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First Posted: 7/20/2014 MANSFIELD &#8212; Once again, the unyielding speed of Swoyersville and hot shots off the teams bats broke open another American Legion playoff game and broke down another opponent&#8217;s pitching staff.
But it all started with another superb performance from the man on the mound.
Jeremy Worlinsky fired a three-hit complete game Sunday and Ryan Hogan pounded out four of Swoyersville&#8217;s 16 hits as the Wyoming Valley Conference champion remained unbeaten this season by dunking Dickson City, 11-1 in a Pennsylvania Legion Baseball Region 5 winners bracket game shortened to eight innings by the mercy rule at Mansfield University&#8217;s Shaute Field.
&#8220;I think our pitching staff&#8217;s really deep,&#8221; Worlinsky said. &#8220;We have a lot of great arms. Actually, our last pitcher probably could be an ace for another team.&#8221;
Worlinsky certainly pitched like a top gun Sunday, leading Swoyersville into today&#8217;s 3 p.m. battle with Wyoming Valley rival Nanticoke in a third-day winners bracket game at Shaute Field.
The crafty righthander from Wyoming Valley West High School allowed just three hits, struck out five and issued just one walk in a dominant effort that further boosted the Swoyersville pitching staff.
That effort followed the nine-inning complete-game victory by Swoyersville&#8217;s top pitcher Chris Nixon in Saturday&#8217;s opening-day 8-2 victory over Hughesville.
And while Worlinsky made a couple of nifty plays while manning third base in that opener, he was intent on matching his staff mate on the rubber.
The only runner he allowed to advance past first base came when Carman Dollia singled, went to second on a ground out and scored on a two-out single by Matt Higgins. Those were the last hits Worlinsky allowed until the final one for Dickson City, when Jon Martino started the sixth inning with a single.
&#8220;It&#8217;s a big-time performance by Worlinsky,&#8221; said Swoyersville manager SeanToole, who&#8217;s now received two straight complete games from his starting staff. &#8220;Great game all-around by Worlinsky, allowing us not to use another pitcher.&#8221;
For a long while, Dickson City had to be wondering if it would get another baserunner.
Following the run-scoring single by Higgins that gave Dickson City a 1-0 lead in the second inning, Worlinsky retired 10 straight batters through the sixth inning and set down 19 of the final 21 men he faced.
&#8220;I got in a zone,&#8221; Worlinsky smiled. &#8220;I was feeling good.&#8221;
His teammates were feeling it, too.
&#8220;They&#8217;re on right now,&#8221; Hogan, the team&#8217;s catcher and No. 3 hitter, said of Swoyersville&#8217;s starting pitchers. &#8220;Both days, both of their changeups and curveballs were working great. Can&#8217;t ask for anything more.&#8221;
Dickson City will get at least one more game, in a losers bracket game at noon today against Line Mountain - which eliminated Berwick 11-1 on Sunday.
With their starter dealing outs that appeared almost automatic, Swoyersville&#8217;s hitters gave Worlinsky a little more to work with.
Chris Lupole singled home the game-tying run to start a four-run Swoyersville third that was fueled by two Dickson City errors. Three more errors in the sixth led to the first of two RBI singles by No. 9 hitter Justin Montalvo and boosted Swoyersville&#8217;s lead to 5-1.
&#8220;I think our speed definitely puts some pressure on the defense,&#8221; Toole said. &#8220;But when a team makes mistakes, you have to capitalize on them.&#8221;
Hogan continued to play Swoyersville&#8217;s hero.
He followed Lupole&#8217;s triple with a run-scoring single in the seventh, then singled and scored the game-ending run in the eighth when Keaton Dolan came off the bench to lace a pinch-hit RBI double.
&#8220;I think Ryan Hogan&#8217;s the best player in this tournament,&#8221; Toole said of his stalwart catcher. &#8220;He&#8217;s been our MVP all season long. Great player, offensively and defensively.&#8221;
Hogan reached base all five times he came to the plate, collecting three singles and a double to go along with a walk. He drove home one run and scored two, boosting his tournament batting average to .667 (6 for 9) with three runs and two RBI.
&#8220;I&#8217;m feeling good,&#8221; Hogan said. &#8220;Just trying to hit the ball hard, get on base as much as possible to help the team. When everyone&#8217;s hot, you get a lot more comfortable.&#8221;
Swoyersville seems to have a lot of bats smoking, from the batting order&#8217;s top to bottom.
The team&#8217;s first two batters, Sabecky and Lupole, both had two hits and scored two runs Sunday. And at the end of the lineup, No. 8 hitter Evan McCue finished with three hits and scored a run, while No. 9 hitter Justin Montalvo went 2 for 3 with two runs scored and two RBI.
&#8220;Hitting&#8217;s contagious, no doubt about it,&#8221; Toole said. &#8220;Everyone swung the bat very well.&#8221;
DICKSON CITY`AB`R`H`RBI`2B`3B`HR
Justin King cf 4`0`0`0`0`0`0
Ethan Hazonthal 3b`3`0`0`0`0`0`0
Chris Robar 2b`3`0`0`0`0`0`0
Andy Salzmann lf`3`0`0`0`0`0`0
Carman Dollia 1b`3`1`1`0`0`0`0
Jacob Donlin p`1`0`0`0`0`0`0
Manny Balines p`2`0`0`0`0`0`0
Jorden White p`0`0`0`0`0`0`0
Matt Higgins ss`3`0`1`1`0`0`0
Aaron Polon rf`2`0`0`0`0`0`0
Jon Martino c`3`0`1`0`0`0`0
Totals`27`1`3`1`0`0`0
SWOYERSVILLE`AB`R`H`RBI`2B`3B`HR
Jeremy Sabecky cf`4`2`2`2`0`0`0
Chris Lupole ss`5`2`2`1`0`1`0
Ryan Hogan c`4`2`4`1`1`0`0
Mike Leonard 2b`5`0`2`1`0`0`0
Jeremy Worlinsky p`5`0`0`1`0`0`0
Bill Gregory 3b`3`1`0`0`0`0`0
Keaton Dolan ph`1`0`1`1`1`0`0
Matt Labashesky rf`3`1`0`0`0`0`0
Evan McCue 1b`4`1`3`0`0`0`0
Justin Montalvo lf`3`2`2`2`0`0`0
Totals`37`11`16`9`2`1`0
Dickson City`010`000`00` - 1
Swoyersville`004`001`15` - 11
DICKSON CITY`IP`H`R`ER`BB`SO
Donlin, L`3`5`4`3`3`1
Balines`4`5`2`1`1`1
White`0.1`6`5`3`0`0
SWOYERSVILLE`IP`H`R`ER`BB`SO
Worlinsky, W`8`3`1`1`1`5

Worlinsky works Swoyersville to another win