Keystone Patience Pays Off with 8-3 Win over Billtown

8-10 All-Stars District 12 Champs

key-wmspt-016-160708.jpg

key-base-logoSOUTH WILLIAMSPORT — It was Friday night lights in South Williamsport and two Keystone Little League teams did not disappoint the hundreds of Clinton County fans who traveled to Volunteer Stadium for a doubleheader of outstanding baseball.

The Keystone boys responded in their quest for two District 12 titles: The 8-10 team (4-0) came from behind to down Williamsport Area by an 8-3 score. And the Keystone Major team (5-0) followed with a gritty 8-6 win over Montoursville.

The twin wins kept both teams undefeated and sent them into sectional play later this month: The 8-10 team will host Sectionals at Beech Creek starting Monday, July 18 while the Major team will travel to somewhere in the Northern Tier, play to begin Saturday, July 16.

The 8-10 team found itself trailing by a 2-0 score heading into the fifth inning when the Keystoners erupted for seven runs after Williamsport ace Makai Day hit his pitch count limit and had to depart the mound. Keystone would batter three relievers to all but put the game away. Reserves Wyatt Kramer and Nate Wian started with one-out singles. Braylon Corter followed with an RBI single, Gavin Burnell drew a walk and Levi Schlesinger doubled in two runs to give Keystone the lead. Gabe Johnson followed with a sacrifice fly to right field and Elek Fravel singled in a run; following a walk to Zane Cooper, Connor Foltz drilled a 2-run double and Keystone had all the runs it would need. A final run was placed in the top of the six on an RBI triple from Schlesinger.

Meanwhile Corter and Schlesinger combined on a 7-hitter, striking out 10. At the plate Schlesinger finished with a walk, single, double and triple and three RBIs. Corter had two singles and an RBI.

Head coach Patrick Johnson lauded his team’s approach, the plan to work the pitch count on Williamsport’s outstanding pitcher Day who departed with a 2-0 lead in the fateful fifth inning. Johnson felt his team was intimated a bit at the beginning because of the environment but said Keystone improved its approach as the game went on.

July 8, 2016 1 2 3 4 5 6 R H E
KEYSTONE 0 0 0 0 7 1 8 9 0
WILLIAMSPORT AERA 0 0 2 0 1 0 3 7 2
Back to top button