Lakeland Swings Past Wayne Hills in County Semifinal

Both teams missed several scoring chances in the Passaic County baseball semifinal between Lakeland and Wayne Hills. But the Lancers seized their final opportunity, scoring twice in the sixth inning to beat Hills 4-2 and advance to the Passaic County final.

Chris Franco drove in both of the Patriots' runs. He blasted a solo homer in the second inning and singled in a run in the fourth. That single brought home Cristian Rodriguez, who was safe when the throw home hit him in the helmet.

Pitcher Erik Moskal went the distance for Wayne Hills, getting out of a bases-loaded jam in the fourth and stranding several other runners in scoring position. The fifth-seeded Patriots finished the season at 15-12.

Steven Cook delivered an RBI double and Nick Unger followed with a run-scoring single in the decisive inning. Cook also drove in a run earlier in the game with a sacrifice fly for top-seeded Lakland.

Lakeland pitcher John Kwak pitched a complete game and allowed five hits. A couple of key defensive plays also helped the Lancers win the game: a pickoff at second base limited the Patriots to one run in the fourth and a double play ended the game.

— Jersey Sports Now is a multimedia website covering high school and youth sports in Wayne and the Passaic County area. Featuring game video highlights, scores, standings and more.

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