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WILKES-BARRE — Meyers had just closed out another win to move atop the division. The Mohawks looked like they had never left that perch.

It had been a tough two-year stretch in 2014-15 for a program that had won a district championship in 2010 and was a perennial division contender. But with some added experience and a deeper roster, the Mohawks are right back in the mix.

On Friday, it was an impressive all-around effort to clamp down on hot-hitting Northwest. Shining brightest was sophomore pitcher Kenny Macko, who tossed a two-hitter in Meyers’ 4-0 win at Gibby Field.

The victory moved the Mohawks (6-1) a half-game ahead of the Rangers (6-2) and into a first-place tie with Holy Redeemer halfway through the WVC Division 3 schedule.

“It’s consistency,” Meyers coach Matt Skrepenak said. “Throwing strikes. Making plays. If you let one get away, not making one error (turn into) two. Not compounding errors. Staying positive, staying focused.

“Kids did a nice job of doing that today.”

Northwest had entered the game leading the entire Wyoming Valley Conference in runs (53) and hits (76) in league play. Against Macko, they could manage just one clean single — with two outs in the top of the seventh — and another that was a borderline call when a charging Mohawks outfielder narrowly missed a sliding catch.

As it was, Macko faced just three batters over the minimum.

“He was hitting his spots,” Skrepenak said. “He had a lot of control of his pitches. He was working ahead of hitters — one walk on the day. He was hitting his spots. He was in control of everything.”

The Rangers have made a habit of posting late come-from-behind victories this spring. And when Bryce Harrison laced a single in the seventh, the visiting bench was up and yelling.

But Macko was able to finish the shutout by inducing a grounder to slick-fielding newcomer Brainy Rojas at shortstop to ensure there wouldn’t be any more drama.

“We didn’t have many quality at-bats,” Northwest coach Lou DiPasquale said. “This is a team that’s been hitting the ball like trucks all year long. We just didn’t do it today.

“Tip your hat. That kid threw a good game. He pitched really well and kept our hitters off balance.”

Macko got some early run support when the Mohawks pushed across two runs in the second. Geral Gomez scored on a wild pitch before Jacob Nargoski singled home Rojas.

Ismael Lake knocked in Ryan Gilgallon with a single in the next inning to make it 3-0. Then in the sixth, David Nargoski doubled and pinch runner Nick Galey ultimately scored on a well-executed squeeze play by Jacob Nargoski for his second RBI of the day.

It added up to a continued turnaround for the Mohawks, who had been 9-17 in WVC play the last two seasons but entered this spring with a better outlook.

“Only losing one senior, we had a lot of experience back,” Skrepenak said. “Having some added new players adds some depth. We have a littler higher numbers this year. Attitude’s been positive. Focus has been there. We just need to step on the field and improve everyday.”

Though Hanover Area had won the division the last four seasons — often decisively — this year’s race appears to be wide open. Meyers’ lone loss has been to Holy Redeemer and the Royals in turn lost to Northwest.

The Rangers host Redeemer on Tuesday before getting a rematch with the Mohawks on May 4 in Shickshinny.

“We’ve got guts,” DiPasquale said. “We’ve been playing pretty hard. We’ve had a couple bounces go our way. Today, nothing went our way.

“But it’s one game. We’ll be back, that’s for darn sure.”

Lake-Lehman 5,

Tunkhannock 3

Down 3-0 in the bottom of the sixth, the Black Knights (2-4) broke out for five runs to rally past the Tigers. Tyler Kolb (double) and Mike Sikora (two RBI) had two hits apiece while Kolb went the distance on the mound for the win.

Tunkhannock (2-3) got two hits, including a double, from freshman Nick Reposa.

Crestwood 10,

Pittston Area 4

The Comets (5-1) continue to find their groove at the plate, scoring five runs in the second inning to keep pace with Wyoming Valley West atop Division 1. Colin Macko finished 3 for 3 with a double and struck out four in five innings for the win.

Corey Chalk (2 for 3, double) and Jim Albee each drove in two runs.

C.J. Pisack led the Patriots (2-4), going 2 for 3 with a double and an RBI.

Hanover Area 7, GAR 4

Trailing 3-1 midway through the game, the Hawkeyes (4-3) came up big with four runs in the fifth and two more in the sixth to prevail on the road. John Morgan finished 4 for 4 with two RBI while sophomore Brett Stevens picked up the win in his first WVC start.

Gerson Peralta went 2 for 4 with a triple and two RBI for the Grenadiers (3-4).

Holy Redeemer 5,

Wyoming Seminary 2

The Royals (6-1) gave Tony Molitoris an early 3-0 lead and the starting pitcher finished with five strikeouts in six innings, allowing just one earned run. Sean Wills went 2 for 3 with a double and an RBI in the win.

Alexandre Sabourin (double) and Johnny Kehl had two hits apiece for the Blue Knights (2-5).

Meyers 4, Northwest 0

Northwest`AB`R`H`BI

Reno ss`3`0`0`0

Evans cf`3`0`0`0

Boberick c`3`0`1`0

Campbell 3b`2`0`0`0

Harrison rf`3`0`1`0

BriHrdmn 1b`3`0`0`0

Piestrak 2b-p`2`0`0`0

Godfrey p-lf`0`0`0`0

Hazlet dh`2`0`0`0

BraHdmn lf-2b`2`0`0`0

Totals`23`0`2`0

Meyers`AB`R`H`BI

Pasone cf`3`0`0`0

KMacko p`0`0`0`0

KeOstrwski dh`2`1`0`0

Gilgallon 3b`2`1`0`0

Gomez c`3`1`1`0

Rojas ss`3`1`1`0

Lake rf`3`0`1`1

DNargoski 2b`2`0`1`0

Galey pr`0`1`0`0

Falzone 1b`3`0`1`0

AMacko pr`0`0`0`0

JNargoski lf`2`0`1`2

Totals`23`4`6`3

Northwest`000`000`0`—`0

Meyers`021`001`x`—`4

2B — D.Nargoski

Northwest`IP`H`R`ER`BB`K

Godfry (L)`2+`3`3`3`3`2

Piestrak`4.0`3`1`1`0`2

Meyers`IP`H`R`ER`BB`K

KMcko (W)`7.0`2`0`0`1`7

Lake-Lehman 5, Tunkhannock 3

Tunkhannock`AB`R`H`BI

Reposa ss`4`1`2`0

CBrown 2b`3`1`0`0

Goodwin 3b`3`0`0`0

Hulslander p`3`0`0`0

KGregory p`3`0`0`0

Gilpin lf`3`0`1`1

Soltysiak rf`3`0`1`0

Muckin cf`0`0`0`0

BBrown dh`3`0`1`0

Hughes 1b`3`0`0`0

Ceccarelli c`2`1`1`0

Totals`27`3`6`1

Lake-Lehman`AB`R`H`BI

Gorski cf`3`1`0`0

Kolb p`4`1`2`0

Brucher 1b`2`1`1`0

Nice 2b`3`1`1`1

Hadsall lf`1`1`0`1

Sikora c`3`0`2`2

TWilliams 3b`3`0`1`0

Tomolonis rf`2`0`0`0

Weston ss`2`0`0`0

Totals`23`5`7`4

Tunkhannock`003`000`0`—`3

Lake-Lehman`000`005`x`—`5

2B — Reposa, Kolb

Tunkhannock`IP`H`R`ER`BB`K

Hlslndr (L)`5.0`7`5`4`1`5

KGregory`1.0`0`0`0`0`0

Lake-Lehman`IP`H`R`ER`BB`K

Kolb (W)`7.0`6`3`1`2`1

Crestwood 10, Pittston Area 4

Pittston`AB`R`H`BI

JoeDeLcca cf`4`1`1`0

OFier ss`4`0`0`0

Pisack 1b`4`1`2`1

Shamnoski c`0`0`0`0

Brody dh`2`1`0`0

Turonis 3b`2`0`0`0

Merithew p`1`0`0`0

McAndrew p`0`0`0`0

Joplin p`0`0`0`0

Krawczyk 2b`2`0`0`0

JohDeLcca ph`1`0`0`0

Donnora lf`3`1`1`0

Zuba rf`3`0`1`1

Totals`26`4`5`2

Crestwood`AB`R`H`BI

Distasio ss`3`0`1`1

Darden 2b`2`0`0`0

Caladie 2b`1`1`0`0

Tokach 3b`0`0`0`0

Graves dh`4`1`1`0

Macko p`3`2`3`0

Trimmer p`0`0`0`0

TKindler lf`2`1`0`0

Kresge cf`2`2`2`1

Chalk 1b`3`1`2`2

Albee rf`3`1`1`2

Taleroski rf`1`0`0`0

Wegener c`3`1`1`1

Totals`27`10`11`7

Pittston`011`110`0`—`4

Crestwood`051`013`x`—`10

2B — JoeDeLucca, Pisack, Macko, Chalk

Pittston`IP`H`R`ER`BB`K

Merthw (L)`4.0`5`6`3`3`0

McAndrew`0+`1`1`1`1`0

Joplin`2.0`4`3`0`0`2

Crestwood`IP`H`R`ER`BB`K

Macko (W)`5.0`4`4`4`3`4

Trimmr (S)`2.0`1`0`0`0`3

Hanover Area 7, GAR 4

Hanover`AB`R`H`BI

Morgan cf`4`1`4`2

Clarke ss`3`1`0`1

Kowalski 3b`3`0`1`0

Stevens p`0`0`0`0

Rimmer dh`4`0`0`1

Piscotty rf`4`0`0`0

Gately 1b-p`4`1`1`0

Peters c`1`2`0`0

Wasickanin lf`2`2`2`0

Windt 2b`1`0`1`2

Totals`26`7`9`6

GAR`AB`R`H`BI

Shinal c`3`0`2`0

Marte lf`4`0`2`1

Edwards p`4`0`1`0

Peguero cf`0`0`0`0

Erhardt dh`3`1`0`0

Kolativa 1b`3`0`0`0

Yelland ss`3`1`2`0

Peralta rf`4`1`2`2

Peter 2b`4`0`1`0

Kroll 3b`4`1`0`1

Totals`32`4`10`4

Hanover`001`042`0`—`7

GAR`000`300`1`—`4

3B — Peralta

Hanover`IP`H`R`ER`BB`K

Stevns (W)`5.1`11`3`3`3`2

Gately`1.2`1`1`0`1`1

GAR`IP`H`R`ER`BB`K

Edwrds (L)`5.0`5`5`3`2`1

Yelland`2.0`4`2`2`1`0

Holy Redeemer 5, Wyo. Seminary 2

Seminary`AB`R`H`BI

Sabourin cf`4`1`2`0

Kehl ss`4`0`2`0

Oravic c`4`0`1`1

Phillips p`3`0`1`0

Sweitzer 3b`3`0`0`0

Gabriel 2b`0`0`0`0

Touey p`0`0`0`0

Jerome dh`3`0`0`0

Negron 1b`3`0`0`0

Bournival rf`2`1`0`0

SOlsen lf`3`0`0`0

Totals`29`2`6`1

Redeemer`AB`R`H`BI

Ell ss`3`2`2`0

Flanley 3b`3`0`1`0

Cavanaugh 2b`1`2`0`1

Choman 1b`3`0`0`0

Moleski cf`0`0`0`0

Bozentka dh`2`0`0`1

Molitoris p`3`0`1`1

Wills rf`3`0`2`1

McClay lf`2`0`0`0

Price ph`1`0`0`0

Borum c`2`1`0`0

Totals`23`5`6`4

Seminary`000`010`1`—`2

Redeemer`210`002`x`—`5

2B — Sabourin, Wills

Seminary`IP`H`R`ER`BB`K

Phllps (L)`3.0`4`3`1`4`1

Touey`3.0`2`2`1`1`1

Redeemer`IP`H`R`ER`BB`K

Moltrs (W)`6+`6`2`1`1`5

McClay (S)`1.0`0`0`0`0`1

Meyers’ Keith Ostrowski dives back to first ahead of the throw from the mound.
https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/web1_meyers_nw1_faa.jpg.optimal.jpgMeyers’ Keith Ostrowski dives back to first ahead of the throw from the mound. Fred Adams | For Times Leader

Meyers second baseman David Nargoski (right) makes the call on a fly ball to get an out in the fourth inning.
https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/web1_meyers_nw2_faa.jpg.optimal.jpgMeyers second baseman David Nargoski (right) makes the call on a fly ball to get an out in the fourth inning. Fred Adams | For Times Leader

Meyers Ismael Lake slides to try and bring in a hard-hit ball to right by Northwest in Friday’s win at Gibby Field.
https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/web1_meyers_nw4_faa.jpg.optimal.jpgMeyers Ismael Lake slides to try and bring in a hard-hit ball to right by Northwest in Friday’s win at Gibby Field. Fred Adams | For Times Leader

Meyers pitcher Kenny Macko tossed a two-hit shutout, allowing just three baserunners on Friday against Northwest.
https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/web1_meyers_nw5_faa.jpg.optimal.jpgMeyers pitcher Kenny Macko tossed a two-hit shutout, allowing just three baserunners on Friday against Northwest. Fred Adams | For Times Leader
Mohawks top Rangers to reach top of Division 3

By Derek Levarse

[email protected]

Reach Derek Levarse at 570-991-6396 or on Twitter @TLdlevarse