RECAP >> In a span of less than 24 hours, the Emmaus baseball team picked up a pair of non-league wins over two quality opponents to start the 2022 season.
The defending EPC and District XI champion Hornets went on the road Friday to Schuylkill County and handed a 15-win Blue Mountain team a year ago a 6-2 defeat, and then followed it up on Saturday at home at Church Lane Park with a thrilling 6-5 victory over a Warwick squad from the Lancaster-Lebanon League which won 16 games last season.
Yesterday, facing a Warwick team that had reached the PIAA State Tournament a year ago and returned eight out of nine starters, Emmaus needed just one inning to defeat the Warriors as they scored all their runs in the bottom of the fifth inning and then held on late for a one-run victory.
Sophomore Josiah Williams drove in what proved to be the game-winning run as he blasted his first career varsity home run, a two-run shot as part of a six-run inning. Senior Tyler LePage (2-for-3) also had a key hit in the inning with a two-run single.
In the win, senior catcher Dom Chiego went 3-for-4 at the plate with two RBI and classmate Alex Pion picked up his first win of the season in relief of starter senior Colin Foley. Senior Jaden Gallagher earned his first save in relief throwing two scoreless innings
Warwick’s Chase Martin went 2-for-3 in the game and his grandslam in the top of the fifth inning got the Warriors within 6-5 but no closer.
On Friday at Blue Mountain, staff ace senior Luke Deschenes pitched five strong innings and his team backed his effort with nine hits as the Hornets led from start to finish in their four-run win over the Eagles.
Deschenes struck out eight and gave up just a pair of runs while scattering four hits as he earned his first victory of the season.
Chiego, LePage and Foley all had two hits in the win, while Williams and senior Anthony Viola each drove in a pair of runs.
Blue Mountain’s Mike Myro had two of his team’s four hits in the game.
Emmaus will return to action on Monday as they open up Eastern Pennsylvania Conference play traveling to East Stroudsburg North. First pitch is set for 4 p.m.
To stay up to date on the team, follow @Emmaussports.com on twitter and like Emmaus baseball on facebook.
Emmaus 6, Warwick 5 (Saturday)
War – 010 040 0 – 5-7-2
Em – 000 600 x – 6-7-2
War – Josh Zimmerman, Tyson Kline (4), Seth Adomnik (5), Matt Seibert (6) and Chance Montgomery.
Em – Colin Foley, Alex Pion (3), Jaden Gallagher (6) and Dom Chiego.
WP – Pion (1-0), LP – Kline (0-1), S – Gallagher
Emmaus 6, Blue Mt. 2 (Friday)
Em – 210 030 0 – 6-9-0
Blue – 002 000 0 – 2-4-1
Em – Luke Deschenes, Tyler LePage (6) and Dom Chiego.
Blue – Mike Myro, Ryan Grace (5) and N/A
WP – Deschenes (1-0), LP – Myro (0-1)