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Morgan Briggs delivers game-winning hit in Nanticoke Area’s softball victory over Dallas

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Hazleton Area’s Dante Biasi will have Tommy John surgery

HAZLETON &#8212; The players were well aware of the drought. For the first seven weeks of the season, Hazleton Area didn&#8217;t have a single home run.Not that anyone&#8217;s going to remember that after the eighth week.Just 24 hours after Livan Reinoso hit a two-run homer in the sixth to stun Wyoming Valley West, the Cougars found a way to top it on senior day against Pittston Area on Thursday.Down by a run in the bottom of the seventh and with a man on first, sophomore Alex Klein &#8212; &#8220;Bubba&#8221; to teammates and coaches &#8212; got hold of an 0-2 fastball. And it just kept on going.Hazleton Area 4, Pittston Area 3. Not a bad way to close down the field for the spring.Focused on digging in for a double, Klein didn&#8217;t immediately realize he had ended the game.&#8220;When I was rounding first base, I saw the (outfielder) put his head down,&#8221; Klein said. &#8220;I thought maybe it hit the fence.&#8221;Nope. Klein got to head all the way home behind senior Randy Pineda &#8212; who had homered himself in the fifth inning &#8212; to greet the rest of the team that had rushed from the dugout to celebrate.&#8220;I had no thought it was going out of the park,&#8221; Cougars coach Gino Cara said. &#8220;The only thought I had was that I gotta make sure Randy scores here to tie this thing up.&#8221;Pittston Area had led the entire afternoon, loading the bases in the first inning with Joe Stella (single) and Kyle Turonis (walk) each driving in a run. The Patriots made it 3-0 in the third as the Cougars went to the bullpen early, playing in their fourth game in as many days.Another sophomore, Johnathan Pozniak, came through. The right-hander pitched four scoreless innings of relief, allowing just two hits to keep his team in the game. Livan Reinoso took over after one batter in the seventh before the Cougars (11-7 overall, 7-5 WVC) completed their rally.&#8220;I guess he doesn&#8217;t get the win, but he sure as heck deserved it,&#8221; Cara said of Pozniak. &#8220;He nailed it down.&#8221;In the meantime, Livan Reinoso doubled and scored on Adan Reinoso&#8217;s fourth-inning groundout. Pineda then made it a 3-2 game in the fifth with a solo shot before leading off the seventh with a base hit.That brought up Klein, who was initially asked to lay down a bunt to get the tying run into scoring position. That plan changed after the count got to 0-2.&#8220;I missed the first two bunts, and then I got really, really nervous because we needed that run,&#8221; Klein said. &#8220;I just kept trying to fight it off. Then I just threw my hands at the ball, and it just went. It was over the fence.&#8221;Despite the tough finish, Pittston Area coach Paul Zaffuto wasn&#8217;t discouraged.&#8220;I know it sounds weird, but I really didn&#8217;t care (about the score),&#8221; Zaffuto said. &#8220;Because it was the first time all year that we played baseball the way that I wanted us to play baseball.&#8220;All year, our struggles have been the 0-2 pitch. Getting off the field with two quick outs, nobody on. Giving up runs. We hadn&#8217;t been making plays defensively. Today, we made all the plays. We hit the ball. We applied pressure. We just didn&#8217;t get the big hit.&#8221;And Pittston Area still nearly won it. Though the focus was on Hazleton&#8217;s two homers, the Patriots (4-8 WVC) came very close to putting one out themselves when top hitter Kyle O&#8217;Fier launched one to right field to lead off the seventh.It would have been a homer in a lot of WVC parks, but in those one, it caught the top of the high fence in right and stayed in play for a single.With two outs in the frame, it looked like O&#8217;Fier would score after all when Kyle Turonis hit a sharp grounder that had eyes for left field. But shortstop Adrian Valerio made a terrific play, ranging far to his right and smoothly scooping it before throwing against the grain to get the out at first.That kept the Patriots&#8217; lead at 3-2, setting the stage for Klein&#8217;s heroics.&#8220;I don&#8217;t know exactly what it means for us,&#8221; Cara said. &#8220;Hopefully it means we&#8217;re getting ready for districts here. Maybe the young team&#8217;s not being so young any more.&#8221;Wyoming Valley West 8, Coughlin 4Ryan Hogan blasted a grand slam in the fourth inning and Justin Vought had three hits and drove home two runs for the Spartans (11-2).Winning pitcher Pat Adamski added a double and drove home a run in the victory. Dominic Bayo went 2-for-2.Leroy Fettig drove home two of the four runs for the Crusaders (4-9).GAR 7, Wyoming Seminary 5Chris Kolativa shined on the mound and at the plate for the Grenadiers (8-6). Kolativa went the distance, allowing six hits and three earned runs. He went 2 for 4 with a double, RBI and a run scored.Garry Kroll had two hits, two RBI, three runs and a double. Noah Edwards drove in a pair of runs. Johnny Kehl provided the Blue Knights (4-9) with two hits.Northwest 3, Hanover Area 0The Rangers (9-4) broke open a scoreless game with a run in the fifth inning and two in the sixth. Pinch-hitter Brandon Hardiman and Dave Piestrak drove in runs. Brian Hardiman allowed four hits for the shutout, striking out three.Kevin Rimmer had two hits for the Hawkeyes (6-7).Hazleton Area 4, Pittston Area 3Pittston`AB`R`H`BIJoeDeLucca cf`3`0`0`0Shamnoski c`0`0`0`0Spurlin dh`4`1`1`0OFier 2b`2`1`2`0McAndrew rf`3`0`1`0Donnora ph`1`0`0`0JStella 3b`4`1`2`1Turonis 1b`2`0`0`1Jackson p`2`0`0`0Krawczyk ss`3`0`1`0Zuba lf`2`0`1`0Totals`26`3`8`2Hazleton`AB`R`H`BIKlein cf`3`1`1`2Heim lf`2`0`0`0LReinoso rf-p`3`1`2`0AReinoso c`3`0`0`1Shamany p`0`0`0`0Pozniak p`0`0`0`0Perkowski rf`0`0`0`0DReinoso dh`2`0`1`0Yannuzzi pr-dh`1`0`0`0Reynoso 3b`3`0`1`0Pietrzyk 1b`3`0`1`0Landron pr`0`0`0`0Valerio ss`3`0`0`0Pineda 2b`3`2`2`1Totals`26`4`8`4Pittston`201`000`0`&#8212;`3Hazleton`000`110`2`&#8212;`42B &#8212; LReinoso; HR &#8212; Pineda, KleinPittston`IP`H`R`ER`BB`KJacksn (L)`6+`8`4`4`0`1Hazleton`IP`H`R`ER`BB`KShamany`2+`6`3`2`2`0Pozniak`4+`2`0`0`4`2LRenso (W)`1.0`0`0`0`0`0Wyoming Valley West 8, Coughlin 4Coughlin` ` `AB`R`H`BIMarek cf` ` `2`0`2`0Christian cf` ` `2`0`0`0Wozniak ss` ` `2`0`0`0Monaghan 1b` ` `4`1`1`0Dressler c` ` `3`1`0`0Ceklosky 3b` ` `1`1`1`0Kozich lf` ` `2`0`0`0Cerep lf` ` `1`0`0`0Lupas 2b` ` `2`0`1`1Gartley 2b` ` `1`1`1`0Chronowski p` ` `2`0`0`1Fettig p` ` `1`0`1`2Zubris rf` ` `1`0`0`0Dougalas rf` ` `2`0`0`0Totals` ` `26`4`5`4Valley West` ` `AB`R`H`BIMontalvo cf` ` `2`2`1`0Powell ph` ` `1`0`0`0Sott rf` ` `3`2`1`2Gavlick ph` ` `0`0`0`0Pollick rf` ` `0`0`0`0Hogan ss` ` `2`2`1`4Bird ph` ` `1`0`0`0Romanowski ss` `0`0`0`0Vought c` ` `3`0`3`2Hospador c` ` `1`0`0`0Yankosky 1b` ` `3`0`0`0Lapidus 1b` ` `0`0`0`0McCue 3b` ` `0`0`0`0Raitter dh` ` `3`0`0`0Evans 3b` ` `0`0`0`0Bayo lf` ` `2`1`2`0Federici ph` ` `1`0`0`0Baranski lf` ` `0`0`0`0Adamski p` ` `3`1`1`0Kobusky 2b` ` `1`0`0`0Yuhas 2b` ` `2`0`0`0Perdikis 2b` ` `0`0`0`0Totals` ` `28`8`9`8Coughlin`000`202`0`&#8212;`4Valley West`201`500`x`&#8212;`82B &#8212; Adamski; HR &#8212; HoganCoughlin`IP`H`R`ER`BB`KChrnski, L`3.1`8`8`8`2`6Fettig`2.2`1`0`0`0`4Valley West`IP`H`R`ER`BB`KAdmski, W`6.0`5`4`3`4`3Davies`1.0`0`0`0`1`0Northwest 3, Hanover Area 0Hanover Area`AB`R`H`BIMorgan cf`2`0`0`0Clarke ss`3`0`0`0Kowalski lf`3`0`1`0Rimmer 3b`3`0`2`0Gately 1b`2`0`0`0Piscotty rf`3`0`0`0Peters c`0`0`0`0Wasickanin dh`1`0`0`0Stevens p`0`0`0`0Flaim ph`1`0`0`0Windt 2b`3`0`1`0Totals`22`0`4`0Northwest`AB`R`H`BIEvans cf`3`1`1`0Reno ss`3`0`0`0Boberick lf`3`0`1`0Campbell 3b`2`0`0`0Harrison 1b`3`0`0`0Ford c`2`1`1`0Hardiman p`3`1`1`0Gleco rf`2`0`0`0Hardiman ph`1`0`1`1Piestrak 2b`3`0`1`1Totals`25`3`6`2Hanover Area`000`000`0`&#8212;`0Northwest`000`012`x`&#8212;`32B &#8212; EvansHanover`IP`H`R`ER`BB`KStevens (L)`5.1`5`3`2`4`4Gately`0.2`1`0`0`0`0Northwest`IP`H`R`ER`BB`KHardmn (W)`7.0`4`0`0`5`3GAR 7, Wyoming Seminary 5Wyo. Seminary`AB`R`H`BISabourin cf`2`1`1`1Kehl ss`4`1`2`0Oravic c`3`0`0`1Phillips p-3b-rf`4`0`1`0Swietzer 2b`4`0`1`1Rosentel 3b-p`0`0`0`0Touey p`0`0`0`0Jerome dh`3`2`0`0Negron 1b`3`0`1`1Bournival rf`1`0`0`0Nardone 3b`0`0`0`0Olsen lf`1`0`0`0Ridilla ph`0`1`0`0Totals`25`5`6`4GAR`AB`R`H`BIShinal c`3`0`1`0Marte lf`3`0`1`0Edwards 3b`2`1`1`2Peguero cf`0`0`0`0Erhardt dh`2`0`0`0Kulutiva p`4`1`2`1Yelland 1b`3`1`1`1Peralta rf`3`1`0`0Peter 2b`3`0`0`0Kroll ss`2`3`2`2Totals`25`7`8`6Wyo. Seminary`010`001`3`&#8212;`5GAR`020`122`x`&#8212;`72B &#8212; Kroll; 3B &#8212; Negron, KolativaSeminary`IP`H`R`ER`BB`KPhillips (L)`2.0`3`2`2`2`1Touey`2.2`4`3`0`1`1Rosentel`1.1`1`2`2`0`1GAR`IP`H`R`ER`BB`KKoltva (W)`7.0`6`5`3`5`4<style>
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<div class="neCaption">The Hazleton Area team emptied its dugout to celebrate a come-from-behind win over Pittston Area on a two-run homer by Alex Klein late in the seventh. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/web1_bbhas1-2.jpg</photo0><caption0>The Hazleton Area team emptied its dugout to celebrate a come-from-behind win over Pittston Area on a two-run homer by Alex Klein late in the seventh. </caption0><photoCredit0>Fred Adams | For Times Leader </photoCredit0></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/web1_bbhaz3-2.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Pittston Area&#8217;s Joe Stella is congratulated after beating a play at home to score a run for the Patriots in the third inning against Hazleton Area. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo1>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/web1_bbhaz3-2.jpg</photo1><caption1>Pittston Area&#8217;s Joe Stella is congratulated after beating a play at home to score a run for the Patriots in the third inning against Hazleton Area. </caption1><photoCredit1>Fred Adams | For Times Leader </photoCredit1></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/web1_bbhaz2-2.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Hazleton Area&#8217;s Randy Pineda displays the number one sign after hitting a home run in the fifth inning to bring the Cougars within one run of Pittston Area. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo2>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/web1_bbhaz2-2.jpg</photo2><caption2>Hazleton Area&#8217;s Randy Pineda displays the number one sign after hitting a home run in the fifth inning to bring the Cougars within one run of Pittston Area. </caption2><photoCredit2>Fred Adams | For Times Leader </photoCredit2></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><subheadMeta></subheadMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta>By Derek Levarsedlevarse@www.timesleader.com</bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><factboxMeta></factboxMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta>Reach Derek Levarse at 570-991-6396 or on Twitter @TLdlevarse</shirttailMeta></div>

Walk-off homer lifts Hazleton Area baseball on senior day