Keystone Stays Alive, Tops Montour, 14-6

WILLIAMSPORT — Faced with a win or go-home game, the Keystone Major Little League team responded Wednesday with a 14-6 win over Montoursville.

The Keystone victory in the loser bracket final earned coach Daren Stover’s team a slot in the District 12 championship game Friday at 6 p.m. at Volunteer Stadium in South Williamsport. Williamsport will be the opponent, that team already owning a 3-0 win over Keystone. The Clinton County squad would have to win Friday to earn a winner-take-all game Saturday at 11 a.m.

The Montoursville game saw Keystone get its offense untracked after being held to two hits in the June 30 loss to Williamsport, a point not lost on head coach Stover. He said he was pleased that his team was “real aggressive at the plate” compared to its performance against Williamsport.

When Montoursville scored two unearned runs in the top of the first, Keystone answered with five runs in the bottom of the inning, batting around, and never trailed. Hits came from Matt Conklin, a 2-RBI single; an RBI double from Ashton Probst; and a single from Braylen Corter. Nate Helms drove in a run with a groundout.

Keystone scored two more in the second, using singles from Luke Simcox and Chase Brush along with a bases-loaded walk to Levi Schlesinger; the score 7-2 Keystone after two.

Montoursville made it interesting in the top of the third, riding a grand-slam homerun from Cael Frame to get within 7-6. Keystone responded with four runs in the bottom of the inning, using an RBI single from Cru Stover and a scorching 2-run double to left from pinch-hitter Peyton Newlen. Three insurance runs came in the bottom of the fifth, marked by a homerun from Brush. Other hits in the inning were singles from Stover, Conklin and a 2-RBI single from Schlesinger.

Hitting-wise Brush, Stover and Conklin all had two each, Simcox, Probst, Corter, Newlen and Schlesinger with one each.

Keystone used four pitchers, starter Stover going two and a third and getting the win with relief help from Probst, Schlesinger and Brush. All six Montoursville runs were unearned, the result of two Keystone errors. Schlesinger continued his impressive postseason run, pitching three shutout innings while striking out four; he is un-scored on in four playoff games.

July 5, 2017 1 2 3 4 5 6 R H E
MONTOURSVILLE 2 0 4 0 0 0 6 8 4
KEYSTONE 5 2 4 0 3 X 4 11 2
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