Wyoming Valley West had lost four straight on the road, but on Tuesday they dropped their record down to 6-10 to make it five. They fell just short of the Pittston Patriots by a score of 7-5. Unfortunately, that's the second time they've come up short against the Patriots this season, as they also lost their prior matchup 20-0 two weeks ago.
Wyoming Valley West got a good showing from Derek Rukstalis, who pitched three innings while giving up just one earned run off three hits. Rukstalis has been consistent recently: he hasn't given up more than one earned run any time he's pitched this season.
On the hitting side, Noah Fetko made the most of his time at bat despite the final result and went 2-for-3 with one home run, two runs, and two RBI.
As for Pittston, the win keeps they at an undefeated 15-0. The victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 1.8 runs on average this season.
On Pittston's side, they got a great performance from TJ Johnson as he tossed six innings while giving up three earned (and one unearned) runs off five hits.
At the plate, Pittston let Nick Innamorati and Dom Innamorati run wild. Nick went a perfect 3-for-3 with three stolen bases, two doubles, and one run, while Dom went 2-for-3 with two stolen bases, one triple, and two RBI. Those three stolen bases gave Nick a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Chase Montigney, who went 1-for-2 with one triple, one run, and one RBI.
Both teams are looking forward to the support of their home crowds in their upcoming games. Wyoming Valley West will host Crestwood at 4:15 p.m. on Thursday. As for Pittston, they will welcome Holy Redeemer at 4:15 p.m. on Wednesday. The two teams have allowed few runs on average (the Patriots 1.8, the Royals 2.8) so any runs scored will be well earned.
