West spirit, pride is showing

Jun. 13—The first time West Scranton's softball team played a state playoff game, teacher George "Skip" Roskos wrote a check to the PIAA for more than $630 so that students who might not be able to afford it, or didn't have the credit or debit card currently required to pay for tickets online, could go see their classmates play at Marywood University.

For Monday's state semifinal game against Lampeter-Strasburg, a donation of $500 has been made by Cadden Brothers Moving and Storage to pay for the bus and tickets for 50 classmates of the softball team to make the trip to Allentown.

A second anonymous donation for $300 came from a second alum so that more Invaders fans could "Bleed Blue."

The donations both were made to honor the memory of West alum Dennis Petillo (Class of 1965). Cadden Brothers is co-owned by former Invaders player Pat Cadden Jr., who graduated in 2004 and was a standout catcher for West Scranton's American Legion team that had a postseason run that Petillo financed.

"This is such a great thing for the kids, the school and the community," West Scranton principal Rob DeLuca said. "We have a lot of Invader pride."

That pride has shown itself in some unusual ways.

For the June 7 win over Elizabethtown, the supporters from the Spirit Club called for a Hawaiian shirt day.

On Thursday against West Chester East, a fan bus of students wore jerseys to the game, sitting behind the outfield fence, where they were for the first-round win.

For Monday's semifinal against Lampeter-Strasburg, the students will be dressing in school colors.

"Blue from head to toe," DeLuca said.

Members of the Spirit Club quickly filled the bus for the state semifinal, and later learned

Cadden Brothers would be picking up the tab.

International ball

Doubtful that when Grace Perechinsky started her high school softball career at Holy Cross that she could have imagined how far it would take her.

The Times-Tribune 2016 Player of the Year earned her degree in sports management at St. Bonaventure after playing first base for the Bonnies for three years — with another to go since the NCAA granted an extra season because of the pandemic.

Now, Perechinsky is in Russia, playing for one of the country's oldest club teams, and will represent Russia in the European Cup from June 27-July 3 in the Friuli region of Italy, with 17 teams trying to qualify for the World Games 2022, which will be held in Birmingham, Alabama.

"I was adopted from Russia when I was 3, so that's how I'm allowed to play for them," Perechinsky said just before departing for Moscow. "My mom adopted me, and I've always wanted to further my career. I knew that college wasn't going to end my career. I was looking to play at a higher level, whatever it took."

The Bonnies' leader in home runs and RBIs last season started to send out feelers and saw, thanks to Russia being her birth country, playing there was an option, so she reached out, got on their radar and was invited to come to Russia to play for the Carrousel squad after her junior season.

The COVID-19 pandemic sent that idea to the shelf, but the invitation was extended again this year and Perechinsky started making arrangements for her international debut.

That went incredibly well, with Perechinsky homering twice in her first game with Carrousel, who already had welcomed her with open arms, teammates surprising her at the airport and again when she moved into her quarters for the next seven weeks. On one of her first days there, Perechinsky had her picture taken with Slava Smagin, the president of the Russian Softball Federation.

"Playing internationally, I think it's crazy," Perechinsky said. "It kind of comes full circle playing for Russia because that's where I was born. Although my mom gave me a great opportunity here and everything, I think it's just so cool to be able to go and travel and play softball.

"Then I'm going to go to Italy and play all these teams and I've been looking at teams and saw that the Arizona coach (John Candrea), who is the winningest coach in NCAA history (1,674 wins,

8 NCAA championships in 36 seasons), he's actually going to help coach Italy this year."

Another player on the Italian roster is part of an emerging professional softball league that has piqued her interest.

"That's something that's on my radar," Perechinsky said. "I know that's a few years down the road but this would definitely help me develop that. And having the opportunity in Russia, being able to train with them and play, but also being able to help coach the younger team, give them the knowledge I've learned. I think it's a great option all around."

Perechinsky also was offered a roster spot for the World Cup team, but that event takes place at the end of August. By then, Perechinsky will be back in upstate New York on the Bonnies' campus, beginning her pursuit of not only her final season of Atlantic 10 softball, but a master's degree in business with hopes to get into sports analytics.

She also doesn't want to go out on a down note like the 2021 A-10 season, where the Bonnies won just two games.

"I've definitely been growing as a player at Bonaventure, and it was a really rough year all around," Perechinsky said. "But I definitely feel I advanced a lot in my approach at the plate and being more vocal.

"I hope that brings me more confidence and I can help my teammates, whether it's on the field, in the classroom, whatever."

MARTY MYERS is a Times-Tribune sports writer. His Around Town column appears Sundays. Contact him at mmyers@timesshamrock.com, 570-348-9100, ext. 5437 or follow him on Twitter @mmyersTT.

MARTY MYERS is a Times-Tribune sports writer. His Around Town column appears on Sundays. To contact him, email mmyers@timesshamrock.com, call 570-348-9100, ext. 5437 or follow him on Twitter @mmyersTT.