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Article Date: May 12

Cougars 'pick off' Trojans

By DAVE SEAMON (Sports Editor)

     Anthony Zaloga basically did everything he could to keep visiting Nanticoke off the scoreboard on Thursday.

Hazleton Area's junior right-hander pitched three-hit ball over five innings and ended the Trojans' biggest scoring threat by picking off two baserunners in the top of the fifth as the Cougars blanked Nanticoke 10-0 in Wyoming Valley Conference Class AAA baseball action at Rex Antinozzi Field.

While Zaloga provided the pitching, Evan Vigna supplied the power with a towering three-run home run, part of his five-RBI day. Teammates John Medvecky and Matt Barletta added two base hits

apiece as Hazleton Area improved to 7-9 overall, 7-6 in the WVC.

"I think this was really big for us,'' Zaloga said. "We've got to come out strong and build some momentum for the playoffs.''

Those would be the District 2 Class AAAA playoffs, which would have the Cougars as the No. 4 seed and hosting a first-round game if the tournament started today.

"I told our guys here after our last game, 'You've got two choices. You can continue playing and make a district and state (championship) run because, after our last loss we were out of the conference (title chase) or pack it in and make it a short season,'' Hazleton Area head coach Gino Cara said. "Hopefully, we were able to get a little bit of (momentum) going today.''

Zaloga set the tone by facing the minimum nine batters over the first three innings. He didn't allow a hit until Bob Briggs led off the fourth inning with a triple off the right-field fence. But Zaloga fanned the next two batters, and after issuing his only walk, retired Jeff Jezewski on a groundout to strand Briggs at third.

"(Zaloga) threw well,'' Cara said. "He didn't have his best stuff and he didn't have command of his best pitch, but he threw his other two pitches very well and was able to command them and hit his spots. When he did miss with his No. 1 pitch, we were fortunate they weren't in good hitters' positions. Overall, 'Z' did what we expect him to do. He's a darn good pitcher. We've seen that every outing he's had this year.''

Offensively, the Cougars gave Zaloga all the support he needed in the bottom of the first. Carl Cara reached on an error, went to second on Tyler Rubasky's bunt and came home on Medvecky's line single to right. Three batters later, Vigna delivered a two-run single to extend Hazleton Area's lead to 3-0.

Carl Cara also ignited a second-inning rally by drawing a one-out walk, stealing second and scoring on Rubasky's single.

The Cougars added their fifth run in the home third on Barletta's first of two singles, a Trojan error, a successful double steal and T.J. Chirico's RBI groundout.

Nanticoke (2-11) was poised to break through against Zaloga in the fifth. Anthony Ioanna and Mark Romanowski both singled to get things started, but Tom Vitale bounced into a fielder's choice and Zaloga then picked Vitale off first and Romanowski off second in a matter of about a minute to keep the Trojans' side of the scoreboard stuck at zero.

"We'e been working on those for a while,'' said Vigna, Hazleton Area's first baseman. "They haven't been working out for us, especially the one at first, but they did today.''

"We work very, very hard on keeping runners close,'' Gino Cara said. "We try to keep our opponents guessing on the basepaths. Sometimes we make mistakes, but I'm willing to accept those mistake if it means putting doubts in their minds and shutting down their running game. We've been very succesful with it the last couple of years and this year as well.''

Needing five runs in the bottom of the fifth to invoke the 10-run rule, the Cougars got them, with three coming on Vigna's one swing.

Medvecky doubled to lead off the inning and scored on Barletta's single. Barletta was caught stealing, but walks to George Nikonenko and Chirico set up Vigna, who reached out for Vitale's high and outside pitch and hammered it over the fence in right-centerfield for a 9-0 lead.

"I knew it was a fastball coming so I thought I'd just gear up for the fastball,'' Vigna said. "I got it and I hit it a long way, probably one of the farthest balls I've ever hit.''

Hazleton Area went right to work to get the game-ender as singles by Josh Bayzick and Brady Wolfe and a Trojan error put runners at second and third. An intentional walk to Carl Cara loaded the bases, and one out later, still another Nanticoke error enabled Wolfe to dash home with the Cougars' 10th and final run.

"We were down for a while, so it's nice to pick it back up and start winning some games,'' Vigna said. "Today was a real team effort. You can't win games without the whole team contributing.''

Especially that tall right-handed pitcher wearing No. 12.

"It's a lot more comfortable (pitching with a big lead),'' Zaloga said. "If it's a closer game, there's more pressure on you. When your team's getting runs for you, it's a lot easier to pitch.''

Hazleton Area will visit Bethlehem Liberty for a non-league game on Saturday. The Cougars then will finish the regular season with games at Coughlin on Monday and against Holy Redeemer on Wednesday at Antinozzi Field.

"We're a young team, but we're not young any more,'' Gino Cara said. "A lot of guys have had experience now. The young has got to go away now.''

NANTICOKE (0)

Briggs 2b 2 0 1 0, Yudichak c 2 0 0 0, Hauer cf-p 2 0 0 0, Clawson rf 1 0 0 0, Jezewski lf-cf-ss-p 2 0 0 0, Ioanna 3b-ss 2 0 1 0, Decker p-cf 1 0 0 0, Romanowski lf 1 0 1 0, Vitale ss-p 2 0 0 0, Yalch dh 1 0 0 0, Ivan 1b 0 0 0 0. Totals 16 0 3 0.

HAZLETON AREA (10)

Cara ss 2 2 0 0, Rubasky c 3 0 1 1, Fendrick cr 0 0 0 0, Medvecky 3b 3 2 2 1, Barletta cf 3 1 2 1, Nikonenko lf 1 2 0 0, Chirico dh 1 0 0 1, Seach pr 0 1 0 0, Zaloga p 0 0 0 0, Vigna 1b 3 1 2 5, Bayzick 2b 3 0 1 0, Klein rf 2 0 0 0, Wolfe ph 1 1 1 0. Totals 22 10 9 10.

GNAHS............ 000 00 - 0 1 4

HAHS............. 311 05 - 10 9 0

Two outs when 10th run scored in 5th.

LOB: Nanticoke 2, Hazleton Area 5. 2B: Medvecky. 3B: Briggs. HR: Vigna. SB: Jezewski, Cara, Barletta, Nikonenko 2.

Nanticoke

IP H R ER BB SO

Decker (L) ...................2.0 4 5 3 4 0

Hauer 2.1........................... 2 2 2 1 4

Vitale 0.0............................ 1 2 2 1 0

Jezewski 0.1...................... 2 1 0 1 0

Hazleton Area

IP H R ER BB SO

Zaloga (W)................. 5.0 3 0 0 1 6

Decker pitched to 1 batter in the 6th.