Ed Townsend | Democrat Tri-Valley sophomore pitcher Jared Nash pitched a six-hitter and didn't allow an earned run in the Bears’ 15-1 victory over Fallsburg Friday at Grahamsville, clinching a spot in the sectionals.

Hot Tri-Valley sweeps into sectionals

Story by Ed Townsend
GRAHAMSVILLE — May 14, 2013 Tri-Valley baseball coach John Rusin likes the way the Bears have improved by winning five of their last six games in Division V OCIAA play and earning a spot in the Class C Section 9 championships.
Following Tri-Valley's early season three-game sweep by league champion Chester, the Bears have clawed back to take two out of three from S. S. Seward and last Friday completed a three-game sweep of the Fallsburg Comets.
Said Rusin: "the three defeats against Chester came against a very good baseball team and I think the sectionals will go through that place."
He added that his team, "has to find a way to keep getting better and I do feel overall we are starting to come around with our pitchers throwing strikes. And they are comfortable with the defense playing the way they are."
Rusin said he likes seeing “the defense playing the way they are capable of," and "the bats are starting to come around with our batters being more selective at the plate and hitting at better counts . “We are not as anxious at the plate and we're seeing a better quality at bat."
Rusin pointed out that "we have a way to go, but the process is coming along nicely. Looking at the fact that we are coming off winning the championship last year and graduated nine seniors, I think when it's time for the next group to step up sometimes it takes a little while for them to figure out those roles"
“Our seniors this year are doing a great job leading, our sophomores are rounding into form very nicely early and our junior class is being very productive. A lot of it early on was trying to figure out what their roles were and how they fit in and now they are starting to play like a team. They are coming together, having a lot of fun and playing the game the right way so hopefully this will continue," Rusin added.
In the three game sweep against Fallsburg last week, junior Alex Brown threw a three-hitter striking out 16 in Tri-Valley's 8-0 victory on Monday. John Anzano and Donovan Flores each had two hits and an RBI for the Bears.
In Tuesday's game, winning pitcher Justin Swarthout struck out eight and went 3- for-6 with two RBIs while Cody Exner went 2-for-3 in Tri-Valley's 14-1 victory.
In Friday's 15-1 win, sophomore Jared Nash did not allow an earned run in pitching a six-hitter.
Anzano was 3-for-3 with a double and three RBI,, Swarthout had a triple and three RBIs and Rodney Jester had two hits and five RBIs.
Second-year Fallsburg coach Dave Luczyski said:
“We have a young team, don't have a JV team and it's tough and a big jump for some of the guys from modified to the varsity level."
Luczyski said, "we have younger pitching, but in the next couple of years we feel we will be competitive. The players have to get more confidence with their hitting."