Behind an 11-strikeout performance from Luca DeCosmo, coupled with a six-run first inning, Hazleton Township propelled themselves to an 8-5 elimination game victory on the road at Towamensing Monday night.
The first inning saw ten batters step to the plate and six come around to score, though the early rally seemed improbable at first. Leadoff batter Rony Peguero started the game with a single into right field. However, after D’Wen Soto was struck out by Dillon Welsh, Peguero was picked off at first base, unable to get back to the bag before being tagged out.
That’s when Township got to work. DeCosmo deposited a ball in left field and then was tripled home by Jose Mendez on a ball that rolled to the fence in right. On a ball hit through the infield by Luis Montero that was mishandled at short, Mendez came around to move the score to 2-0. Brady Barkanic then doubled into the right-center gap. A bad throw from center field that got by the third baseman allowed both Montero and Barkanic to score, increasing the lead to 4-0.
The third out remained elusive. Two batters later, Jonathan Montero doubled to right, bringing Mike Demusz in. Aiden Marolo singled him home to put Hazle Township up 6-0 before Towamensing finally got their first turn at-bat.
“I think that really helped our dugout [get] hyped so we could carry that through the game.” Luca DeCosmo spoke about his team’s quick start.
Towamensing found themselves on the verge of their own big rally in the bottom of the first. After Bryce Baumgardt knocked in Dillon Welsh to make the score 6-1, the next two batters walked to load the bases with just one out. Unfortunately for Towamensing, Nick Peters hit an easy comebacker to Luis Montero on the mound, who threw a little high, but got the out at home. He then fanned Evan Kresge to get out of trouble, stranding the bases full.
Then, with Montero at the 35-pitch threshold, coach Ryan DeCosmo switched pitchers, handing the ball to Luca. All Luca did was strike out 11 batters and hold down the entirety of the Towamensing lineup for the next 3.2 innings.
It wouldn’t be easy, though. After Township tacked on two more runs in the third, Towamensing got two into scoring position with two outs in the bottom of the inning. DeCosmo struck out Jake Burger to strand two more. On the night, nine Towamensing runners were left on the bases.
The next chance for the home team came in the fifth when Welsh doubled to right. Jonny Bielling came around to score, and on a delayed throw in from the outfield, Welsh also scored, shrinking the Towamensing deficit to 8-3. After a walk, DeCosmo picked up a big strikeout of Baumgardt, who had been on a tear so far in the All-Star season.
“I just tried to get the ball over the plate and just work with what I have and what I saw the batters can and can’t do. If I saw a guy couldn’t hit an inside pitch, I’d try to work inside.”
DeCosmo worked around four hits and with just three outs to get, Hazle Township was ahead 8-3. However, with DeCosmo’s pitch limit of 85 reached following a leadoff walk, it would be up to Aiden Marolo to close things out.
With their season on the line, Towamensing did their best to take advantage of the pitching change. Bentley Stevens singled to left and Kresge walked to load the bases with one out. Aiden Timko walked on a 3-1 count to force in a run and cut the lead to 8-4. Wesley Good came up as the tying run and hit into a fielders choice which allowed another run to score, but more importantly for Township, they recorded an out at third base. Marolo struck out Bielling looking to end the threat, the game, and Towamensing’s All-Star season.
“After I got taken out, I was in here in the dugout and my leg was going and I was really nervous,” DeCosmo said of the final inning and drama-filled finish.
The contributions for Hazle Township came from the entire lineup–the fifth through ninth batters combined for six hits, while the top four in the lineup accounted for five more.
“I definitely think we have a strong lineup through the whole thing, the way we have it setup.”
Hazle Township now hosts Jim Thorpe Wednesday night at 6:00 in a District 18 elimination game.
LSV Sports 
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