Home run helps turn momentum in Tunkhannock’s favor against Wyoming Area.
By Paul Sokoloski psokoloski@timesleader.com
Times Leader Sports Columnist
TUNKHANNOCK — Unfazed by falling into a bit of a rut, the Tunkhannock Tigers vowed to claw their way out.
Wyoming Area catcher Kody Nowicki, back, tags out Tunkhannock’s Randy Thompson at home plate in a District 2 Class 3A semifinal baseball game at Tunkhannock on Wednesday afternoon.
BILL TARUTIS/FOR THE TIMES LEADER
One of the oddest home run swings imaginable put them over the top.
Rich Condeelis clubbed a two-run blast in the bottom of the fourth inning Wednesday, triggering an 11-run outburst over the final two frames that sent Tunkhannock past Wyoming Area, 13-3, and into today’s District 2 Class 3A championship game
“It’s been our goal since the start of the season,” Condeelis said.
It’s a dream that was nearly derailed.
Gritty Wyoming Area, which transformed from a one-win team to the brink of a district championship game in the span of a season, rallied around Chris Murphy’s double to take a 3-2 lead in the top of the fourth inning.
But Condeelis brought a shot of momentum right back to Tunkhannock from the eighth spot in the batting order.
Using an awkward swing that looked more like he was trying to knock down a beehive than hit a baseball, Condeelis stung the Warriors. He tomahawked an opposite-field drive over the right field wall, also scoring Wes Custer to give the Tigers a 4-3 lead.
“I knew it was a high pitch, a little outside,” Condeelis said. “I just went with it. I wasn’t thinking a home run or anything, just, ‘Get on.’ There are guys behind me.”
Those guys followed his lead just fine.
Kyle Cavany, Ty Saylor and Mike Healey all followed with RBI singles – with only Healey’s leaving the infield – as the Tigers used a five-run inning to turn a one-run deficit into a 7-3 lead.
“Nobody really looked back after that,” Condeelis said.
Tunkhannock ended the game early in the next inning, when Saylor’s bases-clearing double and Healey’s RBI single stopped the district semifinal showdown by the 10-run rule.
But it all started with a curious swing by Condeelis.
“That was the turning point of the game,” said Tunkhannock coach Gary Custer, whose 15-2 team will play for its fourth District 2 title and first since 1999 again Coughlin at 4:30 p.m. today at the Pittston Area Primary Center.
Wyoming Area threatened to turn the tables on the second-seeded Tigers.
Trailing 2-0 in the top of the fourth inning, the Warriors put together a three-run rally against Tunkhannock’s hard-throwing Mike Papi.
Kody Nowicki and Dylan Maloney drew walks, and Chris Murphy drilled a double to plate Wyoming Area’s first run. Two more scored on an infield error, with Murphy racing home from second on the play to give Wyoming Area a 3-2 lead.
“We knew they were a good team,” Condeelis said. “We knew what they were capable of. We just didn’t lose confidence.”
Wyoming Area lost its lead when starting pitcher Andre Harris was removed from the game after holding Tunkhannock to two hits – but with three walks – over the first three innings.
“It was just time for a change,” Wyoming Area coach Chick Andrewscavage said.
The Tigers scored their final 11 runs against three Wyoming Area relievers.
“We’re very, very proud of them for what they did,” Andrewscavage said of his Warriors, who wound up 11-6 after a 1-14 finish in 2009. “Tunkhannock is a good team. They do everything well. We’re hoping to use this as a building block and show the kids we can do it.”
District 2 Class 3A semifinal
| Wyoming Area |
Tunkhannock |
|
ab |
r |
H |
bi |
|
ab |
r |
h |
bi |
| Carroll cf,3b |
3 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
K.Custer lf |
4 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| Harris p |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
Cavany cf |
2 |
3 |
1 |
1 |
| Bott lf,cf |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
Papi p |
2 |
2 |
1 |
0 |
| Colarusso 1b |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
Saylor 3b |
2 |
1 |
2 |
4 |
| Bone dh |
3 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
Sick rf |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| Furman ss |
3 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
Healey dh |
4 |
1 |
3 |
2 |
| McDermott 2b |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
Strohl ss |
3 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
| Eramo rf |
3 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
W.Custer 2b |
3 |
2 |
1 |
0 |
| Nowicki c |
2 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
Condeelis 1b |
2 |
2 |
1 |
2 |
| Maloney lf,p |
2 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
Goodwin c |
3 |
2 |
3 |
1 |
| Murphy 3b,p |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
|
|
|
|
|
| Bellino 1b,p |
2 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Totals |
20 |
3 |
3 |
1 |
Totals |
25 |
13 |
13 |
11 |
| Wyoming Area |
000 |
30 |
|
— |
3 |
| Tunkhannock |
011 |
56 |
|
— |
13 |
2B – Murphy, Eramo; Strohl, Saylor. HR – Condeelis.
|
IP |
H |
R |
ER |
BB |
SO |
| Wyoming Areaaa |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Harris |
3 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
3 |
0 |
| Maloney |
2/3 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
1 |
0 |
| Murphy |
2/3 |
3 |
6 |
4 |
3 |
1 |
| Bellino |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| Tunkhannock |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Papi |
5 |
3 |
3 |
1 |
5 |
7 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
One out when game-ending run scored.
