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HUGHESTOWN – It doesn’t happen often when a starting pitcher returns to the mound after a lengthy delay.

It’s even more rare when a hurler goes back to the mound in those scenarios and stays in for multiple innings.

Tommy Federici is the exception.

Not only did the Swoyersville pitcher take the mound for multiple innings after a 90-minute rain delay during Sunday’s Region 5 American Legion winner’s bracket final against Mountain Post, but he was more effective.

Federici tossed six shutout innings – three before the delay and three after – at the Pittston Area Primary Center to lead Swoyersville to a 3-0 victory over Mountain Post.

“I started off a little slow and the velocity wasn’t there, but after the delay I came out stronger and the fastball was there,” said Federici, who allowed six hits and three walks in his outing while striking out three.

Before the 90-minute delay, Federici allowed five baserunners and had a few stressful innings. After the delay, he got more velocity on his fastball and gave up just one hit.

He kept loose during the stoppage by long tossing and when he was asked if he could return, the answer was a no-brainer.

“I stayed loose, stretched warm, stayed on my feet through the whole delay, moved a lot and came out better,” Federici said. “I didn’t know how it was gonna come out, but it ended up working out in my favor.”

Sunday marked the fourth time this season that Federici faced Mountain Post. In those four starts, he’s only given up three runs with two of them coming in a loss in last week’s Wyoming Valley title game. Mountain Post (19-3), which has piled up 158 runs in 22 games this season, was shutout for the second time this season with both coming at the hands of Federici.

“He has been lights out against them this year and that’s incredible,” Swoyersville manager Gary Gavrish said. “I really respect Mountain Post. They have a great team, and to see him do that is incredible. With what he’s done against them this year, and after a long delay, that’s phenomenal. He had a great game.”

With the win, Swoyersville (19-3) earns a berth in Tuesday’s championship game, but will play Bloomsburg at 5 p.m. today looking to stay unbeaten in the tournament. If Swoyersville wins, Bloomsburg is eliminated. If Bloomsburg wins, both teams will play on Tuesday in a wild scenario.

Mountain Post will play at 2:30 this afternoon against Hazleton Stripes & Strikes in an elimination game with the winner advancing to play either Swoyersville or Bloomsburg in Tuesday’s championship series.

It might be considered an irrelevant game by some because no matter what happens today, Swoyersville will play again in Tuesday’s title contest, but Gavrish doesn’t see it that way.

“There’s no throw-away game, period,” Gavrish said. “I hate that terminology. We’re coming to play to win the game. We gotta win the game. We gotta stay on a roll and make somebody beat is twice on the last day.”

Mountain Post, which will have to win three games in the next two days to claim its first regional title in program history, had plenty of opportunities against Federici. The team had two hits each in the first two innings, but failed to score. It also loaded the bases with two outs in the fifth, but left the bases loaded. Overall, Mountain Post stranded eight runners on base.

Meanwhile, Swoyersville got a hot start with a two-run double in the first inning by Nate Baranski to go up 2-0. The Wyoming Valley runner-up also had plenty of opportunities to extend the lead after the first, but stranded eight runners on base in the game. The only other run Swoyersville tallied came in the bottom of the sixth on a fly out that turned into a doubleplay, but a run crossed the plate before the third out was recorded at third base.

Swoyersville was held to just two hits by Francisco Mendoza, Matt Dean and Justin Darden. The only other hit besides Baranski’s double was an infield single by Tyler O’Kane in the sixth inning. But Swoyersville also drew eight walks and a hit batsman.

Stripes & Strikes advances

Hazleton staved off elimination on Sunday morning by defeating West Scranton 6-5. Hazleton broke a 3-3 tie with three runs in the bottom of the sixth inning. The tie was broken on a RBI-single by Johnathan Pozniak.

West Scranton rallied for two runs in the top of the seventh to pull within one, but Gabe Colyer got out of the jam to collect the save in relief of Jankt Diaz, who struck out seven and allowed seven hits in 6 2/3 innings.

Swoyersville 3, Mountain Post 0

Mountain Post`AB`R`H`BI

Taleroski cf`4`0`1`0

Wickiser 2b`4`0`1`0

Darden 3b` 3`0`1’0

Palmiero ss`3`0`0`0

Borum c`3`0`0`0

Bafunno lf`2`0`1`0

Chalk 1b`3`0`2`0

Mendoza p`0`0`0`0

Dean p`2`0`0`0

Caladie ph`1`0`0`0

Albee 3b`0`0`0`0

Schwartz rf`2`0`0`0

Totals`26`0`8`0

Swoyersville`AB`R`H`BI

Ruff cf`2`0`0`0

Federici p`4`0`0`0

Adamski 3b` 1`1`0’0

Kane 1b`0`1`0`0

Baranski rf`3`0`1`2

Banas c`3`0`0`0

Conway ss`1`1`0`0

O’Kane lf`3`0`1`0

Gibbons ss`2`0`0`0

Totals`19`3`2`2

2B: Ruff

Mountain Post`000`000`0` —`0

Swoyersville`200`001`x`—`3

Mountain Post`IP`H`R`ER`BB`SO

Mendoza (L) `2+`1`2`2`5`3

Dean`2.2`0`0`0`1`1

Darden`1.1`1`1`1`2`1

Swoyersville`IP`H`R`ER`BB`SO

Federici (W) `6.0`6`0`0`3`3

Ruff (S) `1.0`0`0`0`0`0

https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/web1_Baseball-field-5.jpg.optimal.jpg

By Dave Rosengrant

For Times Leader

Region 5 Tournament

(at Pittston Area Primary Center, Hughestown)

Friday

Swoyersville 9, Tri-Boro 8

Hazleton Stripes & Strikes 9, Dickson City 8

Bloomsburg 10, West Scranton 0 (6 innings)

Mountain Post 4, Berwick 3 (9 innings)

Saturday

Elimination games

Dickson City 10, Tri-Boro 0

West Scranton 4, Berwick 1

Semifinals

Swoyersville 13, Hazleton 1 (5 innings)

Mountain Post 12, Bloomsburg 9

Sunday

Consolation games

Hazleton 6, West Scranton 5

Bloomsburg 5, Dickson City 4

Winner’s bracket final

Swoyersville 3, Mountain Post 0

Today

Mountain Post vs. Hazleton, 2:30 p.m.

Swoyersville vs. Bloomsburg, 5 p.m.

Tuesday

Games at 2:30 and 5 p.m. (if necessary)