Keystone takes sectional opener, 13-3, over Upper Dauphin

BEECH CREEK, PA – The Keystone Major All-Stars waited a long time to get a game on their home field, Blaine W. Kunes Memorial Park in Beech Creek. After starting the season with four road game wins, Coach Cole Hanley’s team finally got a game before their home crowd Tuesday evening. They did not disappoint, pounding out season highs in runs, 13, and hits, 16, in opening Section 3 play with a 13-3, five-inning win over Upper Dauphin.

Keystone spotted their Dauphin County visitors two runs in the top of the first, but bounced back with four in the bottom of the first frame, added another four in the third and closed things out with three in the fourth and two in the bottom of the fifth, those final two coming across the plate with no one out.

Keystone came out slugging and never let up. Evan Edwards led off the bottom of the first with a mammoth homerun down the left field line. Carter Frank drilled a double and Logan Bower reached base on an infield error. Cam Fuller followed with a three-run homer over the centerfield fence and Keystone had a 4-2 lead.

Five hits in the third led to four more runs. Frank and Fuller singled and Evan Batterson drove in Frank. Hayden Hanley drew a walk and Haydn Whitman followed with an RBI single, followed by a two-RBI single from Logan Daniel.

The three in the fourth came on Edwards’ second home run, this one over the centerfield fence, after a single from Tarantella and a ground-rule double from Heath Marino.

Four straight hits to start the bottom of the fifth produced two runs and ended the game at 13-3; they came from Fuller, Batterson, Hanley and Whitman.

Fuller finished with a 3-for-3 day with three RBIs and his homer. Edwards had two homeruns and four RBIs; Frank with a single and double; Batterson with two singles; and Whitman with two. Marino had a double and singles came from Bower, Hanley, Daniel and Tarantella.

Frank and Bryan Rote split the mound duties for the winners. Frank went 2.1 innings and Rote 3.2 innings, combining for six strikeouts while giving up six hits.

Coach Hanley said afterward he was “waiting for our bats to come alive” and said he thought the week off after the district tourney helped. Keystone had a couple misplays early and the coach noted it was a “tough environment” playing before the huge crowd, but said his team settled down nicely.

Keystone moves into a winners’ bracket final Wednesday under the lights in Beech Creek, after a 5:30 p.m. elimination game. The opponent will be Mifflinburg the winner of Tuesday’s other game versus Athens. Mifflinburg defeated Athens 12-4.

UP 2 0 0 0 1 = 3-6-2

K   4 0 4 3 2 = 13-16-4