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Authority approves repairs to parking lot of Mohegan Sun Arena

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Pittston Area teaming with Yatesville for gaming grant

<p>HUGHESTOWN &#8211; For most of the Wyoming Valley American Legion League regular season, Cory Lescavage was too important as a shortstop for Greater Pittston manager Jerry Ranieli.</p><p>So the Temple University student only pitched a handful of innings for the team this season.</p><p>But Ranieli needed a fresh arm for Wednesday&#8217;s league tournament championship game and he called on Lescavage to take the mound.</p><p>The right-hander tossed a complete-game, three-hit shutout in his first start in over a year, leading Greater Pittston to a 3-0 win over Nanticoke for its first league tournament title since 2013.</p><p>&#8220;I just wanted to come out and throw strikes because I knew I had a good defense behind me,&#8221; Lescavage said. &#8220;I was a little nervous at first, but then I just got it out of my head and threw strikes.&#8221;</p><p>Greater Pittston advances to the Region 5 Tournament, joining league regular season champion Swoyersville in the event that begins on Saturday. Pittston&#8217;s first game is at 9:30 a.m. Saturday against Danville, the Susquehanna League champ, at the Pittston Area Primary Center. Swoyersville plays at 2 p.m. against Montrose or Dickson City, the runner-up from District 11 (Lackawanna County) at the Mountain Post 970 field.</p><p>Lescavage pitched lights out keeping Nanticoke hitters off-balance with good command of his fastball. Of the three hits he allowed, only one was an extra-base hit, and he didn&#8217;t allow a runner to pass second base.</p><p>&#8220;This is all I&#8217;ve been looking forward to since we got shorted out last year,&#8221; said Lescavage, who threw a little while in Philadelphia to stay fresh but didn&#8217;t play baseball for the Owls.</p><p>Kyle Pokrinchak led off the top of the first for Nanticoke with a single and reached second via stolen base. But Lescavage didn&#8217;t let another runner get to second until the seventh when Kris Rynkiewicz doubled to lead off, but was stranded there.</p><p>In between, Lescavage retired 18 of 20 batters, only giving up a single in the second and a walk in the fifth.</p><p>&#8220;He is so valuable at shortstop and we had so many arms we were able to afford to play him at shortstop and keep our defense solidified,&#8221; Ranieli said. &#8220;Then (the last few weeks) we started getting him some innings for this reason.&#8221;</p><p>At the plate, Lescavage helped himself with a run-scoring infield single in the third inning, giving Greater Pittston a 1-0 lead. Nanticoke second baseman Kyle Kowalski made a diving stop to his left on the play, but it wasn&#8217;t enough as the first run scored.</p><p>&#8220;I just really wanted to hit the ball hard and see what happened,&#8221; Lescavage said. &#8220;We got lucky there. The second baseman made a nice play, but it just worked out for us.&#8221;</p><p>Lescavage&#8217;s baserunning led to another run in the fifth inning. With runners on second and third and one out, Lescavage hit into a fielder&#8217;s choice with the runner being gunned down at home. But being alert on the basepaths, Lescavage scampered all the way to second on the play so GP didn&#8217;t miss anything.</p><p>The next batter, Tyler Jackson, singled in both runners for a 3-0 lead.</p><p>&#8220;That was heads up by Cory because that got us the third run,&#8221; Ranieli said. &#8220;If he doesn&#8217;t take that, even with Jackson&#8217;s hit, we only get one. Not only that, but maybe they play the defense a little different up the middle.&#8221;</p><p style="text-align: center;"><strong>Wyo. Valley American Legion</strong></p><p style="text-align: center;"><strong> League Championship</strong></p><p style="text-align: center;"><strong>Greater Pittston 3, Nanticoke 0</strong></p><p><strong>Nanticoke`AB`R`H`BI</strong></p><p>Pokrinchak lf`3`0`1`0</p><p>Clarke p`3`0`0`0</p><p>Piscotty rf`3`0`0`0</p><p>Piestrak ss`0`0`0`0</p><p>Rynkiewicz dh`3`0`1`0</p><p>Rimmer 3b`3`0`0`0</p><p>Peters c` 3`0`0`0</p><p>Krupinski 1b`3`0`1`0</p><p>Kowalski 2b`1`0`0`0</p><p>Morgan cf`2`0`0`0</p><p>Totals`24`0`3`0</p><p><strong>Greater Pittston`AB`R`H`BI</strong></p><p>Bonita cf`3`2`1`0</p><p>Homza rf `3`0`0`0</p><p>Lescavage p` 3`1`1`1</p><p>Charney 3b`0`0`0`0</p><p>Jackson dh`3`0`2`2</p><p>Lee c`3`0`1`0</p><p>Wright 1b`3`0`1`0</p><p>Melberger 2b`2`0`0`0</p><p>Dougherty ss`3`0`0`0</p><p>Nardell lf`2`0`0`0</p><p><strong>Totals`25`3`6`3</strong></p><p>2B: Rynkiewicz</p><p><strong>Nanticoke`000`000`0` &#8212;`0</strong></p><p><strong>Greater Pittston`001`020`x`&#8212;`3</strong></p><p><strong>Nanticoke`IP`H`R`ER`BB`SO</strong></p><p>Clarke (L)`6.0`6&#8220;3`2`1`4</p><p><strong>Greater Pittston`IP`H`R`ER`BB`SO</strong></p><p>Lescavage (W)`7.0`3`0`0`1`5</p><style>
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<div class="neCaption">Greater Pittston&#8217;s Matt Wright, left, and Steve Homza congratulate each other after defeating Nanticoke to win the Wyoming Valley American Legion baseball championship tournament in Hughestown on Wednesday. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/web1_TTL071317LegionChampionships_1-1.jpg</photo0><caption0>Greater Pittston&#8217;s Matt Wright, left, and Steve Homza congratulate each other after defeating Nanticoke to win the Wyoming Valley American Legion baseball championship tournament in Hughestown on Wednesday. </caption0><photoCredit0>Bill Tarutis | For Times Leader </photoCredit0></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/web1_TTL071317LegionChampionships_2-1.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Greater Pittston&#8217;s Aaron Lee catches a Nanticoke pop-up at the plate. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo1>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/web1_TTL071317LegionChampionships_2-1.jpg</photo1><caption1>Greater Pittston&#8217;s Aaron Lee catches a Nanticoke pop-up at the plate. </caption1><photoCredit1>Bill Tarutis | For Times Leader </photoCredit1></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/web1_TTL071317LegionChampionships_3-1.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Winning pitcher Cory Lescavage threw a complete-game shutout. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo2>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/web1_TTL071317LegionChampionships_3-1.jpg</photo2><caption2>Winning pitcher Cory Lescavage threw a complete-game shutout. </caption2><photoCredit2>Bill Tarutis | For Times Leader </photoCredit2></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/web1_TTL071317LegionChampionships_4-1.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Greater Pittston base runner Matt Wright studies the delivery of Nanticoke pitcher Matt Clarke. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo3>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/web1_TTL071317LegionChampionships_4-1.jpg</photo3><caption3>Greater Pittston base runner Matt Wright studies the delivery of Nanticoke pitcher Matt Clarke. </caption3><photoCredit3>Bill Tarutis | For Times Leader </photoCredit3></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/web1_TTL071317LegionChampionships_5-1.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Nanticoke catcher Jake Peters tags out Greater Pittston&#8217;s Anthony Nardell at the plate. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo4>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/web1_TTL071317LegionChampionships_5-1.jpg</photo4><caption4>Nanticoke catcher Jake Peters tags out Greater Pittston&#8217;s Anthony Nardell at the plate. </caption4><photoCredit4>Bill Tarutis | For Times Leader </photoCredit4></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><subheadMeta>Lescavage provides boost on the mound</subheadMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Dave Rosengrant</p><p>For Times Leader</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><factboxMeta><p><strong>Recent Wyoming Valley </strong></p><p><strong>American Legion League</strong></p><p><strong> Tournament Champions</strong></p><p>2017 &#8211; Greater Pittston</p><p>2016 &#8211; Tunkhannock</p><p>2015 &#8211; Nanticoke</p><p>2014 &#8211; Nanticoke</p><p>2013 &#8211; Greater Pittston</p><p>2012 &#8211; Greater Pittston</p><p>2011 &#8211; Back Mountain</p><p>2010 &#8211; Greater Pittston</p><p>2009 &#8211; Mountain Post</p><p>2008 &#8211; Plymouth</p><p>2007 &#8211; Plymouth</p><p>2006 &#8211; Plains</p><p>2005 &#8211; Greater Pittston</p><p>2004 &#8211; Greater Pittston</p><p>2003 &#8211; Greater Pittston</p><p>2002 &#8211; Greater Pittston</p><p>2001 &#8211; Plymouth</p><p>2000 &#8211; Nanticoke</p><p>1999 &#8211; Greater Pittston</p></factboxMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach Times Leader sports at 570-829-7143 or on Twitter @TLSports</p></shirttailMeta></div>

Greater Pittston takes American Legion title with shutout of Nanticoke