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A CLASSIC MOMENT: After blowing 4-0 lead, Keystone returns from deficit to beat Loyalsock

Braylen Corter (22) of Keystone All-Stars Little League Baseball hits a blooper two-run double into left field during a District 12 tournament game against the Loyalsock All-Stars. Keystone won 6-5 in extra innings. (The Express/Phil Mapstone)

JERSEY SHORE — On a hot Sunday afternoon in Jersey Shore, the expectations for the game between the Keystone and Loyalsock All-Stars had it set for a potential thriller.

And the kids definitely gave the fans that — in flying colors.

After blowing a lead and looking at a 5-4 deficit heading into the bottom of the seventh, Keystone pulled some “magic” from this area’s local baseball scene and clinched a thrilling victory in extra innings, 6-5.

“Wow. That’s all I can say, wow,” commented Keystone All-Stars head coach Pat Johnson after the game.

Early jitters from both teams gave us a scoreless inning in the first, but after the nerves settled, Keystone got to work.

In the bottom of the second, Loyalsock pitcher Ethan Nagy had started off the half of the inning by walking Connor Fultz. After the walk, Dallas Alexander came up to the plate to hit a single to put runners at first and second base. After a wild pitch from Nagy, both Fultz and Alexander advanced to second and third. Then came up Gavin Burnell, and he was also walked to load the bases for Keystone. Up next, Gabriel Johnson flied out and Alexander tagged third to score the first run for Keystone — Foltz also moved up to third base. Braylen Corter then approached home plate for the Keystone All-Stars, and delivered a blooper into left field that resulted in a two-run double. After the smoke cleared, Keystone was up 3-0 heading into the third inning.

Keystone struck again against Loyalsock in the bottom of the fourth. Corter was back up to the plate, and hit another double with one out — he would also go on to steal third base. Afterwards, Cayden Culvey was up to knock Corter in with a single, putting Keystone’s lead at 4-0 at the end of the fourth.

Then came the top of the sixth.

At this point, Keystone All-Stars starting pitcher Levi Schlesinger had pitched five scoreless innings.

“He had five innings and he was absolutely lights out. He’s that way, it just seemed like he had a bit of a control issue — it was pretty hot out,” said Johnson. “But for five innings, he was straight dealing. He’s capable of that and it just came apart there at the end. But I’m proud of him, tough assignment to pitch six innings against that team.”

And tough it was. At the top of the sixth, you could tell Schlesinger was exhausted and wasn’t the same pitcher that he was for nearly the entire game.

It all started with a walk for Loyalsock’s Rolando Cruz, and he would steal second base on a wild pitch. Afterwards, Nagy was also walked — putting runners on first and second with no outs. Kaden Rodarmel then singled to load the bases for the Loyalsock All-Stars. Another single would come from Tyler Gee that would score Cruz and cut their deficit to Keystone, 4-1. Keystone would then go on to get two straight outs.

But what happened next would make the hearts of every fan of Keystone Little League Baseball sink.

Nick Laubach would hit a three-run double, having the momentum shift strongly over to the favor of Loyalsock as they would tie the game up, 4-4. Fortunately for Keystone, they were able to hold them to that 4-4 tie as they headed to the bottom of the sixth.

The Keystone All-Stars can now win the game with a single run, but Loyalsock got three outs without any damage to send the game into extra innings.

And Loyalsock took advantage.

Leading off the top of the seventh, Chase Miller got a base hit to put him on first with no outs. After suffering an out, Loyalsock’s Nagy would also single himself, sending Miller to third. Another base hit would come from Rodarmel, but this time Miller would cross the plate for a 5-4 lead for the Loyalsock All-Stars. Keystone would eventually escape the inning, but the damage had already been done. Keystone faces their first defeat — down 5-4 entering the bottom of the seventh.

And then came that Keystone magic.

“We let them back in the game there at the end when [Schlesinger] started to have some control issues, and they got a clutch hit. [Brady] Myers has to come off the bench with the bases loaded with one out, that’s a tough assignment,” said Johnson. “He’s able to get them out of the inning and hold them off 5-4 in that following inning. They’re a good team. When we came in [the dugout], all we told them before they took the field was to ‘make a memory,’ and that’s what they did.”

Schlesinger started off with a single — Johnson would then replace him on base with Kevin Grenninger for speed. Grenninger would go on to steal second, putting the tying run in scoring position. Alexander would come up to the plate to play the role of ‘hero’ as he hits a no-outs double to send Grenninger home — tying the game for the Keystone All-Stars, 5-5. Foltz would play the final piece for the Keystone victory, hitting a single that would send Alexander home.

The Keystone All-Stars win a classic against the Loyalsock All-Stars, 6-5, sending fans home in a state of shock at what they had just saw.

After the excitement was over, Johnson was already ready for the next game.

“Obviously from the tournament perspective, this gives us off until Friday. The pitchers will be back to 100% and in front of the home crowd again, and we’re excited to do that,” said Johnson. “Just keep moving toward Volunteer Stadium, that’s the goal.”

And if Keystone plays anything like they did on Sunday, another trip to Williamsport could become a reality — but only if the players take their coaches advice.

“We’re just going to keep doing what we do, approach every game humble, try to work hard, and not let another team back in the game in the sixth inning,” Johnson chuckled.

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