H.S. Baseball: Hazleton Area rallies in seventh inning to defeat Dallas

DALLAS TWP. — Hazleton Area demonstrated Wednesday why it has won the last four Wyoming Valley Conference Division 1 baseball titles.

Down to their final two outs, the Cougars got consecutive singles from Logan Hearity and Chris Florentino in the top of the seventh. An out and a walk later, both scored on an error as Hazleton Area edged Dallas 4-3 in a key divisional game.

Hazleton Area (10-1 Div. 1, 12-4 overall) vaulted over Pittston Area (9-1 Div. 1, 13-2) and into first place. Pittston Area was upset 5-3 by Wilkes-Barre Area. Dallas (6-2 Div. 1, 9-3) stayed in the hunt as well.

“Just proud of our guys,” Hazleton Area coach Russ Canzler said. “We’ve been in games like this all year. We’ve been in tight games that we lost, we’ve been in tight games that we’ve won.

“So proud of the way these guys are showing resiliency and fighting through that adversity. It’s not easy. To be down here with two outs to play with and somehow come out of it with a win is awesome, awesome to see as a coach.”

Hearity reached by hitting an extremely high chopper to the left side of the infield for a single. Florentino then lined a single to left. After a flyout, Nick Ledger walked to load the bases. Shea Higgins then put the ball in play — something the Cougars did all game — and an error plated two runs.

Reliever Dom Marino retired Dallas in order in the bottom of the seventh for the win.

Dallas was down 2-0 entering the fifth as Ryan Racho’s two-run single in the fourth gave Hazleton Area a 2-0 lead. The Mountaineers picked up a two-out RBI single by Zach Paczewski in the fifth.

Dallas took a 3-2 lead in the sixth as Dom Zangardi led off with a single. An out later Evan Tinner singled and he and Zangardi scored when JJ Rischawy poked a single down the right-field line. Jack Leandri followed with a single, but Marino retired the final five Mountaineers he faced — three via a called third strike.

“Those two guys on with one out, we knew we had to get at least one of those guys in,” Dallas coach Mike Viglone said. “They made the pitches. They’re a good team. You can’t make mistakes against them and that’s what we did today.”

Dallas will need to regroup quickly. The Mountaineers play seven games in 12 days, including Monday and next Thursday against Pittston Area.

Hazleton Area 4, Dallas 3

Hazleton Area`AB`R`H`BI

Hearity dh`4`1`2`0

Doganiero p`0`0`0`0

Florentino rf`4`1`2`0

Martoccio 3b`2`0`1`0

Ledger c`3`0`0`0

Higgins 2b`4`0`1`0

Schmdt pr-lf`0`1`0`0

Haraschak lf`3`0`1`0

Gil Pena ph`1`0`0`0

Rossi cf`2`1`1`0

Soquiel pr`0`0`0`0

Aponick ss`2`0`0`0

Racho`3`0`1`2

Totals`28`4`9`2

Dallas`AB`R`H`BI

Adamski c`4`0`1`0

Paczewski ss`4`0`1`1

Coyne cf`4`0`1`0

Geskey dh`4`0`1`0

Zangardi p-rf`4`1`1`0

Healey rf-p`3`0`0`0

Tinner 1b`3`1`1`0

Rischawy lf`3`0`2`2

Leandri 2b`3`1`2`0

Totals`32`3`10`3

Hazleton Area`000`200`2 — 4

Dallas`000`012`0 — 3

2B — Hearity, Florentino.

Hazleton Area`IP`H`R`ER`BB`SO

Doganiero`5.1`9`3`3`0`7

Marino (W)`1.2`1`0`0`0`3

Dallas`IP`H`R`ER`BB`SO

Zangardi`5`7`2`2`4`1

Healey (L)`2`2`2`0`1`0