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TUNKHANNOCK — In the quarterfinals of the PIAA Championships last year, Dallas pitcher Darren Kerdesky got out of a bases-loaded, no-out jam en route to a shutout win during the Mountaineers’ state title run.
Ten months later, Kerdesky was in the same situation against Wyoming Valley Conference rival Tunkhannock on Wednesday afternoon.
This time, the righthander allowed one run to score, but the team got a huge boost and immediately rallied to score three runs as Dallas knocked off the Tigers 6-2.
“It gives the team a lot of confidence for the rest of the game,” Kerdesky said about getting out of a similar tough situation. “It gives me a lot of confidence because then I know my team is going to be making a lot of plays for me, and I knew we were probably going to get more runs.”
In a scoreless game in the bottom of the third, Tunkhannock loaded the bases on a pair of walks sandwiched around a double. But Kerdesky then got Nick Reposa on strikes before Matt Goodwin hit a sacrifice fly, with the third out being made on the bases.
“You’re facing the guys that killed us last year in (Tyler) Faux, Reposa, Goodwin, (David) Baltrusaitis,” Dallas coach Ken Kashatus said. “All those guys had good games against us last year, and to manage to get out of there with one run after bases loaded and no out, that’s like winning the inning.
“I felt like we were off the hook after giving up just one because I felt like we could get one or two or three. But in that spot, they had the right guys batting, I believe, and it worked out for us.”
Not only did Kerdesky get confidence from getting out of the jam, the whole team did.
Six of the first seven batters in the top of the fourth reached base for the Mountaineers (2-0 WVC Division 2) on three singles, two walks and a Tunkhannock error as Dallas took a 3-1 lead.
Kerdesky settled in as well, not allowing a hit until he was taken out in the sixth. All afternoon, he showed good command of his fastball. And when the fastball velocity declined, his breaking ball kept the hitters off-balance. He struck out five and allowed just three hits and four walks in five-plus innings on the chilly and breezy afternoon.
The junior was relieved by Alex Kapral in the sixth after giving up a double to Reposa and walking Goodwin. The double by Reposa was the first hit off Kerdesky for Tunkhannock since the third.
“It took me a while to really zone in. And once I did, I could just place it wherever I wanted to,” Kerdesky said about his fastball command. “I have a lot of confidence in my (breaking ball) and once I started getting ahead in the count, I started just putting it in there and getting a lot of strikes.”
The Tigers also loaded the bases with no outs in the sixth. Kapral allowed an inherited run to score on a fielder’s choice.
Preceding that inning by Tunkhannock was another three-run inning by Dallas in the top of the frame. The Mountaineers took advantage of two Tigers errors in the sixth and got a sac fly from Mike Luksic to open a 6-1 lead.
Tunkhannock (1-2) was one of just two teams to finish within one run of Dallas during the postseason last year. Goodwin gave the Tigers a strong start on the mound going 5 1/3 innings, striking out three and giving up three earned runs on six hits. Tunkhannock’s Denny Robinson and Reposa accounted for the game’s only extra-base hits with doubles.
“They got a lot of good guys and whenever I face them I know I gotta hit my spots and just hope for the best,” Kerdesky said.
Dallas and Tunkhannock, which squared off four times last season, will meet in the regular season again on May 7 at Dallas.
Wyoming Valley West 6, Crestwood 1
Catcher Stephen Banas scored a run and drove in two runs after hitting two doubles for Wyoming Valley West. Patrick Adamski went 6.1 innings, striking out 13 batters en route to the win.
Crestwood’s designated hitter Colin Macko scored the Comets only run of the day.
Wyoming Area 8, Berwick 1
Six different batters had two hits for Wyoming Area. Center fielder Marc Minichello scored three runs to go along with two hits while Dylan Melberger added two hits and drove in two runs.
Henry Novicki had two hits for Berwick.
Pittston Area 13, Coughlin 1
After scoring 13 runs, Pittston Area enforced the mercy rule after five innings against Coughlin. Kevin Krawcyzk had three hits in the contest scoring and driving in a run. Johnny DeLucca and Joe Stella scored three runs each for Pittston Area.
Hanover Area 5, GAR 1
The Hawkeyes scored five unanswered runs led by a 3-for-4 effort from Sean Hart (two doubles, two RBI). Brett Stevens struck out six in six innings for the win.
Noah Taylor doubled and drove in the lone run for the Grenadiers.
Wyoming Seminary 12, MMI Prep 8
The Blue Knights answered a seven-run third inning from the Preppers with three runs in the home half of the frame to grab the lead back. Caleb Jerome homered and drove in three runs, while Michael Oravic and Gavin Flanley had two hits apiece.
George Palermo topped MMI with two hits, including a home run, and two RBI.
Dallas 6, Tunkhannock 2
Dallas`AB`R`H`BI
Kerdesky p`3`1`1`0
Connolly 3b`1`0`0`0
Luksic 3b`2`0`0`1
McCrum ss`4`0`1`0
Kocher dh`3`1`1`0
Zawatski rf`0`0`0`0
Kapral p`0`0`0`0
Mathers c`4`0`2`0
Patton lf`4`1`2`0
Holdredge 1b`4`0`1`1
Lombardo`2b`4`1`1`0
Lewis cf`2`1`0`1
Totals`31`6`9`2
Tunkhannock`AB`R`H`BI
Faux ss`3`0`0`0
Reposa 2b`3`1`0`0
Goodwin p`1`0`0`1
Mislevy c`2`0`0`0
Baltrusaitis 1b`3`0`0`0
Delak 3b`3`0`1`0
Munley cf`3`0`0`0
Stephens rf`2`1`0`0
Robinson lf`3`0`1`0
Totals`23`2`3`1
2B: Reposa, Robinson
Dallas`000`303`0 – 6
Tunkhannock`001`001`0 – 2
Dallas`IP`H`R`ER`BB`SO
Kerdesky (W)` 5+`2`2`2`4`5
Kapral`2`1`0`0`1`2
Tunkhannock`IP`H`R`ER`BB`SO
Goodwin (L)`5.1`6`5`3`3`3
Stephens`1.2`3`1`1`1`0
Wyoming Valley West 6, Crestwood 1
Wyoming Valley West`AB`R`H`BI
Okane lf`4`1`1`1
Ruff cf`3`0`1`0
Sienkiewicz ss`4`0`0`0
Packer rf`1`1`0`0
Kane 1b`3`0`0`0
Baranski 2b`3`1`1`1
Federici 3b`2`1`0`0
Banas c`4`1`2`2
Kobusky 2b/p`2`1`1`1
Totals`26`6`7`5
Crestwood`AB`R`H`BI
B. Caladie ss`4`0`1`0
Chalk 1b`0`0`0`0
Mack0 dh`1`1`0`0
Darden c`2`0`0`0
Knapp p/lf`3`0`0`0
Palmiero 3b`3`0`1`1
Brozena rf`3`0`0`0
Bufunno lf`1`0`1`0
Jones p`1`0`0`0
Taleroski cf`4`0`0`0
S. Caladie ph`1`0`0`0
Toronzi 2b`2`0`0`0
Kindler ph`1`0`0`0
Totals`26`1`3`1
Wyoming Valley West`020`400`1 — 6
Crestwood`000`100`0 — 1
2B — WVW Stephen Banas (2), Kobusky
Wyoming Valley West`IP`H`R`ER`BB`SO
Adamski,W`6.1`3`1`1`4`13
Kobusky`.2`0`0`0`0`0
Crestwood`IP`H`R`ER`BB`SO
Knapp,L`3.1`3`4`4`5`2
Jones`2.2`2`1`0`0`2
Kaminski`1.0`1`1`1`0`2
Wyoming Area 8, Berwick 1
Berwick`AB`R`H`BI
Markle ss`4`0`1`0
Kishbaugh 3b`3`0`0`0
Novicki 1b`4`1`2`0
Slusser dh`3`0`1`0
Marshman lf`3`0`0`0
McCracken 2b`3`0`2`1
Gearinger cf`2`0`0`0
Tanribilir rf`2`0`1`0
Kemp p`1`0`0`0
Lombargo p`1`0`0`0
Totals`26`1`7`1
Wyoming Area`AB`R`H`BI
Minichello cf`3`3`2`0
Yochem dh`3`2`2`0
Melberger 3b`4`0`2`2
Wright p/rf`3`1`2`1
Coolbaugh rf/p`4`2`2`2
Petrucci c`3`0`2`1
Rome 1b`2`0`1`0
Wiedl ss`3`0`0`0
Angellela 2b`3`0`0`0
Totals`28`8`13`7
Berwick`001`000`0 — 1
Wyoming Area`114`101`0 — 8
2B — WA Minichello, Rome ; 3B — WA Coolbaugh 2
Berwick`IP`H`R`ER`BB`SO
Kemp,L`3.0`7`6`6`1`1
McCracken`2.0`3`1`1`1`0
Cerminaro`1.0`3`1`1`0`0
Wyoming Area`IP`H`R`ER`BB`SO
Wright,W`5.0`7`1`1`2`5
Coolbaugh`2.0`0`0`0`2`4
Pittston Area 13, Coughlin 1
Coughlin`AB`R`H`BI
Oko cf`2`0`0`0
E Biniek cf`1`0`0`0
Marek ss`1`0`0`0
T Wozniak ss`1`0`1`1
Wozniak p`1`0`0`0
M Zalaffi p`1`0`0`0
Egidio lf`1`0`0`0
Yozwiak 1b`2`0`0`0
Rhodes c`2`0`1`0
D Bronack c`2`0`0`0
J Rodriquez c`0`0`0`0
Clarke 2b`2`0`0`0
Betancourt 2b`1`0`0`0
T Smith 2b`1`0`0`0
Bronack dh`1`1`1`0
Ceklosky dh`1`0`0`0
Totals`20`1`3`1
Pittston Area`AB`R`H`BI
Ralston cf`4`1`3`1
K Krawcyzk`3`2`1`1
DeLucca`2`3`2`1
Brody 1b`0`3`0`0
Stella 3b`3`2`2`3
Cunius 2b`2`1`0`0
Cherkas`2`0`0`1
McAndrew`2`o`1`1
Spurlin c`2`1`1`1
H Ralston p`3`0`0`0
Totals`23`13`10`8
Coughlin`001`00 — 1
Pittston Area`364`0o — 13
2B — PA Stella; 3B — COU Bronak
Coughlin`IP`H`R`ER`BB`SO
Wozniak,L`1.2`5`7`7`1`1
Zalaffi`0.2`4`6`2`2`0
Naperkowski`1.2`1`0`0`0`2
Pittston Area`IP`H`R`ER`BB`SO
H Ralston,W`3.0`3`1`1`0`4
Mascelli`1.0`0`0`0`0`2
Cherkas`1.0`0`0`0`0`1
Hanover Area 5, GAR 1
Hanover Area`AB`R`H`BI
Polanco 2b`4`0`0`0
Piscotty cf`4`0`1`0
Clarke ss`2`1`1`0
Stefanowicz 1b`2`1`0`0
Hart c`4`2`3`2
Kolbicka 3b`4`0`0`0
Stevens p`0`0`0`0
Mercandante dh`3`1`1`0
Quaglia rf`4`0`1`0
Murphy lf`3`0`1`2
Totals`30`5`8`4
GAR`AB`R`H`BI
Peguero cf`4`0`0`0
Peter 2b`4`0`0`0
ODay ss`3`0`0`0
Soto c`2`0`1`0
Vicioso 1b`3`1`0`0
Taylor 3b`3`0`1`1
Diaz p`0`0`0`0
Disla dh`3`0`2`0
Plancenio lf`2`0`0`0
Farrell rf`3`0`1`0
Totals`27`1`6`1
Hanover Area`000`201`2 — 5
GAR`010`000`0 — 1
2B — Hart 2, Piscotty, Soto, Taylor
Hanover`IP`H`R`ER`BB`SO
Stevens, W`6.1`6`1`0`2`6
Piscotty`0.2`1`0`0`0`1
GAR`IP`H`R`ER`BB`SO
Diaz, L`6.0`6`5`3`4`4
Taylor`1.0`2`0`0`0`0
Wyo. Seminary 12, MMI Prep 8
MMI Prep`AB`R`H`BI
Jordan rf`3`0`1`2
Danchision 2b`1`1`0`0
Palermo ss`4`2`2`2
Kassick cf`3`1`0`0
Book c`3`1`1`1
Hoover 3b`4`1`1`0
McNulty 1b`1`0`1`0
Warner 1b`2`1`1`1
Lobitz p`0`0`0`0
Crockford dh`2`0`0`1
Badamo lf`3`1`1`1
Totals`26`8`8`8
Wyo. Seminary`AB`R`H`BI
Phillips ss`1`2`0`1
Nockley 3b`4`1`1`2
Oravic c`4`1`2`2
Negron rf-1b`3`0`0`0
Sweitzer 2b`3`1`1`0
Jerome 1b`3`2`2`3
Kachi 1b-cf`0`0`0`0
Hromisin cf`4`0`1`1
Nardone p`1`0`0`0
Lonstein p`2`0`0`0
Flanley lf`2`3`2`0
Totals`27`12`9`9
MMI Prep`007`100`0 — 8
Seminary`513`030`x — 12
2B — Jordan, Badamo; HR — Jerome, Palermo
MMI Prep`IP`H`R`ER`BB`SO
Lobitz, L`2.1`6`8`6`4`4
Jordan`3.2`3`4`0`1`0
Seminary`IP`H`R`ER`BB`SO
Nardone`3.0`7`7`7`5`0
Lonstein, W`4.0`1`1`1`3`3