C.J. Stevenson connects with the ball to bring in two Wyoming Seminary runs.
Buck Norton-Jennings | For Times Leader
Ryan Finlay delivers a pitch during the final half of the seventh inning, in relief to secure a Wyoming Seminary victory.
Buck Norton-Jennings | For Times Leader
Wyoming Seminary celebrates its first-ever district title.
Buck Norton-Jennings | For Times Leader
Wyoming Seminary’s Ryan Finlay slides safely into home.
Buck Norton-Jennings | For Times Leader
Wyoming Seminary’s Caleb Aponick delivers a pitch during the district title game against Elk Lake.
Buck Norton-Jennings | For Times Leader
SCRANTON — Wyoming Seminary has been waiting a long time to bring a District 2 baseball championship home to campus.
That the Blue Knights had to wait a little longer on Friday was of their own doing — patient, methodical work at the plate got the job done, if a little slowly.
Seminary drew 21 walks, including nine in the final inning, and thoroughly controlled the game from start to finish in a 21-4 win over Elk Lake for the District 2 Class 2A championship at the University of Scranton’s Volpe Field.
It’s the first-ever district title in baseball for Sem, with the school’s program dating back to 1866 per their website.
“That’s unbelievable to me, I’m very proud of that and these kids should be too,” Wyoming Seminary coach Kevin Miller said. “It’s a fantastic step forward for the future of Sem baseball.”
The Blue Knights sprinkled some hits in there as well — Leo Nockley had an inside-the-park home run in the opening inning, Neiko Ravaioli had a two-run double in the fifth — but it was the free passes drawn up and down Sem’s lineup that defined the day.
George Rolland drew a walk on four pitches to start the game, an omen of what was to come for the Blue Knights.
Nockley stepped up, worked ahead in the count and then hit a rocket out to right field that rolled all the way to the wall. He never broke stride on his way around the bases for a two-run home run, giving Seminary a lead that never got away.
Caleb Aponick drew a bases-loaded walk later in the inning, and two more runs came in on an Elk Lake error. All told, it was a five-run opening frame for Seminary on one hit and five walks.
Nockley, a junior committed to play ball at Tennessee, has gotten used to being pitched around and certainly saw it on Friday.
After his homer in the first, Nockley was walked five times the rest of the day and came around to score five total runs for his team.
“It’s the walks that matter most, and putting runs on the board,” Nockley said. “As you saw on the scoreboard, that’s what meant the most and we got the district championship.”
Elk Lake was able to answer in the bottom half of the first against Sem starter Caleb Aponick, scoring two runs on a base knock from Stephen Newhart before Aponick was able to record an out.
Later in the inning he was faced with a bases-loaded situation and the threat of more damage looming, but Aponick was able to pick up a big strikeout to leave all three Elk Lake runners stranded.
After a shaky first inning, Aponick was able to knuckle down and get through six innings for the Blue Knights. Only one of his four runs allowed was earned, and he struck out seven Elk Lake hitters.
“I just had to pitch like a starter, I wanted to go seven innings, I needed to project myself,” Aponick said. “I just calmed myself down, taking each pitch at a time and slowing the game down.”
Elk Lake tacked on two more unearned runs in the fourth inning to make it 7-4 at the time, but Sem piled it on down the stretch.
The Blue Knights ended their day at the plate with a nine-run seventh inning that featured nine walks, two hit batters, one error and just one hit (an RBI single from Rolland).
Ryan Finlay came in to pitch the final inning and set down Elk Lake’s hitters in order, getting a called strike three for the final out to win that elusive district title for Wyoming Seminary.
Sem will travel to Marian Catholic, the District 11 champion, at 4 p.m. Monday for the first round of the PIAA Class 2A tournament.
District 2 Class 2A Championship
Wyoming Seminary 21, Elk Lake 4
Seminary`AB`R`H`BI
Rolland cf`5`3`2`1
Nockley ss`1`5`1`2
Ravaioli 3b`3`3`1`3
Hanson-Richart 1b`3`0`0`1
Comitz cf`2`3`1`1
Weinberger 2b`3`2`0`1
Finlay rf-p`4`3`2`2
Scavone ph`1`0`0`0
Aponick p`2`1`0`1
Stevenson c`4`1`0`0
Barry cr`0`0`0`0
Totals`28`21`7`12
Elk Lake`AB`R`H`BI
Felker c-p`2`2`1`0
Orlandini 2b`4`1`0`0
Miller p-1b`3`0`1`0
Newhart 1b-p`4`0`1`2
Benscoter rf-p`3`0`1`0
Ca. Ruark ph`1`0`0`0
Stephens lf`3`0`0`0
Co. Ruark dh`2`0`0`0
Hollett 3b`2`0`0`0
Strohl ph`1`0`0`0
Parr cf`2`1`1`0
Totals`27`4`5`2
2B — Felker, Ravaioli. HR — Nockley.
Seminary`510`132`9 — 21
Elk Lake`200`200`0 — 4
Seminary`IP`H`R`ER`BB`SO
Aponick (W)`6`5`4`1`5`7
Finlay`1`0`0`0`0`1
Elk Lake`IP`H`R`ER`BB`SO
Miller (L)`4`2`7`4`9`5
Newhart`2.1`4`10`10`8`4
Benscoter`0.1`1`4`4`4`0
Felker`0.1`0`0`0`0`1
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