Keystone Majors win district opener, 10-0 over Montoursville

MONTOURSVILLE, PA – The Keystone (12-year-old) baseball team made a solid start to its 2023 season with a 10-0, 4-inning road win over Montoursville Monday evening.

Keystone played a near perfect game in its playoff opener, scoring four in the first inning and six more in the third. When starter and winner Evan Edwards struck out the Montoursville side in the fourth inning, the game ended on the 10-run-rule.

Afterwards a happy head coach Cole Hanley termed the win “a total team effort.”  He said Edwards started out strong with a 1-2-3 top of the first (Montoursville lost the toss and was the visiting team) and Keystone followed with their bats. He said it is always good to “get the nerves out” in the playoff opener, noting his team’s fielding looks good and said, pitching-wise, this year’s team has “lots of arms.”

Edwards went the distance, striking out eight and walking one, giving up only a single. His defense was flawless, including a nifty grab of a line drive by third baseman Haydn Whitman, robbing Montour’s Colten Watson of a base hit.

Meanwhile Keystone’s offense jumped out early and never looked back. Edwards, leading off in the bottom of the first, hit the first pitch for a double. Carter Frank singled on the next pitch and Keystone quickly had two runners on base. Logan Bower drew a walk to load the bases and Camden Fuller drove in his team’s first two runs with a double. Before the inning was over, Evan Batterson drew a walk and Hayden Hanley hit a single and four runs were across the plate.

Keystone added six more in the bottom of the third. The inning started with Edwards hit by a pitch and Frank drawing a walk. Bower singled in Edwards; later there was a walk to Bryan Rote and Batterson grounded out to drive in another run. Hanley plated another teammate with his second single and Whitman pushed the lead to 10-0 with a mammoth, two-run homer over the left field fence.

Hanley’s two singles led Keystone’s 7-hit attack. Whitman had his homer, Edwards and Fuller had doubles and singles came from  Bower and Frank.

Next up for Keystone is a Friday trip to Hughesville to face homestanding East Lycoming. Coach Hanley said Keystone has defeated East Lycoming in the District 12 finals in both their 10 and 11-year-old seasons and expects a challenge. He said Friday’s opponent pitches and hits well.

M 0 0 0 0 = 0-1-0

K  4 0 6 0 = 10-7-0