S-MC remains in contention

SHAMOKIN - Shamokin-Mount Carmel's American Legion team has been riding a winning formula lately. Get good pitching and defense, mix in just enough hitting, and win.

It worked again Thursday.

Mike Domaleski and Mike Stutzcavage combined to limit Milton to six hits, leadoff hitter Mark Minnig went 3-for-3 with a double and scored two runs, and Bobby Shustack had two hits and drove in two runs as Shamokin-Coal Township beat Milton, 3-2, at Glenn Parks Memorial Field to keep its playoff hopes alive in the Susquehanna Valley League.

Shamokin-Mount Carmel is 5-6 in the league after and has won five of its last six games to stay in contention, if barely, after a rugged start.

"We're in sixth place right now," said Coach Joe Varano. "I'll have to go home tonight and take a look at the standings and talk to the president. We still need some things to happen, but who knows?"

The situation could make necessary a return trip to West Snyder, where the team had a game rained out last Friday in the second inning.

"We told each other that if either of us needed it for the playoffs, we'd make it up, so we might have to," Varano said.

Last night's game had the feel of a playoff game, with Domaleski and Milton pitcher Andy Milheim hooking up in a solid pitcher's duel. Domaleski worked six innings, gave up five hits, struck out seven and walked four. Stutzcavage struck out the side in the seventh inning for the save, although he had to do that around a bases-loaded jam.

"Stutz has been doing a good job coming out of the bullpen, and that was a good spot to use him to build some confidence," Varano said. "Mike (Domaleski) pitched a heck of a game, but his pitch count was up over a hundred pitches and I thought he might be getting a little tired. Stutz throws a real heavy ball, and when he's throwing strikes, he's tough. He got himself in some trouble but he worked out of it."

Stutzcavage gave up a leadoff single to Tyler Morton, who stole second and third, struck out Raymond Adames, walked Jarrett Martin, struck out Braden Bastian looking, walked Ty Sampsell, and then fanned Brandon Herman to end the game.

Shamokin-Mount Carmel took a 2-0 lead in the first inning. Minnig singled to lead off the game, Jimmy Lesko was hit by a pitch, and Shustack delivered a run-scoring single. Lesko was awarded two bases, for the second run, on an overthrow to home by Milton leftfielder Heath Firman. But after Jeremy Yacobacci was hit by a pitch, Owen Hager grounded into an unassisted double play to first baseman Jarrett Martin to end the inning.

"The way that inning started, I thought we were going to score a lot of runs," Varano said. "The double play killed us."

After that, Milheim settled in. He ended up pitching all six innings, and gave up just six hits and one more run. He struck out three and walked three.

Milton picked up a run in the second on a groundout RBI by Firman, but Shamokin-Coal Township scored what turned out to be the decisive run in the fifth. Minnig led off with a double and scored on Shustack's one-out single.

Milton got a run back in the sixth on Firman's sacrifice fly after singles by Bastian and Sampsell.