Pittston Advances On 2 Wins/ Wyoming Valley League Champs Move Into Title Bracket 4th Year In Row
By DAVE ROSENGRANT [email protected]
Friday, July 29, 2005 Page: 1B
Lou Falzone has been a huge part of the Greater Pittston American Legion
baseball team all season.
Not only does the 6-foot-5, 273-pounder lead the team in hits with 42, he
proved on Thursday why he is also the ace of the pitching staff.
The big right-hander struck out 13 in eight innings and allowed only one
earned run to lead his team to a 5-2 victory over Sunbury-Northumberland in
the American Legion Region V tournament, which is being held at Danville High
School.
“They weren’t really getting around on my fastball,” the Wyoming Area
senior said. “Then I went to a two-seam fastball that tailed away on lefties
and in on righties that they couldn’t hit. And they couldn’t hit my curveball
either.”
In the morning game on Thursday, the Wyoming Valley American Legion League
champs knocked off Danville 9-6. With the two wins, Pittston automatically
receives a berth in the championship bracket for the fourth consecutive year.
The championship games will begin at 11 a.m. tomorrow at Danville High School.
Before that arrives, Pittston faces West Snyder at 4:30 p.m. today at
Central Columbia High School, with the outcome of the game essentially
irrelevant. That’s an enormous factor because the three-time defending Region
V champions will face possibly the best pitcher in the state today in Matt
Wright.
In West Snyder’s first tourney game against Milford on Tuesday, Wright
recorded 15 outs and 13 were via strikeout. In last year’s tourney, Greater
Pittston beat Wright, 1-0, even though the left-hander fanned 17.
“He has a good fastball and a great slider, but we’ve been hitting the ball
really well and have won six (games) in a row so we should be good,” shortstop
Chris Tonte said.
Greater Pittston got on the board in the first inning against
Sunbury-Northumberland when Gerry Zangardi drew a walk with the bases loaded
that scored Bret Sokirka to take a 1-0 lead. George Dructor added a two-run
double in the fifth inning as Greater Pittston opened a 3-0 lead.
Sunbury-Northumberland pushed its first run across in the top of the fifth
when Jared Auman flied out to center. Zangardi recorded the out, but made an
errant throw which led to Tadd Eyster crossing the plate.
In the fifth, Greater Pittston’s Ryan McDonnell laid down a suicide squeeze
bunt to score Tonte. He then hit an RBI single in the seventh for a 5-1 lead.
Falzone, who threw 128 pitches, faced two batters in the ninth inning, but
walked both of them. Tonte relieved and gave up back-to-back singles to Eyster
and Kyle Snyder, which cut the lead to 5-2.
Tonte struck out the next hitter and then induced a double play ground ball
to end the game.
“I’ve got a lot of faith in Tonte,” said Drew Whyte, in his first full
season as Greater Pittston’s coach. “But you hate to see that tying run and
the go-ahead run come to the plate in the ninth inning,”
In the game against Danville, Joe Hines pitched seven innings, while
striking out eight to pick up the win. Tonte went 5-for-5 and scored three
runs, and Sean Rooney had three RBI.
Danville will face Sunbury-Northumberland at 1 p.m. today at Danville High
School. The loser will be eliminated and the winner will advance to the
championship bracket.
Tuesday’s Games
First Round
Sunbury-Northumberland 10, Old Forge 0 (7)
West Snyder 16, Milford 1 (7)
Greater Pittston 23, Athens 2 (7)
Danville 14, West Scranton 6
Wednesday’s Games
Winners Bracket (at Danville HS): Sunbury-Northumberland 4, West Snyder 1;
Greater Pittston vs. Danville, PPD
Losers Bracket (at Central Columbia HS): Old Forge 8, Milford 2; Athens 12
West Scranton 4
Thursday’s Games
Winners Bracket: Greater Pittston 9, Danville 6; Greater Pittston 5,
Sunbury-Northumberland 2
Losers Bracket: West Snyder 18, Athens 9; Danville 6, Old Forge 4
Today’s Games
Winners Bracket: Greater Pittston vs. West Snyder, 4:30 p.m.
Loser’s Bracket: Sunbury-Northumberland vs. Danville, 1 p.m.
“They weren’t really getting around on my fastball. Then I went to a
two-seam fastball ... that they couldn’t hit. And they couldn’t hit my
curveball either.”
Lou Falzone Greater Pittston pitcher
