DUNMORE — In recent seasons, Dunmore might not have been able to recover from an early deficit against a dominant pitcher.

But coach Mike Hallinan said this year’s Bucks are different, and it showed on a drizzly Monday. They answered the challenge to defeat Old Forge, 4-3, in an entertaining, well-played Lackawanna League Division II baseball game at Schautz Stadium.

Max Forgione hit a momentum-changing home run, Evan Mizenko broke a fifth-inning tie with a RBI single and the defense recorded two outs on the basepaths to halt potential Blue Devils rallies. Dunmore (14-3 overall, 9-3 league) won its third and sixth in its last seven games.

“Our kids responded like they have all year long,” Hallinan said. “Last year, if we got down early, we got down on ourselves. That’s not the case at all this year. We’ve been working a lot on the mental approach to the game. When we’re down, we keep coming back. That’s been the norm this year.”

In the top of the first inning, Old Forge took a 1-0 lead four batters in against Dunmore starter Jamie McMynne. Angelo DiMauro and TJ DiMattia walked and, one out later, Frank Pero hit a RBI double to right-center field to score DiMauro.

McMynne settled down after that, retiring 11 of the final 13 batters he faced. He exited after four innings and 82 pitches, allowing the one run on one hit with four walks and eight strikeouts.

Meanwhile, DiMattia started for the Blue Devils (11-6, 7-5). The last four times he faced Dunmore, the senior was 3-0 with one save, including a complete-game, two-hit shutout with 12 strikeouts April 14 in a 6-0 victory.

But with one out in the third, Mason Stets doubled. Forgione then sent a 1-0 pitch over the building beyond the right-center field fence for a home run that gave the Bucks a 2-1 lead.

“I was waiting for a pitch to hammer,” Forgione said. “TJ threw me a slider, hung it over the plate, came in a little bit. I just tried to keep good posture on it. I wasn’t trying to hit it out, but I’m happy it did.

“It changed the momentum of the game. The dugout got a lot more energetic.”

Hallinan agreed.

“TJ’s kind of beat us up the last year and a half, two years,” Hallinan said. “So for Max to get that two-run home run really set us off in a confident mindset. It kind of rubbed off on everybody. Like I said, he’s been so dominant against us, that home run literally injected confidence in the entire lineup.”

Old Forge fought back in the top of the fifth. With one out, DiMauro was hit by a pitch, DiMattia doubled and Iacavazzi hit a sacrifice fly to center to plate DiMauro and tie it, 2-2.

But the Bucks responded in the bottom-half of the inning. Again, it was Stets who started it — this time with a one-out single. Forgione drew a walk and Mizenko lined a single to center to score Stets and make it 3-2.

“He was throwing me a lot of curveballs my first at-bats,” Mizenko said. “So, I was sitting curveball and I got one that hung and drove it up the middle for a single.”

The Blue Devils threatened to re-tie the game in the top of the sixth. Luke Olivieri singled, Jake Bartnikowski laid down a sacrifice bunt and Elio Castaldi singled to put runners at the corners. Jackson Cady relieved Stets and, with Will Wozniak batting, Castaldi broke for second on a stolen base attempt. When Mizenko, the Dunmore catcher, threw to second, Olivieri broke for the plate. Forgione threw the ball back to Mizenko and when Olivieri slid, he made contact with the catcher, causing the ball to be knocked loose and the apparent tying run to score.

However, the home plate umpire ruled that Olivieri slid high and called him out. Cady then recorded a strikeout to end the inning and keep it 3-2.

“(The umpire) said he thought my kid went high with his shoulder with the intent to dislodge the ball,” Old Forge coach Tony DiMattia said. “I didn’t see it that way. I saw it as he had no other option. It was an awkward play because the kid was in front of the bag. He kind of slid with his feet out and when the (catcher) reached to tag him, yes, my kid’s shoulder did hit him. But I didn’t think he went with an intent to dislodge. I disagree with that call.

“But that’s not why we lost. We had our chances. We were one hit away or one ball to fall in and it just didn’t work out for us, that’s all.”

Dunmore added an insurance run in the bottom of the sixth. McMynne led off with a walk, went to second on a wild pitch, advanced to third on a single by Cady and scored on a sacrifice fly by Anthony Yerka.

It was needed too, since Old Forge put together one final comeback bid.

Joe DiStasi singled with one out and moved to second on a wild pitch. With two outs, Iacavazzi lined a pitch to the gap in right-center to score DiStasi. Iacavazzi tried to stretch it into a double. but center fielder McMynne played the carom off the fence perfectly and fired a strike to Forgione, who applied the tag for the final out.

“Old Forge doesn’t go away,” Hallinan said. “But Jamie’s been playing center field for three years. He knows those bounces off the fence and he got exactly the bounce he needed. Credit the kid from Old Forge trying to stretch it to a double. Jamie just made a great throw.”

Coach DiMattia credited Dunmore with simply making a good defensive play.

“The throw was right on the bag,” he said. “I said in the beginning of the season, we have to play a little different. One hundred times out of 100 times, we’re sending him in that spot. We feel it’s going to be hard for any team, let alone us, to get three hits in an inning to score another run. To get him to second base is more valuable that having him at first base.”

With the District 2 playoffs beginning May 15, Forgione said a win like this is a confidence builder. The Bucks currently are the No. 1 seed in Class 3A.

“We had some guys who were struggling who came through today, which is good for them,” Forgione said. “It puts us in a good place for districts and establishes our team having a really dominant season this year.”

Riverside 8, Lakeland 2: At Lakeland, Cooper Borowski had three hits, including a home run, and three RBIs as Riverside won in Lackawanna Division II.

Nick Bohenek added two hits and two RBIs for the Vikings (11-5, 8-4). Jason Posluszny also had two hits.

Gavin Zellers had two hits and one RBI for the Chiefs (5-12, 2-10).

Honesdale 2, Western Wayne 0: At Honesdale, Nick Martin had two hits and Brody Patrisso fired a complete-game one-hitter, leading the Hornets over Western Wayne in Lackawanna Division II.

Connor Tirney, Jared Ahern, Ethan Corso and Landen Estus each added hits for the Hornets (7-11, 4-8). Patrisso struck out four.

Lance Maiocco had the sole hit for Western Wayne (5-12, 3-9).

Elk Lake 7, Susquehanna 3: At Elk Lake, Noah Gesford had four hits and two RBIs as the Warriors defeated Susquehanna in Lackawanna Division III.

Brayden McMicken and Alden Felker added two hits apiece for Elk Lake (14-3, 11-1). McMicken also was the winning pitcher, striking out 11 batters over six innings.

Travis Rooney paced Susquehanna (6-9, 4-6) with three hits, while striking out five batters.

Valley View 5, West Scranton 2: At West Scranton, Aiden Mills struck out nine batters en route to Valley View’s Lackawanna Division I victory over the Invaders.

Tyler Scoblick paced the Cougars (6-11, 4-8) with a double, single and two RBIs. Brayden McConnell, Gianni Marino, Keith Mercatili and Zach Cwalinski each added one hit.

Mason Lesh, Jason Selemba, Aiden Williams, Mike D’Augostine and Tyler Selemba had one hit apiece for West Scranton (4-13, 2-9).

Originally Published: May 5, 2025 at 11:56 PM EDT