SCRANTON — Abington Heights catcher Gavin LaCoe achieved a baseball rarity July 1 while playing in an all-star game for recent Lackawanna League graduates at Connell Park.
LaCoe was responsible for all three outs in the third inning by throwing out runners trying to steal bases against him.
That effort came while playing for the Red team during a 12-4 loss to the White in the second annual game, sponsored by the 570 Sports Show. The game, which ended in the top of the sixth inning because of rain, switched from a Lackawanna vs. Wyoming Valley Conference format this season to become simply a Lackawanna game.
White won the game with eight runs in the top of the fifth.
Owen Lisk from Lackawanna Division 4 champion Lackawanna Trail reached base on a fielder’s choice in his only plate appearance and scored one of the eight fifth-inning runs.
Lisk was part of the Conte Paving-sponsored team that also included players from Blue Ridge, Delaware Valley, Holy Cross, Lakeland, Old Forge, Riverside, West Scranton and Western Wayne.
LaCoe and Abington Heights teammates Noah O’Malley and Cole Vida played for the White, which was sponsored by Jimmy John’s. The team also had players from Elk Lake, Mid Valley, Montrose, Mountain View, Valley View and Wallenpaupack.
O’Malley pitched two innings. Vida was set to pitch the same, but after facing one batter, the game was stopped. LaCoe, who was 0-for-2 at the plate, helped keep Red in the game early with his defensive work.
LaCoe is headed to Mount Mt. Mary’s in Emmitsburg, Md. to play National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I baseball.
During his senior season, he was part of a Comets team that won the Lackawanna Division 1 title, finishing third on the team with 11 runs batted in. LaCoe also struck out five of the seven batters he faced while filling in as a pitcher, posting a save by striking out the side in a minimum nine pitches.
North Pocono and Scranton supplied players to both teams in the senior game.
Scranton’s Billy Fox and Wallenpaupack’s T.J. Schmalzle were the game’s Most Valuable Players.
Fox was 2-for-2 with a double and two RBI. He reached based by being hit by a pitch in his other plate appearance. Schmalzle had both White hits, including a three-run homer in the bottom of the third forced a 4-4 tie.
