1/3 innings, Seeley gave up 77 hits and 45 runs, 32 earned. He walked 24 and struck out 25. He was the starter and loser in the Florida State game.
“Dylan had an outstanding freshman season earning the role as our fourth starter in league games,” Coach Gene Depew said. “He was a consistent competitor who worked hard every time out and we are looking forward to a lot of good things from him over the next three years.”
Depew talked about the Florida State game when Seeley gave up six runs on five hits and three walks in 1 2/3 innings.
“Florida State is the No. 1 offensive team in the nation,” Depew said. “It should be a good learning experience for Dylan.”
Sokirka, a 6-foot-1, 185-pounder, hit .231 (15-for-65) with 13 runs scored and eight RBI. In the field, he made five errors in 86 chances (.942). He had one of just three hits picked up by Bucknell in the loss to Tulane.
“Bret is a solid defensive player capable of playing several infield positions,” Depew said. “He played mostly at second base and made many key plays in the league tournament and the NCAAs. He has a great approach to the game and should provide us with good senior leadership next year.”
The Bison finished 10-10 during the Patriot League regular season but defeated Navy 7-6 and 8-7 to capture the league tournament title and gain a berth in the NCAA Tournament.
Ex-Patriot solid for Pitt
After a slow start, junior infielder Chris Tonte had a good season with the University of Pittsburgh baseball team.
Tonte, an infielder and a former Pittston Area standout, hit .274 (20-for-73) in 32 games and 16 starts. He had two doubles and two home runs with 17 RBI and 17 runs scored. In the field, he made just two errors in 52 chances (.962).
“Chris made some decent strides as the season progressed,” Coach Joe Jordano said. “He is a talented player that has a lot more in him. I look forward to working with him this fall to expand his role on our team.”
The Panthers were 19-34 overall and 8-20 in the Big East.
“We had a very tough season, but I look forward to getting Chris and the rest of the team back on the field this fall in order to prepare them to return to our usual spot in the top of the Big East,” Jordano said.
Ex-Cougar runs to 400 title
Bucknell junior Kerry Boyle (Hazleton Area) captured the 400-meter dash (48.52) in the Patriot League Outdoor Championships and then finished sixth in his heat and 30th overall in the recent NCAA East Regionals in a time of 48.04.
“Kerry had an outstanding year winning Patriot titles in the 400 both indoors and outdoors,” Coach Kevin Donner said. “He set our school record indoors and is No. 2 all-time outdoors.”
Indoors, beside the 400 mark (47.56), Boyle holds records in the 300 (34.86), which is no longer run in Division I, and is third in the 500 (1:03.76) and fourth in the 200 (22.19). Outdoors, he holds the 200 record (21.24) and his best time in the 400 is 47.54.
‘’Kerry is an extremely hard worker who has put himself in position to qualify for the NCAA Championships his senior year and to get under the 47-second barrier. He was recently named a captain for next year and I believe he will help us contend for the Patriot titles (indoor and outdoor) next season.”
Ex-Mount’s potential lauded

Lauren Zimniski will join the Quinnipiac College field hockey team this fall, and Coach Becca Kohli is happy to have the former Dallas High standout on the team.
“Lauren is an extremely fast and talented midfielder,” the coach said. “She has very superior stick skills and I think she will earn playing time in her first season. She comes from a highly successful program and she possesses many of the skills needed to be an impact player at the Division I level.”
Zimniski was an All-State second-team selection and helped the Mountaineers capture the Wyoming Valley Conference title and the District 2 Class 2A title. She was also on the silver medal team in the Keystone State Games.
WVC greats star on diamond
Freshman Sean Toole (Wyoming Valley West) hit .514 (71-for-138) for the Lackawanna College baseball team and that figure ranked him fifth in the nation in Division III of the National Junior College Athletic Association.
Toole, a 6-foot, 190-pound outfielder, also ranked 18th in stolen bases with 28. He was caught just once.
Teammate Chris Sedon, a sophomore who played at Coughlin, ranked 16th in home runs (13) and 34th in stolen bases (22).
The Falcons finished 29-16-1 and saw their season end with a 4-2 loss to Mercer, N.J., in the Region 19 playoffs.
Bucknell plays in Barbados

Megan Krebs and Amanda Faust joined the rest of the Bucknell field hockey team for a recent trip to Barbados where the team played three games.
Krebs, a sophomore and a former GAR athlete, had a goal and an assist during the trip. Faust, a junior and a former Wyoming Valley West standout, had two goals in a 5-0 victory over the Barbados Junior National Team.
Another former standout with the Spartans,
Kate Bowen

will be joining Krebs and Faust on the squad this fall. Bowen will be one of six new recruits.
“Kate is another in a long line of exceptionally talented defenders coming out of Wyoming Valley West,” Coach Heather Lewis said. “I anticipate her playing with the same competitiveness and determination as Amanda.”
A near qualifier in javelin
Rutgers junior Brandon Burkhardt, a former Lake-Lehman athlete, finished sixth in the javelin at the NCAA East Regionals at Florida State University.
Burkhardt recorded a toss of 215 feet, 7 inches. He finished just three inches shy of qualifying for the NCAA Championships this weekend in Des Moines, Iowa.
Pitchers combine to go 27-9
A pair of freshmen formed a solid one-two pitching punch for the Lackawanna College softball team.

Heather Dale (Hazleton Area) and Jessica Brenner (Greater Nanticoke) combined for 27 victories and just nine losses for the Falcons.
Dale posted a 14-5 record with a 2.57 ERA. She pitched in 38 games and 133.1 innings. She gave up 114 hits and 59 runs, 49 earned. She walked 55 and struck out 117.
Brenner was 13-4 with a 2.02 ERA. She worked in 37 games and pitched 107 innings. She was touched for 84 hits and 37 runs, 31 earned. She walked 31 and struck out 91.