Keystone Juniors continue comeback at state tourney, into Saturday title game

 

DUBOIS, PA – They lost their first game at the state Junior Little Championship earlier this week, but the Keystone Juniors have rattled off four straight wins to advance to a Saturday championship game.

Manager Steve Shade’s team continued its remarkable run with two Friday wins. In the first they avenged a tourney-opening loss to DuBois, downing the host team by a 5-2 score; then in the losers’ bracket final they eliminated West Side by a 5-3 score. The twin triumphs earned Keystone a Saturday 1 p.m. contest with undefeated Upper Moreland. Keystone would have to beat Upper Moreland two times to earn the state crown.

Both Friday wins were classic team victories, a lot of different players contributing. The game one 5-2 win over DuBois saw Aiden Jones and Blake Walker combine on a one-hitter, Walker going the final four, surrendering no hits, to pick up the win as Keystone overcame a 2-1 deficit after three to earn the win and eliminate the tourney hosts.

Watt Probst wielded the hot bat in Keystone’s 8-hit attack; he went 4-for-4 with a double and two RBIs. Walker contributed a single, double and an RBI. Singles came from Cole Cooper and Austin Frank, who also had an RBI.

Game two saw Keystone overcome a first inning three run deficit, but West Side would not score again as Keystone pitchers Autsin Andrus and Austin Frank combining on a 7-hitter; Frank earning the win while pitching five shutout innings, allowing three hits, no runs, walking two and striking out three.

Nine different Keystone players had hits, led by Nolan Cross with two singles. One single apiece came from Andrus, Jones, Cooper, Frank, Darius Shade, Walker, Dane Hanna and Hayes Miller. Andrus, Shade, Walker and Hanna all had an RBI.

Game One:

K 0 0 1 1 1 0 2 =5-8-3

D 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 = 2-1-4

Game Two

K    0 1 0 2 0 1 1 =5-10-2

WS 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 = 3-7-2