HONESDALE – Honesdale has followed up its first division baseball title since 2001 with two wins to move to the brink of its first District championship ever in the sport.
Joseph Curreri tossed a four-hitter Friday while Max Mickel supplied both offense and defense as the Hornets defeated visiting Valley View, 4-1, in a District 2 Class 4A semifinal.
The win over Division 1 member Valley View sends the Lackawanna League Division 2 champion Hornets into Tuesday’s 6:30 p.m. district championship game at PNC Field against Dallas.
“We knew Valley View was a good team and would be a challenge, but we played good competition in our division all year,” Honesdale coach Ernie Griffis said. “Riverside is in the (Class 3A) final, Mid Valley had a great year and Old Forge is a stellar program.
“We did our best to schedule some tough opponents in the non-conference as well. People can say what they want, but we feel good about how we’re playing and hopefully we can keep it going.”
Honesdale (18-4) takes the top seed into the meeting with second-seeded Dallas (14-7).
Curreri struck out eight, walked just one and only gave up an earned run.
“Joseph has been a bulldog all year for us,” Griffis said. “He did a great job pitching to contact, getting ahead in the count, and you saw what happens when our guys pitch to contact.”
Aside from the unearned run, Curreri benefitted from a strong defensive game behind him, including center fielder Mickel’s difficult catch to end the top of the fifth with a runner on third.
“Those guys in the outfield covering ground like that gave us a big lift,” Griffis said. “Two great diving catches by Max and Pete (Modrovsky) in back-to-back innings, really helping our pitcher out. Even the last play of the game, the one-hopper to short wasn’t easy, but Nate (Hugaboom) was able to knock it down and recover to make the play.”
Nate Greene singled twice and scored both times for the Hornets.
Greene singled with one out in the second and scored on a balk.
The Cougars got out of the inning with a double play, getting the first out at first base and throwing out the other at the plate on a groundball.
Valley View tied the game in the top of the third.
Logan McConnell, who singled twice for the Cougars, led off with a single. McConnell kept going from first to third on a sacrifice bunt, drawing a wild throw that allowed him to score.
Honesdale went right back in front in the bottom of the inning.
Grant Tonkin led off with a single and an error on a bunt put a second runner on. Mickel then delivered a two-run double for a 3-1 lead.
Greene scored the last run in the fourth. After his single, he eventually scored on a Tonkin sacrifice fly.
Zach Cwalinski went the distance for Valley View. He held Honesdale to two earned runs on five hits while striking out six and walking one.
Honesdale 11, Berwick 0
Nathan Hugaboom went 2-for-2 with a triple, three RBIs and two runs in Wednesday’s five-inning quarterfinal victory.
The Hornets scored nine runs in the third for an 11-0 lead and put the game away on the 10-run rule.
Peter Modrovsky struck out nine while holding Berwick scoreless on two hits for four innings. Bryce Dressler worked a hitless, scoreless inning.
Trent Gombita, who homered, and Jake Mundy each had two hits.
Gombita, Mickel and Tonkin drove in two runs each. Mickel had a triple.
Jackson Morton scored twice.
EDITOR’S NOTE: This story was created from the reporting of Paul Gerrity.
MORE CLASS 4A COVERAGE
Dallas-Scranton Prep semifinal game story: Rischawy leads Dallas into final – NEPA Sports Nation.
Dallas-Tunkhannock quarterfinal game story: Dallas sweeps Tigers in baseball – NEPA Sports Nation.
