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By ROBERT MINER; Times Leader Sports Correspondent
Saturday, July 17, 1993     Page:

PLAINS — Pittston Township exploded for eight runs in the top of the fifth
inning to defeat Plains, 9-1, Friday night in District 16 Little League
tournament action.
   
Pittston Township will play Edwardsville/Larksville in Edwardsville Monday
at 6 p.m. Plains is eliminated.
    With his team trailing 1-0 in the top of the fourth inning, Pittston
Township’s Sean DeSanto smashed a towering home run over the left-center field
fence to tie the score 1-1.
   
The home run was just a preface of things to come.
   
In the bottom of the fourth inning, Pittston Township coach Frank Gattuso
had something to say to his players.
   
“I told them that if they get Plains out 1-2-3, we would win,” said
Gattuso. “I just had a feeling that if we got out of the (fourth) inning real
quick, we would win it in the fifth.
   
They did.
   
Winning pitcher Steve Pisano — with help from his outstanding shortstop
Marty Williams — did the job retiring Plains in the fourth.
   
Then in the fifth his team responded. In fact they exploded with six hits
and eight runs.
   
The inning was highlighted by a bases-loaded double by Bobby Holleran and
another double by Evan Dering. Joe Barba, Doug Yatko and DeSanto added to the
explosion with singles.
   
“We’re just happy to beat Plains,” said Gattuso. “We’ve always had trouble
getting by them.”
   
Pisano, who uses a mixed-bag of pitches, gave up just three hits. He struck
out three Plains batters and didn’t issue a walk.
   
“He was the key to our victory,” said assistant coach Mike Simonson. “He
kept the Plains batters off balance. He never sends you a pitch to the same
location twice. And he’s always around the plate.”
   
Plains scored its only run in the bottom of the second to take a 1-0 lead.
   
Joe Bachkosky doubled to left and took third on a fielder’s choice. Adam
Buckler sent Bachkosky home with a sharp single to center.
   
After that it was Pisano’s strong pitching and some outstanding glove work
by Williams that assured the win.
   
PITTSTON TWP. PLAINS
   
| ab|r|h|bi| ab|r|h|bi
   
Pisano P| 2 1 0 0 Leskiw 2b| 2 0 0 0
   
Williams ss| 2 1 0 1 Anzalone ph| 1 0 0 0
   
DeSanto 2b 3 2 2 2 Ostrowski ss 3 0 0 0
   
Holleran 3b 3 1 1 2 Milligan rf 3 0 0 0
   
Lombardo cf 3 0 0 1 Bachkosky c 2 1 2 0
   
Boughton ph| 1 0 1 0 Dalessandro lf 2 0 0 0
   
Dering lf 3 1 2 1 Buckler 1b 2 0 1 1
   
DeStefano c| 3 1 1 0 Simonson 1b 0 0 0 0
   
Simko pr| 0 0 0 0 Forsberg 3b| 2 0 0 0
   
Barba rf 3 1 2 1 Lewis 3b 0 0 0 0
   
Lewis ph 1 0 0 0 McLaughlin p 1 0 0 0
   
Yatko 1b 3 1 1 0 Langdon p 1 0 0 0
   
Coopey 1b 1 0 0 0 Vinciarelli cf 1 0 0 0
   
Horan cf 1 0 0 0
   
Totals 28 9 10 8 Totals 21 1|3 1
   
Pittston Twp. 000|||180|||–9
   
Plains 010|||000|||–1
   
2B — Pittston Twp. — Holleran, Dering, Barba. Plains — Bachkosky. HR —
Pittston Twp. — DeSanto.