Keystone 8-10 All-Stars Bring Home State Little League Title

INDIANA, PA – Hey Keystone Little League, make room for another state title. One day after the Keystone 12s took the Pennsylvania crown in Berwick, the Keystone 8-10 All-Stars earned their own title with a 7-2 Monday evening win over Caln Township.

Head coach Steve Shade’s team used a 5-run third inning to open a 6-2 lead over their southeastern Pennsylvania opponent and added an insurance run in the fifth inning on the way to the 7-2 final, completing a Keystone four-win run at the state tourney. Meanwhile three Keystone pitchers kept Caln in check, Darius Shade, Aiden Jones and Nolan Cross combining on a 6-hitter.

Keystone scored first in the bottom of the first, Hunter Donley reaching base on an error and scoring on a double from Blake Walker. Caln took its first and only lead in the second, using a single, a walk and a groundout to produce its only two runs.

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The bats came alive for Keystone in the bottom of the third: Austin Andrus led off with a single but was replaced on first off a fielder’s choice from Shade. Then came a string of four straight singles, from Donley, an RBI single from Watt Probst, an RBI single from Walker, a bunt single from Cole Cooper and then a walk to Austyn Frank. Cross followed with a 2-RBI single and all of a sudden five runs were in and Keystone led 6-2. Jones added an insurance run in the bottom of the fifth when he doubled in Cooper.

Shade went four innings for the win, giving up four hits and two runs while striking out four and walking three. Jones walked a batter to start the Caln fifth and Cross took over, pitching two shutout innings while surrendering two singles.

Walker led Keystone’s 8-hit attack with his single, double and two runs batted in. The hits were spread around, Jones with a double and singles from Donley, Probst, Cooper, Cross and Andrus.

Coach Shade said the Keystone 10s “great effort began in June, backing each-other up” through their playoff run. Earlier wins at states had been 6-2 over Warwick, 9-1 over Lower Perkiomen and 5-4 over Caln in the winners’ bracket final.

The team has qualified for the East Region Little League 8-10 tournament in Cranston, RI beginning Saturday, Aug. 4.