Pre-game honor to state champion GH women's Cross County (left) while during the game the top two Women's Lacrosse teams play with #2 Green Hope (right) beating #1 Apex (Apex's first loss in 64 games)

A pitcher's duel tonight between Green Hope's Joe Pistacchio and Cary's Jeremy Harris, with Pistacchio just a little bit better, to give Green Hope the needed 2-0 win. Pistacchio only gave up 3 singles, 3 walks, and a wild pitch while striking out 9. Harris only gave up 3 singles, a double, 4 walks, but 3 important wild pitches, and struck out 4. Those wild pitches figured in both runs scored by Green Hope.

Cary's Harris (left) and Green Hope's Pistacchio (right) both pitched great games tonight

Both teams threatened in the first inning, getting 2 runners on with only 1 out, but neither team could score, 0-0 after 1 inning.

Green Hope got their 1st run in the third inning, after a groundout, Will Yoder singled through the infield just out of the second baseman's reach. Yoder went to second on another goundout, to third on a wild pitch, and scored on another wild pitch, Green Hope up 1-0 after 3 innings.

Yoder singles (left) and later scores on a wild pitch (right) for the first run of the game

Defensively, Green Hope did make it's normal quota of 3 errors, but again was able to offset those by several good defensive plays. David Josam made a nice catch on a ball which may have gone for a double against a average outfielder. Adam Boghosian made a nice sweep tag from a bad throw to first. And catcher Anthony Colantino had a big game tonight, probably was the difference in preserving the shutout for Pistacchio.

Josam (left) makes a nice catch while Boghosian (right) makes the tag at first, both good defensive plays

Colantino's first big play came in the 4th inning, a two out grounder to short produced a bad throw to first, with the batter going to second, except for a hustling Colantino backing up throw, closer to the outfield than home plate, and gunning down the batter at second to end the inning. Much of Colantino's season was lost this year from the first meeting against Cary when he was blasted while making a tag at home, and Anthony played this game with more than just his normal desire.

Munz doubled off the wall in left center but did not score

Green Hope added a second run in the bottom of the 4th inning, a 1 out walk to Josam, had Josam steal second, move to third on another wild pitch, and score on a long sacrifice fly to left by Zach Munz. Munz had earlier blasted a double which one hopped the wall in left center. Green Hope up 2-0 after 4 innings.

Josam (left) steals second, goes to third on wild pitch, and scores on Munz's (right) sac fly

Pistacchio looked to tire in the 6th inning, after a strikeout, Steven McKinney singled up the middle, then a walk had runners on 1st and 2nd with 1 out. David O'Donnell then singled to left with Will Yoder in left charging the ball and firing home to keep McKinney at 3rd. However Yoder's hard throw was slightly off line and bounded to the backstop, but Pistacchio was there to toss to Colantino, again keeping McKinney at 3rd. But the runner at 2nd ran to 3rd, and now had to race back to second, and Colantino alertly stepped up and fired to second to get the out, a nice tag by Jonathan Grudee to also keep McKinney at third after the tag. A flyout to center, which would have scored a run without the runner being out, ended the inning, Green Hope up 2-0 after 6 innings.

Yoder (left) throws from left, Colantino throws to 2nd, and Grudee (right) makes the tag for a big out

As tired as Pistacchio "may" have looked in the 6th, was erased completely in the 7th, as Joe threw nothing but strikes in the inning. Two strikeouts to start the inning, an infield grounder which should have ended the game was booted, but after 12 straight strikes in the inning, a check swing on strike 3 was the only ball Joe threw in the inning, eventually striking out the side.

Pistacchio (left) gives Colantino a well deserved "pat on the back" for helping to preserve the shutout

Pistacchio (5-1) gets the complete game 3 hit win, and Green Hope moves to 6-5 conference (9-8 overall), but needs to revenge an earlier loss to Panther Creek to stay in the playoff picture on Friday.

NOTE - game pictures taken by Fred Weygandt (JV Team) and can be viewed/downloaded via this link.