Wyoming Area’s Joe Colarusso singles in the second inning on Wednesday.
                                 Tony Callaio | For Times Leader

Wyoming Area’s Joe Colarusso singles in the second inning on Wednesday.

Tony Callaio | For Times Leader

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<p>Wyoming Area’s Nathan Novakowski stands on third base during Wednesday’s game with Lake-Lehman at Wilkes University. Wyoming Area coach Rob Lemoncelli is behind him.</p>
                                 <p>Tony Callaio | For Times Leader</p>

Wyoming Area’s Nathan Novakowski stands on third base during Wednesday’s game with Lake-Lehman at Wilkes University. Wyoming Area coach Rob Lemoncelli is behind him.

Tony Callaio | For Times Leader

<p>Wyoming Area’s Jack Mathis scores on a passed ball in the third inning Wednesday as Lake-Lehman pitcher Nick Finarelli covers home.</p>
                                 <p>Tony Callaio | For Times Leader</p>

Wyoming Area’s Jack Mathis scores on a passed ball in the third inning Wednesday as Lake-Lehman pitcher Nick Finarelli covers home.

Tony Callaio | For Times Leader

<p>Wyoming Area coach Rob Lemoncelli congratulates Joey Colarusso (23) on third base as he calls in his runner, Casey Noone (7), during a timeout in the fourth inning Wednesday. Both scored on a triple by Jack Mathis.</p>
                                 <p>Tony Callaio | For Times Leader</p>

Wyoming Area coach Rob Lemoncelli congratulates Joey Colarusso (23) on third base as he calls in his runner, Casey Noone (7), during a timeout in the fourth inning Wednesday. Both scored on a triple by Jack Mathis.

Tony Callaio | For Times Leader

<p>Wyoming Area’s JJ Hood fanned 10 batters and allowed just one hit after the second inning Wednesday.</p>
                                 <p>Tony Callaio | For Times Leader</p>

Wyoming Area’s JJ Hood fanned 10 batters and allowed just one hit after the second inning Wednesday.

Tony Callaio | For Times Leader

EDWARDSVILLE — Jack Mathis put Wyoming Area right back in the game Wednesday and then helped take Lake-Lehman out of it.

Mathis tied the score with a two-run triple in the fourth inning and his infield single started a five-run sixth as the Warriors defeated Lehman 10-4 at Wilkes University to force a tie atop Division 2 of Wyoming Valley Conference baseball.

Both teams are now 7-1 in the division. Wyoming Area improved to 11-2 overall while Lehman dropped to 10-4. The game was shifted from Misericordia University because of field conditions.

Mathis hit his two-run triple to deep center, scoring Joe Colarusso and Casey Noone to tie the score 4-4. Evan Melberger followed by tucking a double down the right-field line, giving the Warriors a 5-4 lead.

Then in the sixth, Mathis legged out an infield single to third — one of three for Wyoming Area in the inning — to start the frame and trigger a five-run outburst. The junior shortstop has been on a tear at the plate all season. He came into the game hitting .463, over 100 points better than his average last year.

“Last year, I had more of a scared approach,” Mathis said. “I was new to varsity baseball. This year, I have much more confidence in myself at the plate and in my team.”

After Mathis’ infield single, Melberger did the same to the other side of the diamond. Mathis raced all the way to third and scored on a sac fly by Jake Kelleher. JJ Hood followed with an infield single and a throwing error allowed Melberger to reach third.

Hunter Lawall then singled to right-center to make it 7-4. An error, a bases-loaded walk to Colarusso and a wild pitch allowed the other three runs to score.

Hood pitched 6.2 innings to get the win. He had a rough relief outing vs. Lehman in a 4-2 nine-inning loss on April 25, surprisingly walking four in three innings.

“Last time, it wasn’t like they hit him around,” Wyoming Area coach Rob Lemoncelli said. “He was a little bit outside the zone, walked a few guys which is uncharacteristic of him. I thought we competed in the first game and really competed today. The difference was in that first game we had guys in scoring position and we didn’t get that big hit with two strikes. Today was the total opposite.”

Wednesday didn’t start well for Hood, either.

Lehman’s Cole Kaiser opened the first with a triple and scored on Graedon Finarelli’s double. Nick Finarelli doubled in his cousin Graedon for a 2-0 lead. Graedon Finarelli added a two-run double in the second to give the Black Knights a 4-0 advantage.

After that, Hood retired nine of the next 10 Lehman batters, with six coming by way of strikeouts. Ty Federici hit a two-out double in the fifth, the only hit the Black Knights had off Hood after the second inning.

“From coaching last year and coaching this year, I’ve learned one thing,” Lehman coach Mike Sholtis said. “Sometimes a loss is better than a win. The kids were on a high those first two innings. Come out, two runs in the first, two runs in the second, hit the ball all over the place.

“Then the emotions changed. They started coming back and you got to give them credit. They did a great job coming back.”

Wyoming Area 10, Lake-Lehman 4

Wyo. Area`AB`R`H`BI

Mathis ss`4`3`3`2

Melberger cf`4`2`3`1

Kelleher c`4`0`0`2

Hood p`4`0`1`0

B.Noone cr`0`1`0`0

Lawall 1b`4`1`1`1

Morgan rf`4`1`1`0

Novakowski 3b`3`0`1`0

Colarusso dh`2`1`2`1

Moser lf`0`0`0`0

C.Noone 2b`4`1`0`0

Totals`33`10`12`7

Lehman`AB`R`H`BI

C.Kaiser cf`2`2`1`0

G.Finarelli c`3`0`2`3

Naugle cr`0`1`0`0

C.Sholtis dh`3`0`0`0

Wallace 3b`1`0`0`0

Federici 1b`3`0`1`0

Bucholtz 1b`0`0`0`0

S.Finarelli ph`1`0`0`0

N.Finarelli p`2`0`1`1

Bean ss`3`0`0`0

M.Sholtis 2b`3`0`0`0

Morio lf`3`1`1`0

E.Kaiser rf`2`0`0`0

Totals`26`4`6`4

Wyoming Area`002`305`0 — 10

Lake-Lehman`220`000`0 — 4

2B — Melberger 2, G.Finarelli 2, Federici, N.Finarelli. 3B — Mathis, C.Kaiser.

Wyoming Area`IP`H`R`ER`BB`SO

Hood W`6.2`6`4`4`2`10

Lawall`0.1`0`0`0`0`0

Lehman`IP`H`R`ER`BB`SO

N.Finarelli L`5.0`8`5`1`3`10

Federici`0.1`4`5`2`2`0

C.Kaiser`1.2`0`0`0`0`3