Lake-Lehman and Scranton Prep are back in the District 2 Class 3A baseball final, but it is a less surprising development this time around.
The teams meet for the title Tuesday at 4:30 at the Pittston Area Primary Center for the title, then both move on to the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association state tournament.
The winner will play June 6 at a District 2 site against the District 1-11 Subregional champion. The runner-up hits the road to play the District 4 champion.
Lake-Lehman won last year’s district final, 5-0, after Scranton Prep won consecutive road games to make the final as the seventh seed.
This year, the Cavaliers are the second seed behind the Black Knights.
A recap of the first two rounds of the district tournament.
MAY 23 QUARTERFINALS
Lake-Lehman 9, Holy Redeemer 1
Nick Finarelli struck out 11 in a one-hitter as Lake-Lehman opened its title defense with a victory.
Graedon Finarelli drove in three runs and Cole Morio scored three times.
Cole Kaiser, who was 2-for-2, and Ty Federici each had a double and single. Kaiser drove in two runs.
Mike Sholtis and Morio also had two hits. Sholtis scored twice.
Jake Griffin’s second-inning solo homer was the only Holy Redeemer hit.
Lakeland 8, Mid Valley 5
Lakeland broke a scoreless tie with seven runs in the top of the fourth on the way to the road win.
Tyler Mullen went 3-for-4 with a run and an RBI for the Chiefs. Logan Fuga had two hits; Tyler Uram doubled and drove in two runs; and Evan Pochas scored twice and drove in two runs.
Justin Longo drove in two runs for Mid Valley.
Nanticoke 7, Dunmore 1
Brandon Wozniak and Ayden Everett each had three of Nanticoke’s 15 hits.
Wozniak doubled twice, scored twice and drove in a run. Everett drove in two runs and scored one.
Justin Spencer tossed a three-hitter, striking out four and walking two.
Scranton Prep 4, Montrose 0
Zachary Cwalinski struck out nine and did not walk a batter in a one-hit shutout.
The game was scoreless until Scranton Prep scored two runs each in the bottom of the fifth and sixth innings.
Noah Sorenson homered and drove in two runs. Brian Walsh tripled, scored and drove in a run.
Alex Warriner had the only Montrose hit.
MAY 25 SEMIFINALS
Lake-Lehman 4, Lakeland 3
Lakeland took the lead on the top-seeded Black Knights in the top of the seventh, but Lake-Lehman came back with two runs in the bottom of the seventh to pull out the win.
Graedon Finarelli led off the bottom of the seventh with a home run for his third hit of the game, forcing a 3-3 tie.
Nick Finarelli doubled and scored on Federici’s single before the Chiefs could record an out in the inning.
Federici started and pitched into the seventh inning before winning pitcher Gavin Wallace got the last two outs in the top of the seventh. They combined on a four-hitter.
Kyle Lidy was 2-for-3 for Lakeland.
Scranton Prep 6, Nanticoke 0
Winning pitcher Walsh had a double, single and an RBI.
Walsh threw a three-hitter for Scranton Prep’s second straight playoff shutout. He struck out 10 and walked 2.
Roman Valvano drove in two runs for the Cavaliers.
