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NANTICOKE — Opportunities were plentiful for Nanticoke Area on Monday afternoon. Not so much for Holy Redeemer.
Yet when Redeemer had its best chance to break a scoreless tie, the Royals answered.
Luke Kopec, Chris Maciejczyk and Dino DiMauro hit consecutive RBI singles in the sixth inning as Redeemer defeated Nanticoke Area 3-0 to take over sole possession of first place in Division 2 of Wyoming Valley Conference baseball.
Redeemer moved to 4-0 in the division and 7-0 overall. The Royals are the only remaining unbeaten team in District 2. Nanticoke Area fell to 3-1 in the division and 6-4 overall.
“Team resiliency has been us all year,” Redeemer first-year coach Ryan Knowles said. “We had a great defensive effort in the infield. We were led by a lot of seniors on the infield. Real proud of those guys too.”
Until the sixth-inning breakout, Redeemer had just two hits and only two runners reach second base.
Colin Whitman started the sixth with an infield single and moved to second on a balk. A deep flyout moved him to third where Kopec singled him home. Kopec then stole second and scored on Maciejczyk’s single. Pinch runner Aidan Morgan then swiped a bag and scored on DiMauro’s base hit.
Just like that, an offense which didn’t produce for five innings plated three runs.
During Redeemer’s offensive dearth, Nanticoke Area kept getting base runners but no runs.
The Trojans started the second inning with a double and two singles, yet failed to score as Redeemer catcher Kayden Stevenson threw out a runner trying to steal third. Trentyn Harter and Derek Shemanski led off the fourth with singles; neither scored.
“We shot ourselves in the foot today,” Nanticoke Area coach Eric Spencer said. “We had runners on base every inning. We put pressure on them every single inning.”
Redeemer freshman starter Cody Quaglia picked up the win by pitching six innings. He benefited from strong defense as Nanticoke Area stranded eight runners in the first six innings, including six in scoring position.
“It’s just the energy of my team behind me making plays,” Quaglia said. “I just pounded the zone, hit my spots. Everyone was picking me up after every single inning. Can’t ask for better guys behind me.”
Sophomore reliever Nick Mazzarella picked up the save. Like Quaglia, the defense came up big for him in the seventh. Second baseman Jack Hurst made a very difficult play to get a force at second, ranging way to his left to cut off a grounder destine for the outfield before throwing to shortstop DiMauro.
Kopec ended the game by sprinting from center field to make a catch deep in the left-center gap.
Wyoming Area 4, Lake-Lehman 2
Wyoming Area scored three unearned runs in the sixth inning to rally past Lake-Lehman.
Jack Mathis had a single and Wyoming Area’s only RBI. Jeremy Layland, Nate Novakowski and Noah Smith also had singles as the Warriors finished with four hits.
Starter Matt Little struck out 12 and surrendered four hits to pick up the win. Casey Noone pitched the final inning for the save.
Graedon Finarelli and Chris Sholtis hit solo home runs to account for Lehman’s runs.
Holy Redeemer 3, Nanticoke Area 0
Redeemer`AB`R`H`BI
ColinWhitman lf`3`1`1`0
Quaglia p-dh`3`0`0`0
Kopec cf`3`1`2`1
C.Maciejczyk 1b`3`0`1`1
Morgan pr`0`1`0`0
DiMauro ss`3`0`1`1
M.Maciejczyk 3b`3`0`0`0
Grryboski 2b`0`0`0`0
Hurst 2b`3`0`0`0
Stevenson c`3`0`0`0
ColeWhitman rf`3`0`1`0
Totals`27`3`6`3
Nanticoke`AB`R`H`BI
Butczynski 1b`4`0`2`0
Spencer p-3b`3`0`0`0
Wozniak ss-p`3`0`1`0
J.Shemanski dh`3`0`0`0
McRoberts lf`0`0`0`0
Harter rf`3`0`2`0
D.Shemanski c`3`0`2`0
Miller 3b-ss`3`0`2`0
Higgins 3b`2`0`0`0
Stachowiak cf`2`0`0`0
Ball cr`0`0`0`0
Totals`27`0`9`0
Holy Redeemer`000`003`0 — 3
Nanticoke Area`o00`000`0 — 0
2B — Miller, Harter.
Redeemer`IP`H`R`ER`BB`SO
Quaglia (W)`6`9`0`0`1`4
Mazzarella (S)`1`0`0`0`1`0
Nanticoke`IP`H`R`ER`BB`SO
Spencer (L)`5.2`5`3`3`0`5
Wozniak`1.1`1`0`0`0`2
Wyoming Area 4, Lake-Lehman 2
Lehman`AB`R`H`BI
C.Kaiser cf`2`0`1`0
Naugle 2b-lf`4`0`0`0
G.Finarelli 3b`2`1`1`1
S.Finarelli 1b`3`0`0`0
Shotlis`3`1`1`1
Bean ss`2`0`0`0
Bucholtz c`3`0`0`0
T.Jones lf`2`0`0`0
Morris p`0`0`0`0
Evans`1`0`0`0
Wallace p-2b`3`0`1`0
Smith cr`0`0`0`0
Totals`25`2`4`2
Wyoming Area`AB`R`H`BI
C.Noone 2b-p`2`1`0`0
Layland c`2`0`1`0
Mathis ss`3`1`1`1
Moser rf-1b`2`0`0`0
Novakowski 3b`3`1`1`0
Little p`0`0`0`0
B.Noone 1b-2b`2`1`0`0
Colarusso`1`0`0`0
Knaub`3`0`0`0
Rusinchak lf`2`0`0`0
Smith`1`0`1`0
Delucca cf`2`0`0`0
Carlin cf`1`0`0`0
Stepanski cr`0`0`0`0
Donati cr`0`0`0`0
Crane cr`0`0`0`0
Totals`24`4`4`1
Lake-Lehman`010`001`0 — 2
Wyoming Area`001`003`x — 4
HR — G.Finarelli, Sholtis.
Lehman`IP`H`R`ER`BB`SO
Wallace (L)`5.2`3`4`0`2`7
Morris`0.1`1`0`0`0`0
Wyoming Area`IP`H`R`ER`BB`SO
Little (W)`6`4`2`2`2`10
C.Noone (S)`1`0`0`0`1`2