Scranton Prep combined first-inning outbursts with dominant pitching from Paul Rusincovich to win its final four games of the Lackawanna League Division 1 season.
The Cavaliers were just 1-9 the division and 3-11 overall after opening May with a loss to Abington Heights. The late streak helped them finish 5-9 in the division and 8-13 overall.
Scranton Prep lost its non-league, regular-season finale, but continued its improved play into the postseason.
The fourth-seeded Cavaliers downed fifth-seeded Valley View 5-2 May 20 in the District 2 Class 4A quarterfinals, then lost 4-1 to eventual champion Mid Valley in the semifinals.
The late winning streak, from May 3-12, included 2-0 over Valley View, 6-4 over West Scranton, 11-3 over Scranton and 7-3 over Wallenpaupack.
Rusincovich struck out 10 and walked just one in a two-hit shutout of Valley View.
The Cavaliers scored all six of their runs in the bottom of the first against West Scranton.
Michael DeRichie went 3-for-4 with a double and Rusincovich allowed just one run in six innings against Scranton.
The Cavaliers then scored five runs in the first inning in the league finale at Wallenpaupack.
Mid Valley 4, Scranton Prep 1
Lorenzo Hernandez went the distance on the mound while Doug Pua provided two hits and two runs for Mid Valley in the semifinal victory.
Hernandez struck out eight.
A.J. Croom went 3-for-4 and scored the only run for the Cavaliers.
Scranton Prep 5, Valley View 2
Scranton Prep scored three runs in the bottom of the sixth to break a tie and advance in the district tournament.
Rusincovich led the offense, going 2-for-3 with a double and scoring twice.
Johnny Petrosky pitched a four-hitter with five walks and six strikeouts.
Recap
Rusincovich, Petrosky and DeRichie led the Cavaliers throughout the season.
Rusincovich led the team in batting average (.460), on-base percentage (.603) and earned run average (1.79). He was 4-3.
Petrosky was second on the team in batting average at .373 and ERA at 2.56. He struck out a team-high 45 in 43 2/3 innings. Petrosky also led the team with 14 RBI.
DeRichie used nine doubles to produce a team-high .508 slugging percentage. He was third in batting average at .369.
Croom scored a team-high 15 runs.
