Warriors whack PA in Ashby Game

The Wyoming Area Warriors know the importance of a storybook rivalry which dates back more than 40 years - especially when it’s the annual Ashby Game against cross-river rival Pittston Area.

So on Friday afternoon, the Warriors wrote a new chapter in the Wyoming Area-Pittston Area rivalry winning the 13th annual Ashby Game for the first time in four seasons in a rout, 11-0 in five innings, at Atlas Field in West Pittston.

The Ashby Game – named for former Major League Baseball pitcher Andy Ashby who resides in Greater Pittston - has been played between the two teams since 1998 with the Warriors winning seven and the Patriots winning six.

The Warriors wasted little time taking the lead as they scored six runs on seven hits in the first inning.

Kevin Bott, Dave Drahus and Corey Furman led off with three consecutive singles before Randy McDermott blasted a three-run double to give the Warriors a 3-0 lead. One batter later, Kody Nowicki drilled an RBI single which was quickly followed by Anthony Bellino’s two-run double to cap off the six-run first for the Warriors.

In the second inning, McDermott continued his stellar hitting by drilling another RBI double which chased Patriots starting pitcher Jordan Bone. Wyoming Area’s second baseman finished the day going 2-for-3 with four RBI.

Going into the home half of the fourth, Wyoming Area held a comfortable 7-0 lead and went to work on adding more.

Bott led off with a walk and quickly stole second base before Drahus followed with a ground ball which was fumbled by the second basemen. After a Furman walk, the Patriots defense broke down and committed two consecutive errors allowing three runs to score for a 10-0 lead. Andre Harris came off the bench and drilled an RBI single for the Warriors to finish off the scoring for Wyoming Area (5-1).

Furman finished 2-for-3 with three runs scored for WA and Bott, Drahus and McDermott combined to score six runs.

Bellino got the win for Wyoming Area and dominated on the hill, allowing just three hits while striking out four.

Bellino also forced six fly-ball outs and was helped out by shortstop Furman who made a SportCenter Top Ten play on a diving catch to rob Matt Antal of a base hit in the second inning.

Bone was charged with the loss for Pittston Area (2-4), allowing seven runs on nine hits in only 1.1 innings of work.

An MVP was not named because Ashby was unable to attend the game after it was rescheduled from May 1 to yesterday.

The veteran Major Leaguer was out of town and will name the game’s MVP and present it at a game next week after consulting with representatives who were at the game when he returns to town.

According to Wyoming Area athletic director Frank Parra, the game was moved after officials at PNC Park in Moosic pulled out of hosting the game early last week, and school officials and coaches decided to play this past week instead of playing four games this coming week.

Past Ashby Trophy winners

WA 13, Holy Redeemer 5

Wyoming Area bounced right back from its only loss of the season to slam Holy Redeemer, 13-5, in a game on the road on Wednesday in Wilkes-Barre.

Kevin Bott broke open a close game with a grand slam in the top of the seventh during a seven-run inning for the Warriors. Bott had two hits and five RBI for WA (4-1) on the day.

The Warriors smashed seven extra-base hits on the afternoon, including two triples by Chris Murphy and two doubles by Corey Furman.

Andre Harris picked up the win for the Warriors, tossing six innings. Harris allowed just three earned runs on six hits and two walks. He struck out four.

WA 4, Tunkhannock 9

Wyoming Area had its unbeaten season come to an end as fellow unbeaten Tunkhannock pounded out 15 hits and took advantage of eight walks by Warrior pitchers in a 9-5 loss to the Tigers at Atlas Field in West Pittston on Monday afternoon.

Tunkhannock was led by Mike Papi who homered twice, including a three-run shot in the sixth to secure the victory.

The Tigers jumped out to a 3-0 lead after the first three innings, but Wyoming Area (3-1) came back with three runs in the bottom of the fourth on a two-out, three-run homer by Kody Nowicki that tied the game at 3-3. Nowicki’s blast drove home Sam Eramo and Randy McDermott who had reached on a single and fielder’s choice respectively.

But Tunkhannock answered immediately with three in the top of the fifth to retake the lead at 6-3.

Corey Furman cut the lead to 6-4 for the Warriors with an RBI double in the home half of the fifth, but Papi answered with his second homer of the day in the sixth.

Chris Murphy took the loss for Wyoming Area, allowing six earned runs over four-plus innings while walking six and fanning three. It was the first time in four league games this season that an opponent forced the Warriors to go to their bullpen.

“They were the better team today. There’s no doubt about that,” Wyoming Area coach Chick Andrewscavage said. “They hit the ball well, they were very patient and they got the big hits. … They’re a very, very good team, Tunkhannock.”

Eramo was the lone two-time hitter for the Warriors with two singles. Matt McDermott added a single for WA as did Matt Carroll.

PA 4, Redeemer 5

Pittston Area’s Jim McDermott allowed just one earned run in a strong performance against Holy Redeemer on Monday afternoon in Hughestown. But that one run – a solo home run by the Royals Zach Ell – allowed the visitors to escape with a 5-4 win over the Patriots at the Bucky Harris Sports Complex.

McDermott scattered nine hits and a walk over seven innings in the tough-luck loss in which the Royals scored four unearned runs in the top of the first to take a 4-0 lead.

Pittston Area (2-3) battled back to get within 4-2 as Ken Smoke drove in runs with singles in the second and fourth innings. Smoke’s two hits were the first of the season for the senior who played in just his second game of the season after being hit in the eye with a bunted ball in an exhibition game almost a month ago.

Ell’s homer came in the top of the fifth inning, but the Patriots continued to fight.

Miek Antal knocked in Mike Capone and Smoke in the bottom of the seventh with an RBI single to get PA within 5-4. The Patriots stranded Antal however as Steve Ruch shut the door for the Royals.

Anthony Schwab and Dwight Houseman each collected two hits, including a double for Pittston Area. Rob Musto added a single for the Patriots.

OF 9, Carbondale 1

Old Forge remained hot at the plate as they won its fourth straight game in a 9-1 win over Carbondale on Thursday at Pagnotti Park.

Senior Mike Avvisato led the Blue Devils at the plate with two singles and three RBI, and junior Connor Fultz broke out of an early-season slump with his first multi-hit game of the season.

Old Forge (4-1) got started offensively in the bottom of the second when Carbondale starter Mark McCort could not find the plate and walked Ryan Janesko, Gary Puckett and Mario Martinelli to started the inning.

After a 10-minute rain delay, Michael Long slapped a two-run single up the middle to put the Blue Devils in the lead, 2-0. Avvisato followed with an RBI ground out, and after Fultz’s infield single, Brian Morris drove home Long on a fielder’s choice.

Morris took off for second on the play on Long at the plate, and when the Chargers tried to throw out the speedy third baseman at second, Fultz sprinted home to give Old Forge a 5-0 lead. A grounder to short by Dave Argust scored Morris after the senior stole third.

The Blue Devils added to their lead in the bottom of the third when Avvisato rocketed a single to score Tony Goodall and Long for an 8-0 lead. Goodall was running for Puckett who singled with one out in the inning, and Long had drawn a two-out walk.

Fultz finished 2-for-3 with a triple and a run scored for Old Forge, and Puckett also added two hits. Goodall scored two runs and stole two bases as a courtesy runner for Puckett. The Blue Devils stole nine bases on the afternoon.

Janesko went the distance for the victory, scattering five hits and a walk while striking out two.

OF 12, Lakeland 3

Old Forge batted around and battered previously unbeaten Lakeland early on its way to a 12-3 win over the Chiefs at Chapman Lake on Monday afternoon.

The Blue Devils send 10 men to the plate and scored six runs in the second inning to ignite its most productive day at the plate this season.

Trailing 1-0, Brian Morris led off the top of the second inning with a double to the left field gap. Morris then stole third before scoring on a fielder’s choice by Dom Avvisato to tie the game at 1-1. Gary Puckett the drove a fastball to right field for a single to score Dave Argust who had walked before Avvisato’s RBI grounder to give Old Forge (3-1) a lead it would not relinquish.

The Blue Devils added to its lead in the second as Michael Long, Russ McGlynn and Morris all drove home runs with singles.

Mario Martinelli added to the Old Forge lead with an RBI double in the top of the third, and the Blue Devils answered an unearned Lakeland run in the top of the fourth with two runs on an RBI double by Argust and an RBI ground out by Dom Avvisato.

The Chiefs cut the Old Forge lead to 9-3 in the bottom of the sixth, but the Blue Devils added three insurance runs in the top of the seventh to secure the win.

Long’s single to right scored Argonish and Connor Fultz’s double to left field scored Anthony Trotta and Long with the final Blue Devils runs.

Tony Goodall picked up his second complete-game win of the season for Old Forge, scattering five hits and two walks while allowing just one earned run. The junior righty struck out three.

Morris finished 2-for-4 on the afternoon with two runs scored and two stolen bases to go with an RBI and a double. Long was also 2-for-4 with two RBI and two runs scored. McGlynn walked twice and scored two runs for the Blue Devils, and Dom Avvisato drove in two runs. Argonish scored three runs and stole a base. Trotta picked up his first varsity hit as a pinch-hitter in the seventh for Old Forge.