Section 2 Wednesday, May 4 1994 BMT Baseball Major League Standings AMERICAN LEAGUE Rangers Indians Athletics Tigers Orioles Red Sox Yankees © = = TON AOR AO NATIONAL LEAGUE - Phillies 3 Dodgers 3 Reds 3- Giants 2 Astros 1 Cardinals 1 Pirates 1 ‘Home Run Derby The Kingston Twp. Recreation Commission will hold a free Home Run Derby, May 22 at the Town- -ship Recreation Field, East Cen- ter Street in Shavertown. Pre-registration will be May 7, -10 a.m. to 12. Trophies will be .awarded in age groups: 7-8, 9-10, 11-12, 13-15. Proof of residency is required. For more informa- tion, call 696-3034. The Dallas Post SpolSyies | Mounts on top A again in soccer Score one for Dallas POST PHOTO/RON BARTIZEK Mike DeFrancesco slid head first into home in the Mountaineers’ 11-3 win over Hazleton last week. The Mounts share first place after beating Wyoming Valley West earlier this week. .Bad luck haunts Lady Knights By DAVE KONOPKI Sports Writer It probably started out like any other day for Dave and Jan Elston of Sweet Valley. But then sud- denly, and without explanation, something had to have happened. Maybe it was Dave who got the day off to a bad start by breaking the bathroom mirror while shav- ‘ing. And maybe it was Jan who never saw the black cat stroll in front of her car. Or maybe, just maybe, it was Dave who should have thought twice before ending the day by walking under the ladder next to the house. What's that? Sounds too farfetched? Well then, why don't you try to explain the incredible run of bad luck that’s fallen upon the Elstons and the Lake-Lehman High School girls’ soccer team. It began nearly a week ago. Gretchen Dersheimer, one of the team’s top players (and one of the school's best athletes) became sick and has been out of school, and soccer competition, more than a week and it’s not known when she’ll return. Then Beth Turner, a letter winner lastyear as a fresh- man, was hitin the eye with a ball, damaging (but fortunately not detaching) her retina. She's ex- pected to be out of action for a least three weeks. And if that’s not bad enough, the Elstons, who made Wyoming Valley Conference history this year by becoming one the only hus- band /wife co-head coaching duo in the conference, suffered more bad luck during Saturday's game against Bishop Hoban. Not only did the Lady Black Knights suffer their only loss of: the season, they also lost the" services of two of their best per- formers for the rest of the year. Just three days after a magnifi- cent performance against league- leading Dallas, senior goalkeepr Julie Brislin saw her high school career come to an unfortunate end when she broke her wrist on Saturday. Also, junior Nikki Sennett suffered strained liga- ments on both sides of her knee during the contest. According to Dave Elston, both players are gone for the remainder of the season. “It was areal tough week,” said Elston, in a mild understatement. “We began the season with 19 players on the varsity squad and then one player quit. Now, with the injuries and sickness, the remaining girls have been playing a lot of minutes.” But despite their string of set- backs, the Lady Knights have endured, and even prospered. They ended the week with a more- thanstespectable record..of A%1%3 and, as'of Sundaymight, in third place in the hunt for a post- season berth. The top four teams in the division gain a berth in the District 2 playoffs. A combination of snow in the winter and heavy rain during April forced WVC teams to play large numbers of games in short peri- ods of time. Fortunately for the Knights, they get a six-day break following a game this Wednesday. “We haven't had the practice time to look at some players who can fill these positions,” said El- ston. “But later this week, we should get a lot of practice time and a chance to look at those players in game-like situations. I think it was just fatigue (the rea- son for the loss to Hoban). We're hoping a little of the stamina comes back.” Lehman has shown it can play with any team in the conference and proved it last Wednesday during a scoreless tie with arch- rival Dallas. The Lady Mountain- eers entered the coffiest witha perfect: 6-0 record. “¥ “We don't want to say we're satisfied with a tie, but we still get points for it,” said Elston. “I felt both teams had opportunities to score and controlled the ball at times. It was a great game. Ifyou weren't a fan of either team or didn’t have anyone playing on either team, it was a great game to watch.” By DAVE KONOPKI Sports Writer There are no traffic signs. No posted speed limit. There are no long traffic delays and no pothole has ever impeded the journey of those who have traveled it. It has been four years ago, with just a handful of travelers and now, even though the traffic flow has increased steadily during the past half-decade, there has been only one commuter to ever reach it's destination. But you won't find this road on any map or atlas and even the best service stations in town won't be able to give you directions on where to find it. It's the road to the Wyoming Valley Conference girls’ soccer title. And once again, it runs directly through Dallas. As of Tuesday, the Dallas High School girls’ soccer team, under head coach Ron Moran, found themselves alone atop the WVC standings with a record of 8-0-1. Moran and the Lady Mounts have won all four of the WVC regular season championships since the league began interscho- lastic play in 1990 and a fifth straight league championship not only is within their grasp, it lies in their hands. “We control our own destiny,” said Moran, who has seen the league grow from a handful of teams in 1990 to the 18 teams in the conference this season. “As long as we keep winning, we're fine. I like that kind of situation. We want to be in control. We don't want to sit back and hope that someone beats someone else. All we have todo is concern ourselves with the way we play.” So far: this-season; their play has been nearly perfect, led by a defense that's been tougher to penetrate than a fortified machine- gun nest during World War II. The Dallas defense has yielded just four goals in nine games this season. Senior goalkeeper Amy Smith was injured before the regular season began, but fresh- man keeper Adrienne Camp has BM School news HB Classified Bl Calendar done a yeoman's job in her ab- sence. recovered from her injuries and her playing time is expected to increase as the season continues. The Lady Mounts are also led by a talented group of seniors including Colby (forward) and Courtney (fullback) Gauntlett, Jessica Kerr (midfield), Tara Killeen (fullback), Cindy Maier (midfield), Carrie Miller (forward), Jeanenne Fagan (forward), Lynn Murphy (forward) and Smith. The lone blemish on the Lady Mounts’ record is a scoreless tie against backyard rival Lake- Lehman April 27. The two Back Mountain teams battled through regulation and overtime with plenty of scoring opportunities, but nothing on the scoreboard. Then, the Mounts beat the hard- luck Knights 3-0 last Tuesday. “I thought we did a lot of good things against Lehman,” said Moran, of his team’s first meeting against the Black Knights. “We just didn’t put the ball into the net. (Lehman goalkeeper Julie) Brislin made some outstanding saves. Both teams had some chances on offense to score. They (Lehman) have a strong team. I think it (the high quality of play) is a tribute to both schools.” So now, the Lady Mounts are on the threshold of another league title - something you may have had trouble convincing Moran of before the season began. “I never would have believed it,” said Moran, when asked if he could have foreseen the Lady Mounts exceptional start to the season. “I think we're very fortu- nate to be in this situation. The league has really gotten tougher and there are no easy games on the schedule. ' One of the things we talked about before the season began was the tradition of our program. You want your team to respect everyone they play, but you also want them to believe they can play with any team on the field. “This eam has been great to coach. They've done everything I've asked them to do.” But more than just bragging rights were on the line. From the pressbox By DAVE KONOPKI Big Monday in BMT This is the city. Dallas, Pennsylvania. A small, quiet city located in the quaint community of the Back Mountain, a community with two high schools known for great students, great musicians and great athletes. I was working out of the sports department of The Dallas Post. The boss's name is Bartizek. My name is Konopki. I carry a press pass. Dum-da-dum-dum. Dum-da-dum-dum-dum. Monday, May 2, 10:50 a.m. A cloudy day with no rain in sight. I enter the office, where the people are friendly and the coffee is strong. Bartizek is waiting for me. Waiting for me like a state trooper waits for the red Corvette on the turnpike. “Big day, huh, Konopki?” *Sir?” “You know, a big day for high school sports in the Back Moun- tain.” I answer with a perplexed look. The same look my friend gave his wife when she told him she was three months pregnant - the day after he returned from serving a six-month Peace Corps tour in Europe. Then, like a ton of bricks, it hit me. The day I had been anticipating for more than a week had finally arrived. And here I stood, looking at my boss with the same blank stare as a deer looking directly into a set of high beams. “It's ‘Big Monday’, isn't it?,” I ask, almost rhetorically. He nodded. “Today is the day the gravy train comes finally to a halt, Konopki. Your free ride on the ‘Bartizek Express’ finally comes to an end.” I swallow hard, anticipating his next sentence. “That's right, Konopki. Today, finally, your're going to earn your paycheck.” He was right. It was Big Monday, a day that will be looked upon and referred to long after the spring sports season in the Wyoming Valley Conference comes to an end. Three very important sporting events, each in a different sport and involving either a Dallas or Lake-Lehman High School athletic team, would take place in the general vicinity of the Back Mountain. At Dallas High School, the Mountaineer baseball team, under head coach Jack Wolensky, would be hosting conference foe Wyo- ming Valley West for first place in the Class AAA division. Dallas would be entering the contest with a record of 7-2 while the Spartans come in with a league-leading mark of 8-1. At Lake-Lehman, the Lady Black Knights were set to play divisional rival and backyard antagonist Dallas. The two teams had met just five days before with the contest ending in a scoreless tie. The Lady Mounts would enter the game with a record of 7-0-1 and the Lady Knights with a record of 4-1-3. Six games remained in the season. ‘The top four teams advance to the playoffs. Awin by Lehman would virtually assure them a playoff spot. Awin by Dallas, a team seeking their fifth consecutive league title, would give them a 2 1/2-game lead over second-place Bishop Hoban with just five games remain- ing. And at Tunkhannock High School, the Dallas softball team would be looking to extend their lead over the second-place Tigers to 1 1/ 2 games with a victory. Three games. Three very important games. 4:15 p.m. All three games were set to begin. The adrenaline was running high at all three locations. The crowds were large. The stakes were high. The first pitches and kickoff began nearly simultaneously. 4:19 p.m. Sophomore pitcher Jeff Kunkle gets the Mountaineers off to a fast start by striking out the first three Spartan batters he faces. 4:26 p.m. The Dallas offense rewards Kunkle's effort with three runs in the top of the first, thanks in part to a double off the bat of junior Mike Viglone and a two-run double by sophomore Rich Klick. End of the first inning. Dallas 3 - WVW 0. 4:30 p.m. In Tunkhannock, the Lady Tigers draw first blood by scoring a run in the bottom of the first. In what would prove to be a low-scoring affair, the run looms large. End of one inning. Tunkhannock 1 - Dallas 0. 4:43 p.m. It's beginning to get colder, but at the Dallas High School baseball field, the Mountaineers’ bats are heating up. With one out, senior Jared Cooney singles and then scores on a triple by Klick. Kunkle then helps his own cause with an RBI sacrifice fly to score Klick. End of two innings. Dallas 5 - WVW 0. 4:55 p.m. It's beginning to look as though Bill Clinton scored more times while he was governor of Arkansas than the two Back Mountain high school girls soccer teams can score against each other. Dallas and Lehman complete their eighth consecutive period without a goal being scored against each other (don’t forget the six periods played the previous Wednesday). At halftime, Dallas O - Lehman 0. Meanwhile down the highway in Tunkhannock, the two softball teams remain embattled in a defensive struggle with the Tigers still holding a slim 1-0 lead. 5:07 p.m. The Mountaineer baseball team scores another run and now, a win over the Spartans seems as certain as a Nelson Mandela victory. With three-sevenths of the precincts reporting: Dallas 6 - WVW 0. 5:10 p.m. In the infamous words of a popular European soccer announcer, “Goalgoalgoalgoalgoalgoalgoalgoal”. - The Lady Moun- taineers finally break the scoring drought with a third period goal by senior Colby Gauntlett. Carrie Miller gets the assist and the Mounts lead, 1-0. 5:17 p.m. Having gone more than 100 minutes before scoring a goal against Lake-Lehman, Dallas scores its second goal in less than six minutes. This time, Melanie Love does the honors with an assist by Gauntlett. Did someone say “Five-peat"? Dallas 2 - Lake-Lehman 0. 5:22 p.m. The Dallas softball team, under the direction of veteran coach Jay Pope, finds itself in a bigger hole when Tunkhan- nock scores another run, this one in the bottom of the fifth. End of five innings. Tigers 2 - Dallas O. 5:23 p.m. Now, things are happening quicker than the French surrendered to the Germans during World War II. On the baseball diamond, Valley West scores twice in the top of fourth to cut the Dallas lead to 6-2. But the Mounts get those runs back in the bottom of the inning. Klick gets his third hit of the game, highlighting the inning with a solo home run. End of four innings. Dallas 8 - WWW 2. 5:33 p.m. With two outs and nobody on, the Spartans turn what looks like a harmless situation into a scare for the Mountaineers. Valley West completes its biggest inning of the contest with a three- run fifth, cutting the Dallas lead to 8-5. Spartan standout Brian Kaschak does most of the damage with a three-run homer. Dallas 8 - WWW 5. 5:39 p.m. The Dallas softball team shows its true character and their “never-say-die” attitude by cutting the Tiger lead in half, 2-1. Three-sport standout Kelly Janosky almost single-handedly manu- factures a run in the top of the six by leading off and then advanc- ing to second base on a fielder's choice. Junior Bridget Temperine hits an infield grounder and is forced out at first, but Janosky displays her MVP-like talent by rounding the bases and scoring all the way from second on the grounder. 5:42 p.m. The Dallas soccer team puts the icing on the cake with a fourth period goal by Miller to make the score 3-0. Love picks up the assist and the Lady Mountaineers can finally start looking ahead to their next opponent, Bishop Hoban. Dallas plays the Argents this Wednesday, May 4, and can all but clinch title #5. 5:47 p.m. Jack Wolensky sees his Dallas baseball team score another run, this one in the bottom of the sixth to make the score 9-5, and virtually close the door on the Spartans. Valley West, whose only two losses this season have come at the hands of Dallas, would score two runs in the top of the seventh but it wasn't enough. Dallas, who pounded out 15 hits in the game, raises its record to 8- 2. 6:10 p.m. By now, the games are over and the crowds which have witnessed three outstanding contests have dispersed. Nearly two hours from the minute they began, the games are now over. But they certainly won't be forgotten anytime soon. The Dallas softball team started the afternoon with a 1/2 game lead over the Tigers. They left trailing by the same margin, but with 10 games still remaining. And don't forget, the 2-1 final score is a far cry fromlast season's 12-1 beating Dallas received from Tunkhan- nock just days after taking first place — and the Tigers still have to play Dallas on the Lady Mounts home field in two weeks. The Dallas baseball team began the day one game out of first place behind Valley West. Two hours later, they found themselves in first place, with talent and momentum on their side growing with each game. The Spartans may not be in the Mounts’ rear view mirror just yet, but two wins over the Spartans have made them the car to catch. The Lehman girls’ soccer team entered the week in third place in the WVC, hoping to stay in the hunt for a playoff spot. Their gutsy performance against the Lady Mounts may not have gained them a win, but it certainly gained them respect and a post-season berth is still well within their grasp. And finally, the Dallas girls’ soccer team was in first place at 4:15 p.m. At6:10 p.m. they were still in first place. Only now, they're one more win, and two hours closer, to an unprecedented fifth straight championship. And that's why they called it “Big Monday”. Smith has nearly fully
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