Keystone Majors move to district title game with 6-3 win over ‘Sock

MONTOURSVILLE, PA – The Keystone 12-year-old all-stars have advanced to the District 12 title game set for Lamade Stadium next Monday. Coach Cole Hanley’s team did what it had to do, getting enough hits and making enough plays to hold off Loyalsock by a 6-3 count in the winners’ bracket final at the Montoursville Little League Field Wednesday evening.

It wasn’t a completely clean win for Keystone and coach Hanley said afterwards his 12-player squad “will be going back to the basics” in practice before the Monday title game. The coach said the team “ground out” the win and lauded starter Evan Edwards for his clutch work in the first inning after Loyalsock had scored an early run and threatened for more.

Edwards overcame a slow start for Keystone and found his rhythm on the mound as Loyalsock used a hit and a couple walks to get on the board with a run in the bottom of the first. But Edwards settled in and got two strikeouts with the bases loaded to hold the Lancers to one run.

It took until the third inning for Keystone to score against Lancer starter Parker Frederick. Logan Daniel led off with a single and Angelo Tarantella beat out a bunt single; the Lancer infield mishandled a Brian Rote grounder and the tying run scored. Also Zavier Wadsworth hit a sacrifice fly to center field scoring Rote and Keystone had built a 3-1 lead.

Keystone stretched the lead to 5-1 in the top of the fourth, plating two runs on an Evan Batterson double into the left-centerfield gap. His hit followed a Logan Bower single and another Loyalsock error on a Cam Fuller groundball.

Loyalsock got two back in the bottom of the fifth, taking advantage of two Keystone errors to score both unearned runs.

Keystone added an insurance run in the top of the sixth without a hit, using a walk and two Lancer errors to score another unearned run,

Edwards went the first five for Keystone, holding Loyalsock to four hits while striking out nine and walking three. Fuller finished up, giving up a walk but striking out three in a scoreless sixth inning of work.

Keystone was held to five hits, Batterson with a single and double, Daniels, Tarantella and Bower with singles.

Keystone’s opponent for the Monday title game is to be determined. Still alive, in addition to Loyalsock, are East Lycoming and Williamsport area.

K 0 0 3 2 0 1 =6-5-4

L 1 0 0 2 0 0 = 3-4-6