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Panzarella lifts East to victory in WVC All-Star Game

By Derek Levarse

[email protected]

Hazleton Area grad Chris Panzarella (14) slides into third ahead of the tag from Valley West alum Logan Zavada. Panzarella won MVP honors for the East team in Thursday’s WVC Senior All-Star Game.
https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/web1_allstarbaseball031.jpg.optimal.jpgHazleton Area grad Chris Panzarella (14) slides into third ahead of the tag from Valley West alum Logan Zavada. Panzarella won MVP honors for the East team in Thursday’s WVC Senior All-Star Game.

East pitcher Joe Olszyk, a Nanticoke grad, was credited with the win in Thursday’s WVC Senior All-Star Game, going three innings and allowing just two baserunners.
https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/web1_allstarbaseball011.jpg.optimal.jpgEast pitcher Joe Olszyk, a Nanticoke grad, was credited with the win in Thursday’s WVC Senior All-Star Game, going three innings and allowing just two baserunners.

Berwick grad Zach Andress (10) scrambles away from Crestwood grad Chase Jones in a rundown, allowing a run to score for the West team during Thursday’s WVC Senior All-Star Game.
https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/web1_allstarbaseball041.jpg.optimal.jpgBerwick grad Zach Andress (10) scrambles away from Crestwood grad Chase Jones in a rundown, allowing a run to score for the West team during Thursday’s WVC Senior All-Star Game.

Dallas grad Jordan McCrum knocks down a line drive before throwing over to first in Thursday’s WVC Senior All-Star Game.
https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/web1_allstarbaseball021.jpg.optimal.jpgDallas grad Jordan McCrum knocks down a line drive before throwing over to first in Thursday’s WVC Senior All-Star Game.

RICE TWP. — Two all-star games. Three at-bats. Three doubles. Six RBI.

Not a bad way to wind down a high school career for Chris Panzarella.

A month after jump-starting a rally in the Field of Dreams Game to lift the Wyoming Valley Conference all-stars over the Lackawanna League all-stars, Panzarella was at it again on Thursday.

The recent Hazleton Area grad doubled twice and drove in four runs. He made a handful of plays at shortstop. And he even got to close out the game on the mound, pitching the seventh inning of the East squad’s 7-2 triumph over the West in the WVC Senior All-Star Game.

“I just go out there and have some fun,” Panzarella said. “Just play hard. I’m not going to go out there and dog it just because it’s an all-star game. Play hard and try to do what I do.”

That effort earned him MVP honors for the East. That mentality helped land him a Division I scholarship from Delaware State recently.

It’s been a hectic stretch for Panzarella. At the end of May, he homered in a district playoff win, only to learn afterward that the coaching staff at his original destination — Lackawanna College — had been fired, putting his own future up in the air.

But he got an invitation to visit Delaware State the following week and, armed with the test grade he needed, got the Division I offer he was looking for.

“It means a ton. I knew he was going to get there,” said Gino Cara, Panzarella’s coach at Hazleton Area who also coached the East team along with some of his Cougars staff. “He’s one of the best players in the area with his skill set. And he works so hard. I wouldn’t be surprised if I go back and he’s taking ground balls on the field tonight.

“He has worked so hard to get where he’s been. Intuitively, he knows the game as well as lot of a coaches. He plays the game with a great intensity and a great work ethic.”

In Thursday’s game, Panzarella capped off a strong day on the mound for the East, following Jared Witner (Crestwood), Joe Olszyk (Nanticoke) and fellow Hazleton Area grad Kyle Rogers. The group combined on a four-hitter.

Olszyk was credited with the win, allowing just one baserunner in three innings. Chase Jones (Crestwood) and Kyle Rosick (Nanticoke) drove in a run apiece while Jason Hoggarth (Holy Redeemer) added a double.

A.J. Sweppenheiser (Dallas) earned MVP honors for the West, throwing four innings of three-hit ball. Zach Andress (Berwick) added an RBI single.

“This was one of the most fun games I’ve ever had,” Cara said. “We had a great time in this dugout with these guys. They’re a unique bunch.

“We have to, as coaches, get together and make sure this happens every year.”

Perhaps the driving force behind it has been Hanover Area coach Mike Zapotoski, who has helped organize the event in three of the last four summers. The game has a long history in the area but had been played sporadically in recent years.

Northwest’s Lou DiPasquale and Wyoming Area’s Ron Musto, who coached the West along with Wyoming Valley West’s John Milius, both credited Zapotoski’s work in getting the game back up and running.

“He’s the guy who busted his butt to get this going,” DiPasquale said. “He set it all up. And he doesn’t have to do this. His record speaks for itself. I think he needs credit here. I helped him call coaches, but he did it. He’s the man at this, and that’s great. He needs to be recognized for this.”

Though the coaches involved said they would like to work on the timing of the game, they want to ensure that it continues.

“This is very important,” Musto said. “It’s not so much of getting the kids together on the field, it’s getting them together in the dugout. Listening to the conversations, getting to know each other. Even though there’s social media today, nothing beats the face-to-face interactions.

“You’re looking at the kids that were the go-to guys on most teams and yet they’re all gentlemen. The reason they’re good players is because they’re good kids. They get to this point because they’re good kids, and that’s a reflection of their parents.”

Honors

During the game, baseball fixture John Kashatus was recognized for his four decades of involvement with the sport in the area. Kashatus — a former coach at Nanticoke who now works with his son, Ken, at Dallas — was in the dugout with the West squad as an assistant during Thursday’s game.

Wyoming Valley West was also recognized for its run to the state finals in June.

WVC Senior All-Star Game

East 7, West 2

West`AB`R`H`BI

McCrum ss`2`1`1`0

Lopatka cf`2`0`0`0

Gregory 2b`2`1`1`0

Andress rf`2`0`1`1

Thomas c`2`0`0`0

Gavenonis rf`2`0`1`0

Zavada 3b`2`0`0`0

Williamson 3b`2`0`0`0

Sweppenhsr p`1`0`0`0

Zezza lf`1`0`0`0

Lupole ss`1`0`0`0

Baron lf`1`0`0`0

Musto c`1`0`0`0

Harrison 1b`1`0`0`0

Carey 2b`0`0`0`0

Techmanski 1b`1`0`0`0

Ungvarsky p`1`0`0`0

Totals`24`2`4`1

East`AB`R`H`BI

Klein rf`2`1`1`0

Delaney cf`2`1`1`0

Semanek 1b`1`1`1`0

CJones 1b`2`0`0`1

Rogers 3b`1`1`0`0

Rosick ss`1`2`1`1

Panzarella ss`2`0`2`4

Dolan 3b`2`0`0`0

Porpiglia 2b`2`0`0`0

Butry c`2`0`0`0

Hoggarth cf`2`1`1`0

Dasher lf`2`0`0`0

Witner p`2`0`0`0

Kwiatkwski 2b`2`0`1`0

Olszyk p`2`0`0`0

Totals`27`7`8`6

West`200`000`0`—`2

East`500`011`x`—`7

2B — Panzarella 2, Hoggarth

West`IP`H`R`ER`BB`K

Ungvrsky (L)`1.0`3`5`5`3`0

Sweppenhsr`4.0`3`1`1`0`1

Williamson`1.0`2`1`0`0`0

East`IP`H`R`ER`BB`K

Witner`2.0`4`2`1`0`1

Olszyk (W)`3.0`0`0`0`1`1

Rogers`1.0`0`0`0`0`0

Panzarella`1.0`0`0`0`0`0

Reach Derek Levarse at 570-991-6396 or on Twitter @TLdlevarse