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Holy Redeemer is next in line to add girls lacrosse.

The school is technically in the “exploratory stage,” according to athletic director J.P. Aquilina, but is progressing toward the possibility of playing a non-league schedule in 2018 and joining the Wyoming Valley Conference in 2019.

The school has surveyed the current student body about interest in the sport, advertised an opening for a head coach and begun to receive applicants for the position.

Aquilina said boys lacrosse may be pursued in the future as well, but the first movement will be on a girls program because the student survey showed a greater interest there.

“We had sign-ups during the school year to see if the interest was there that we all heard about,” Aquilina said. “The interest for girls was huge with current students. We’ve had conversations about it and we at the stage now where we’re looking at resumes for coaches who will help us start our program.”

Holy Redeemer could follow the paths taken by Hazleton Area and Abington Heights, which began non-league play before joining what is now a 12-team WVC girls lacrosse league this spring.

Lacrosse in the WVC, which also includes some traditional Lackawanna League schools, started in 2013 with seven boys and seven girls teams. There were 10 boys teams active in the league in the 2017 season.

“The boys interest was a little smaller than the girls,” Aquilina said. “So, we’re taking it one step at a time.

“We knew the interest was really big with the girls, so we’ll start with that, then hopefully the interest will eventually be the same for the boys.”

Aquilina said there’s no hurry to attempt to join the WVC for 2018. The conference is one year through a two-year schedule cycle.

“Because we’re in the middle of a cycle, it will probably be a first-year exhibition schedule,” Aquilina said. “We would not ask them to try to get us in because you know how schedules are set for two years and changing in the middle of the cycle is tough.

“The goal will probably be to enter the Wyoming Valley Conference in the 18-19 season. Our program will be started as soon as we have enough interest and coaches.”

Aquilina said choosing from among the coaching candidates, who have already begun to reach out, will help determine the processes moving forward, assuming they will have more experience dealing with the particulars of the sport.

Among the decisions that will be made later is choosing a field. Aquilina said there should be multiple options available in Wilkes-Barre when the time comes.

For now, a successful athletic program is on the brink of adding another offering.

“It’s something that our current students seem to be very interested in,” Aquilina said. “Lacrosse seems to be a growing sport in our region and even just in the eastern part of the United States.

“We want to offer everything we can to students that we have at Holy Redeemer currently.”

American Legion

Swoyersville 8, Hazleton 1

Zach Kobusky’s triple drove in the go-ahead run in Swoyersville’s four-run fourth inning.

Draig Ruff was 2 for 3 with 2 RBI, while Dom Dayo had two RBI in the win.

Louis Mastroddi doubled for Hazleton.

Back Mountain Post 672 6,

Mountain Top Post 781 0

Alex Kapral threw a two-hit complete game shutout on Tuesday.

Patrick Zarola (2 for 4) hit a three-run home run in the sixth inning. Darren Kerdesky went 2 for 3 with a stolen base and a run scored.

District 16 Major Softball

Mountaintop 12, Plains 2

5 inns.

Jessica Koptcho struck out 12 in five innings of work to grab a win in the circle.

At the plate, Koptcho singled, doubled and tripled. Katherine McIngvale finished with three singles, while Jessica Nivnik, Lauren Amend and Madison Foley each had two hits.

Plains’ Katie Keating recorded four strikeouts and Lindsey Syms had a hit.

All-Stars 11-12

District 31

Back Mountain 7, Harveys Lake 2

Victoria Spaciano struck out nine in a two-hitter and had two RBI in the victory.

Brenna Hunt chipped in with three hits and Ella Schmoll record an RBI single.

Harveys Lake was led by Haley Meader and Autumn Palka who each had a hit. Krista Scoblick finished with 11 strikeouts.

District 31 Major Softball

Kingston Forty Fort 15, Wyoming West Wyoming 14

Julia Welles was 3 for 4 with a triple and 4 RBI and teammate Leah Depriest finished 3 for 4 with 4 RBI in the win.

Kristen Austra 2 for 2 with a double and RBI.

Wyoming West Wyoming’s Halle Kranson was 2 for 3 with three runs scored, while Jillian Graham finished with two RBI and Shelby Halman doubled and drove in two runs.

Girls 11-12 District 16 Softball All-Stars

Pittston Area 15, Nanticoke 4

5 inns.

Ava Serino recorded seven strikeouts, while teammate Ava Callahan finished with a home run, a double, a single and three runs scored.

Tori Para (two singles, home run, three runs scored), Sage Weidlich (triple, three singles, four runs scored) and Callie Booth (two singles, two runs scored) each had big days at the plate.

Nanticoke was led by Tiffany Brogan’s two singles, Shaylee Heffron’s two singles and two runs scored and Emma George’s double.

Swoyersville 8, Hazleton 1

Hazleton`AB`R`H`BI

Kubifhin cf `3`0`0`0

Heim p `3`0`1`0

Pozniak ss `3`0`0`0

Pietrzyk 1b `3`0`0`0

Mastroddi 3b `3`1`1`0

Sackse c `2`0`0`0

Wilson 2b `3`0`0`0

Ramirez lf `1`0`1`1

Buchman p `1`0`0`0

Reed rf `2`0`1`0

Totals `24`1`4`1

Swoyersville`AB`R`H`BI

Ruff cf `3`1`2`2

Sienkiewicz ss `3`1`1`0

Bird ph `1`0`0`0

Dom Dayo lf `4`0`1`2

Packer c, rf `2`1`1`0

Boos ph `1`0`1`0

Danas 3b, c `4`1`3`0

Raitter rf, 1b `3`1`0`0

Baranski 1b, p `2`0`0`0

McCue p `0`0`0`0

Adanski 3b, p `3`1`2`2

Payne pr `0`1`0`0

Kobusky 2b `2`1`2`2

Totals `28`8`13`8

Hazleton`010`000`0`—`1

Swoyersville `001`430`x`—`8

2B — Mastroddi, Ramirez; 3B — Kobusky.

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

Heim, L `4.0`8`5`5`2`4

Buchman `2.0`5`3`3`1`1

Swoyersville`IP`H`R`ER`BB`SO

McCue W `4.1`4`1`1`0`4

Baranski `1.2 `0`0`0`0`2

Adanski `1.0`0`0`0`0`1

https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/web1_lacrosse-stock-1.jpg.optimal.jpg

By Tom Robinson

For Times Leader