MOUNTAIN TOP — A two-run cushion quickly turned into nine Monday.
Combined with the pitching of Chris Litchofkski, Crestwood was comfortably on its way to the District 2 Class 4A baseball championship game.
Litchkofski threw a one-hitter and the Comets erupted for seven runs in the second inning as they defeated Wyoming Area 10-0 in five innings in a semifinal game.
Second-seeded Crestwood (13-9) will play top-seeded Mid Valley (18-4) for the championship at 4:30 p.m. Friday at the University of Scranton. Both teams will advance to the state playoffs.
Crestwood has never won a District 2 baseball championship. Mid Valley won the D2-3A championship last year to go along with a pair of D2-2A titles in 1980 and 1985.
“We told our kids this is the one you got to have,” Crestwood coach Sean Foley said. “We’re both going (to states), but there’s a banner inside the school that has nothing on it and it’s basically baseball.”
Crestwood hadn’t played in six days as rain kept postponing Wyoming Area’s quarterfinal game against Honesdale.
Litchkofski showed no rust from the layoff. He gave up an infield single to Jacob Snyder to start the game and then proceeded to strike out seven.
“Pretty much everything (was working) to be honest,” Litchkofski said.
Wyoming Area (12-10) didn’t hit the ball out of the infield until Snyder’s flyout with one out in the fifth.
The Comets scored two runs in the first on an RBI double by Zach Stavish and a bases-loaded walk by Caleb McManus.
“Starting the game off with some runs, I knew I just had to do what I do,” Litchkofski said.
Chase Galella opened the seven-run second with a single and later scored. He closed it by bouncing a two-run single to left field.
In between, Stavish and Jacob Feisel had RBI singles and Josh Mylet and Jason Fedak drew consecutive based-loaded walks.
Stavish’s single was the most unique of the game. He smashed a bases-loaded comeback at Snyder, the Wyoming Area pitcher, and the ball ricocheted off Snyder’s glove to catcher Jeremy Layland.
Galella was able to elude Layland’s tag to score.
Dylan Domzalski scored the 10th run in the third on a wild pitch.
District 2 Class 4A Semifinals
Crestwood 10, Wyoming Area 0
(5 inn.)
Wyoming Area`AB`R`H`BI
Snyder p`2`0`1`0
Rusinchak lf`2`0`0`0
Vacula 3b`2`0`0`0
Rogish rf`1`0`0`0
Fath 2b`1`0`0`0
Speicher 1b`2`0`0`0
Layland c`1`0`0`0
Meade dh`1`0`0`0
DuLucca cf`0`0`0`0
Pugliese p`0`0`0`0
Yatsko 2b`2`0`0`0
Totals`14`0`1`0
Crestwood`AB`R`H`BI
Rodgers ss`2`0`0`0
Domzalski dh`2`2`1`0
Litchkofski p`0`0`0`0
Wagaman 1b`1`2`0`0
Stavish 3b`3`1`2`2
Mylet c`0`0`0`1
Reed cr`0`1`0`0
Fedak lf`2`1`1`1
McManus cf`2`1`0`1
Feisel rf`3`1`1`1
Galella 2b`3`1`2`2
Totals`18`10`7`8
Wyoming Area`000`00 — 0
Crestwood`271`0x — 10
2B — Stavish.
Wyo. Area`IP`H`R`ER`BB`SO
Snyder (L)`1.1`4`6`6`6`2
Pugliese`2.2`3`4`4`1`2
Crestwood`IP`H`R`ER`BB`SO
Litchkofski (W)`5`1`0`0`4`7
