Keystone Intermediate Falls in Regional Semis

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

key-base-logoEAST NORTHPORT, N.Y.—There’s an old baseball axiom that good pitching will shut down good hitting.

That proved true in Thursday’s Intermediate Little League Eastern Regional semifinal contest between Berlin, MD and Keystone Little League, the result a 7-1 win for Berlin.

The Maryland team elected to go with its number one, towering right-hander Tristan McDonough, rather than save him for a prospective championship game on Friday.

That decision, made by Berlin’s coach and Tristan’s father Cameron McDonough, worked; the younger McDonough shutting down Keystone’s previously high octane offense.

After giving up two singles and an unearned run in the top of the first inning, McDonough locked in, retiring 16 in a row at one point. By the time Keystone was able to pick up a couple harmless singles in the game’s latter innings, the Clinton County team was in a 7-1 hole.

McDonough used a fastball said to be 85 to 86 miles per hour in the game’s early stages, then went to a dazzling curve later on, freezing a number of Keystone batters. He ended up with a 4-hitter, striking out 14 and issuing no walks.

While Keystone struggled offensively, Berlin did enough to build its lead against starter A.J. Smith.

After Keystone scored in the top of the first, Smith walked the first two Maryland batters in the bottom of the inning and both ultimately scored on a single from McDonough. Then the Maryland team went long-ball, homeruns in the middle innings from Kevon Wharton (two of them) and McDonough.

Smith left with a right arm injury after surrendering Wharton’s second homerun in the fourth inning. Aaron Swartz finished up, pitching well, his line two and a third innings, two hits, one run and six strikeouts.

Keystone’s normally potent offense was handcuffed by McDonough. Asher Corl and Troy Gardner singled to start the game (Corl scoring after a Berlin outfielder mishandled Gardner’s hit) and Corl and Mahlik Houtz had late singles.

Keystone ended its first year in Intermediate ball with a solid showing: a Pennsylvania title and a semifinal appearance at the regional tournament, falling two wins short of a trip to California for the Little League Intermediate World Series next week.

JULY 24, 2014 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
KEYSTONE 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 4 1
MARYLAND 2 2 1 1 1 0 X 7 7 1
Back to top button