In Hughestown, Silvio Giardina of Pittston Area had to wait nearly a year for a moment like this.
After being injured for most of 2023, Giardina came through with an RBI double in the bottom of the seventh inning, helping Pittston Area win 5-4 against Hazleton Area in a Wyoming Valley Conference Division 1 baseball game on Tuesday.
Giardina, a junior committed to Lehigh University, said, "A walk-off is always the highlight of the season. But we can’t dwell on it. We have to come back tomorrow. We have a big game tomorrow, and we treat everything like we’re playing the best team around."
Giardina’s double followed Drew DeLucca's two-run single to center, tying the score 4-4. Dominic Innamorati then hit an infield single to set up Giardina’s drive to deep center.
The rally started with the bottom of the order. Gavin Wadecki reached on an error, Richie Tonte singled to left, and then Steve Barnic, pinch running for Tonte, and Wadecki moved to second and third on a sacrifice bunt by nine-hole hitter Elijah Mead.
Giardina mentioned, "Our lineup is very interchangeable. We could have anyone lead off, anyone hit ninth. Every one of our guys are great hitters, great baseball players. They all know the game, and I love playing with every one of them."
Giardina’s double secured Pittston Area (1-0 Div. 1, 4-1 overall) their first divisional win. Defending divisional champ Hazleton Area fell to 0-1 in the division and 1-3 overall.
Until the seventh, the Patriots struggled at the plate, loading the bases in the fourth and fifth innings but failing to score. The final out of the fifth showed their frustrations, as DeLucca's hit was caught near the fence by Hazleton Area's right fielder Chris Florentino.
Pittston Area coach Paul Zaffuto said, "I just told them after the game, we only had two subpar at-bats all day. We hit the ball well, but they made plays. The ball that was caught with the bases loaded that DeLucca hit, I mean that’s a Major League play he made. We hit some balls right on the line.
"We had good at-bats against good pitching, so I was pleased. We just didn’t get the crucial hit we needed until the last inning."
Hazleton Area went ahead 3-2 in the fifth with Richie Rossi's bunt bringing in a run and Jamie Martoccio hitting an RBI single. The Cougars increased their lead to 4-2 in the sixth when Ryan Schmidt, running for Nick Ledger who had singled, scored from second on an error.
Giardina also pitched and secured the win, throwing two innings of relief. Hazleton Area got their first two batters on base in the seventh, but he picked off a runner at second and got a liner and grounder to end the threat.
Pittston Area 5, Hazleton Area 4
Hazleton Area`AB`R`H`BI
Rossi cf`3`1`0`2
Florentino rf`2`0`0`0
Martoccio 3b-2b`2`0`1`1
Doganiero p-dh`4`0`1`0
Diaz 2b`0`0`0`0
Higgins 2b-3b`4`0`0`0
Ledger c`2`0`1`0
Marino lf`3`0`0`0
Soquiel lf`0`0`0`0
Aponick ss-p`2`2`0`0
Schmidt cr`0`1`0`0
Racho 1b`0`0`0`0
Totals`22`4`3`3
Pittston Area`AB`R`H`BI
DeLucca cf`5`1`2`3
D.Innamorati lf`4`1`1`0
Giardina ss-p`3`0`1`1
Aftewicz c`4`0`1`0
Widdick 2b-ss`4`0`2`0
Harnen dh`4`0`1`0
Wardecki 1b`4`0`1`0
Cerasaro pr`0`1`0`0
Barnic pr`0`1`0`0
Tonte 3b-ss`4`1`1`0
Mead rf`2`0`1`0
Totals`34`5`11`4
Hazleton Area`001`021`0 — 4
Pittston Area`001`100`3 — 5
2B — Giardina. 3B — Widdick.
Hazleton Area`IP`H`R`ER`BB`SO
Doganiero`3.1`2`2`0`2`2
Aponick (L)`3.0`9`3`2`1`4
Pittston Area`IP`H`R`ER`BB`SO
Johnson`5`2`3`2`3`1
Giardina (W)`2`1`1`0`2`1
