Keystone Major League Wears Down Loyalsock, 10-2

BEECH CREEK – The Loyalsock Little League Major team came to Blaine Kunes Memorial Park ready to play on Friday night. The suburban Williamsport team went pitch-for-pitch with defending District 12 champion Keystone well into the game, trailing 3-2 after four.

But Keystone (3-0) put together five hits and took advantage of some ‘Sock two-out mistakes in the top of the fifth, plating seven runs and going on to a 10-2 win. The victory put Keystone into the winners’ bracket final against Williamsport, a 3-0 winner over Montoursville Friday. The winners’ bracket contest will be played at the Woolrich Field this Sunday at 2 p.m.

Losing the flip, Keystone was the visiting team Friday and scored first, Cru Stover hitting a single and scoring on a single from Matt Conklin. Loyalsock tied the game on a first inning homer from Tyler Gee, the first run surrendered by Keystone in their first three games. Keystone took the lead for good in the top of the second when Levi Schlesinger singled and Nate Helms followed with a 2-run homerun, 3-1 Keystone. Loyalsock made it a 3-2 game when Jake Ackerman slugged a homer in the bottom of the fourth.

But then came the fifth inning and Keystone put the game away with considerable help from a deep bench. Kaden Irvin came off the bench with a single to right. The next two batters made outs but then the game swung: Ashton Probst reached base on an error. Tyler Weaver pinch-hit and dropped a triple between the right and centerfielders. Peyton Newlen in his first plate appearance slugged a homerun to put the score at 7-2 Keystone. Helms drew a walk, Gabe Johnson hit a single, as did Luke Simcox. There was a second ‘Sock error in the inning off the bat of Irvin and by the time the inning ended Keystone had the 10-2 lead. The three pitchers combined for 11 strikeouts.

Meanwhile three Keystone pitchers held Loyalsock to three hits. Probst went the first 3 and 2/3 innings, giving up three hits and two runs, striking out seven and walking two. Conklin and Levi Schlesinger came in and pitched perfect relief, Conklin retiring all six batters he faced (he has three perfect innings so far in the playoffs) and Schlesinger struck out the only batter he faced (he is 2-for-2 pitching with two strikeouts in the district tourney).

Keystone put up 11 hits against four Loyalsock pitchers, getting production out of all nine spots in the lineup. Stover had a single and double, homeruns came from Helms and Newlen, Weaver with his triple. Providing singles were Simcox, Irvin, Conklin, Probst, Schlesinger and Johnson. The game’s top defensive play came from right-fielder Jack Hanna with a great diving catch of a line-drive off the bat of Loyalsock’s Ethan Nagy.