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Caitlyn Jenner running for California governor

LEADING OFF: Cole-Bieber in Cleveland, Snell-Bauer in LA

LEHMAN TWP. — Opportunities were there for both teams Friday afternoon. Only one of them capitalized.

And now that team, Lake-Lehman, stands alone atop the Wyoming Valley Conference Division 2 baseball standings.

The Black Knights scored in their final three at-bats to go from a one-run lead to a 6-1 victory over Holy Redeemer.

Lehman (5-1 Div. 2, 7-1) holds a half-game lead over Redeemer (4-1 Div. 2, 7-1).

The Black Knights received five solid innings from Virginia Tech recruit Nick Finarelli, who was able to quell Redeemer’s chances in the first four innings.

“Really, I just started to settle in as the game went on,” Nick Finarelli said. “The slider was a go swing-and-miss pitch today. The fastball, I was hitting my spots.”

Nick Finarelli finished with nine strikeouts and didn’t surrender a run as his ERA dropped to 1.69.

“I have all the confidence in Nick,” said Graeson Finarelli, Nick’s cousin and catcher. “If I tell him to throw a pitch, I know he’s going to hit his spot.”

Graeson Finarelli started a two-run fourth inning with a double to deep center. Until then, the Black Knights were clinging to a 1-0 lead thanks to an RBI single to left by Ty Federici in the first inning.

Mike Sholtis followed Graeson Finarelli by reaching on a bunt. Ethan Leone then ran for Graeson and scored on a dropped third strike. Sholtis later came home on a sacrifice fly to right by Max Paczewski to make it 3-1.

Paczewski added an RBI single in the fifth. After Connor Morgan singled and later scored on another dropped third strike in the sixth, Mike Sholtis plated the final run by plopping down a single in short right field between four Redeemer fielders.

Redeemer scored its only run in the seventh on consecutive singles by Jake Griffin and Luke Kopec. Other opportunities eluded the Royals.

Redeemer had runners on first and second with one out in the first, third and fourth innings yet failed to score. The Royals also had runners on first and second with two outs in the second and came up empty. Griffin, who scored their only run, was the only Royal to reach third.

“All year we’ve been coming up with big two-out hits,” Redeemer coach Chris Ritsick said. “We just didn’t square up too many balls today.”

Lehman’s defense played a part in preserving a 4-1 lead in the top of the sixth. Morgan shifted from center field to shortstop as part of defensive switches when Paczewski came into pitch and made an over-the-shoulder catch in short left field for the second out.

Paczewski dashed from the mound to cover first for the final out when a diving attempt by first basemen Federici to snag a grounder made it improbable he could scramble back to the bag.

The rematch is set for May 10 at Redeemer.

Lake-Lehman 6, Holy Redeemer 1

Redeemer`AB`R`H`BI

Dudeck p`4`0`0`0

Elmes lf`3`0`0`0

Griffin cf`2`1`1`0

Kopec 3b`4`0`1`1

Dunleavy 2b`4`0`0`0

Hoedel 1b`3`0`0`0

Kugler p`0`0`0`0

Rush ph`1`0`0`0

Miller dh`3`0`0`0

Kozden rf`0`0`0`0

C.Maciejczyk c`2`0`2`0

DeMauro ss`2`0`1`0

Totals`28`1`5`1

Lehman`AB`R`H`BI

Paczewski ss-p`3`0`1`2

Kaiser rf-cf`4`0`2`0

Morgan cf-ss`3`2`2`0

Federici 1b`3`0`2`1

Law pr`0`1`0`0

N.Finarelli p`4`1`0`0

Leone rf`0`1`0`0

G.Finarelli c`3`0`2`0

Sholtis 2b`3`1`1`1

Bean 3b`2`0`0`0

Morio lf`2`0`0`0

Spencer ph`1`0`0`0

Totals`28`6`10`4

Holy Redeemer`000`000`1 — 1

Lake-Lehman`100`212`x — 6

2B — G.Finarelli.

Redeemer`IP`H`R`ER`BB`SO

Dudeck L`4`7`3`2`2`4

Kugler`2`3`3`2`2`4

Lehman`IP`H`R`ER`BB`SO

N.Finarelli W`5`3`0`0`3`9

Paczewski`2`2`1`1`1`2

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WVC baseball: Lake-Lehman defeats Holy Redeemer to take over first place in Division 2