Honesdale baseball team advances to District 2 Class 4A semifinals

HONESDALE — Following a record-setting season on the high school baseball scene, no one gave Honesdale much of a chance to make another deep run in this year’s district playoffs.

The Hornets were hit hard by graduation last spring, losing the core of a team that went 19-6 and came within one win of a berth in PIAA state tournament.

However, against all odds the Red & Black are once again right in the thick of the championship chase. Following a dominating 12-2 win over Nanticoke on Monday afternoon, Honesdale has advanced to the Class 4A semifinals for the third time in four years.

The third-seeded Hornets will take on number two Scranton Prep with a berth in the 2024 title tilt hanging in the balance.

“I honestly don’t think there was anyone who expected us to be where we are after the number of seniors and impact players that graduated last year,” said head coach Ernie Griffis.

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“It’s safe to say that this team has really exceeded my expectations. So many great memories already and definitely looking to make a few more.”

Weather permitting, first pitch is slated for 4:30 p.m. Wednesday at Connell Park in East Scranton.

Setting the stage

Honesdale struggled a bit during the early stages of the Lackawanna League season, but quickly righted the ship.

The Hornets bounced back from a couple of razor-thin losses to post a 10-4 record and finish second to Riverside (12-2) in the Division II standings.

Led by the pitching of Peter Modrovsky and the hitting of Jack Eisele, Honesdale outscored its opposition by an overall margin of 102-74. The Red & Black were particularly impressive in one-run games, winning four straight in walk-off fashion.

Modrovsky is a hard-throwing southpaw who’s been the ace of the staff for three years. The senior is putting up stellar numbers this spring and is among the league leaders in every major statistical category.

“Pete is one of the best pitchers in Honesdale history,” Griffis said. “When he has the ball, no matter who we are facing, we know we have a chance to win.

“Pete’s fastball velocity has risen this year to go along with the off-speed pitches that he’s always had and that has made a world of difference in getting good hitters out.”

Modrovsky currently sports a perfect 6-0 record and boasts a minuscule 0.27 ERA and a 0.83 WHIP. Over the course of 51 innings, he’s piled up 95 strikeouts while issuing just 17 walks and allowing only two earned runs.

While Modrovsky has dominated on the mound, Eisele has sparked the offense all season long. The senior second sacker took over the lead-off spot midway through the season and has thrived ever since.

Eisele leads the team with a robust .390 batting average. He’s banged out 23 hits, tallied 11 runs and collected 7 RBIs.

“Jack is a bulldog,” Griffis said. “Bunting, going the other way, turning on an inside pitch, taking a walk … he does it all. Jack is doing anything he can to get on-base to help the team. He knows if he’s on the guys behind him have the ability to push him around.”

Signature victory

Honesdale finished third in this year’s Power Rankings, earning the third seed at the Class 4A tournament.

On Monday, a big enthusiastic crowd gathered at the Daniel J. O’Neill Sports Complex to cheer on the Hornets in their quarterfinal battle with Nanticoke.

The Trojans arrived on the scene as the six seed, having closed out their Wyoming Valley Conference campaign with a record of 9-11, good for third in Division II.

Modrovsky dominated the visitors early on, working three hitless innings and racking up four strikeouts. He received all the support he’d need in those frames as Honesdale hammered Nanticoke starter Derek Miller for seven runs.

Eisele ignited the offense, slapping a single to left and racing to second on an outfield error. Moments later, he scampered home thanks to an RBI double off the bat of Modrovsky. Nate Greene and Travis Beisner each followed with a run-scoring single, pushing the lead to 3-0.

Bryce Dressler came on in relief of Modrovsky in the top of the fourth. The senior righty surrendered a pair of runs, but bounced back with a solid fifth inning with a pair of strikeouts.

Honesdale tacked on three runs in the bottom of the fourth and two more in the home fifth to seal the deal on a 12-2 Mercy Rule triumph.

Eisele finished the day with three hits in four at-bats and a pair of runs scored. Nick Martin went 2-for-3 with a triple and three RBIs. Greene contributed two hits, three runs and a pair of RBIs, while Beisner chipped in with two safeties and Jared Ahern drove in two.

This well-balanced performance sets the stage for a re-match with Scranton Prep, the second seeded squad in 4A. The Hornets dropped a 14-3 decision to the Cavaliers earlier in the season, but Griffis believes the tables are about to turn.

“They caught us during a bad slide and we’re a different team now,” the veteran skipper said. “We don’t have any expectations so we’re coming in loose.

“We need to work their starter into deep counts and stay away from strikeouts. The team that is able to make routine plays and throw strikes will be the team moving on to Sunday.”

This article originally appeared on Tri-County Independent: Honesdale to face Scranton Prep in District 2 baseball semifinals