Keystone 11s ride Rote to sectional championship game

ATHENS, PA – The Keystone 11s showed Saturday they can win tight, low-scoring games, pulling out a 3-2 win over Tri Valley in the Section 3 winners’ bracket final. Big Bryan Rote did much of the pulling, picking up the win in relief and providing the winning run with a homerun in the bottom of the fifth.

But it was a team effort for Manager Cole Hanley’s team as the defense played error-free ball to back three Keystone pitchers.

Carson Smith went the first three on the mound, giving up four hits and two runs; Rote followed, pitching 2.2 shutout innings, allowing no hits and striking out six. Evan Edwards finished up with two outs in the top of the sixth, surrendering two hits but getting the third out to preserve the win.

Tri Valley took a 2-0 lead after one but Keystone tied it up with 2 in the second and it stayed that way til Rote’s dinger in the bottom of the fifth. The ball traveled an estimated 210 feet over the centerfield fence.

Evan Edwards had a 2-for-3 day with a single and a run-scoring double in the second inning. Rote had his homer and singles came from Heath Marino, Hayden Hanley, Carson Smith, Camden Fuller and Carter Frank; Frank’s second inning hit brought in a run.

Undefeated at sectionals, Keystone will go for the title Monday at 5:30 p.m., an opponent to be determined.

TV 2 0 0 0 0 0 = 2-6-1

K   0 2 0 0 1 x = 3-8-0