It’s that philosophy which has Keystone now a win away from capturing district gold. Keystone never stopped competing on Friday at Loyalsock’s Bruce Henry Park, scoring at least one run in all but one inning en route to an 8-0 shutout victory over South Williamsport in the District 12 winners’ bracket final.

With the win, Keystone advances to the district title game on Tuesday at Volunteer Stadium.

“I try not to let the kids get into that (mindset of taking it easy) because they take an inning off,” McDermott said. “So I try to tell them full throttle until the game’s over. All six innings no matter what the score is.”

Keystone collected 13 hits on Friday against South Williamsport and played well in every phase of the game. Offensively, the team came up with hits when needed to drive in runners. Defensively, its two pitchers combined to allow just one hit in the shutout effort on the mound.

RALPH WILSON/For The Express South Williamsport's Miles Gerber starts out on the mound during the District 12 Majors baseball winners bracket final against Keystone at Bruce Henry Park in Loyalsock on June 27, 2025. Keystone won 8-0.

Keystone started the game with back-to-back ground outs before Gio Cej got a hold of a pitch and drilled it over the right-centerfield fence for the game’s opening run. Keystone would score again in the second inning on an RBI single with two outs by Rhylan Bathurst to bring in Ryker Packach, who reached after being hit by a pitch.

“They’re very well coached and have a lot of really great players, obviously it’s going to be a competitive tough team up and down the lineup,” South Williamsport manager Eric Gerber said.

Trailing Keystone just 2-0 after two innings put South Williamsport in a good position given how solid Keystone’s lineup is. But South Williamsport wasn’t able to have success against starter Adam Meyer. The Keystone pitcher threw four innings and gave up just one hit — a single by Trey Engel (1 for 2) — and Miles Gerber reached base twice thanks to being walked. Meyer ended with 10 strikeouts through four innings of work on the mound.

“Obviously a fantastic pitcher,” Gerber said. “It’s difficult, you just have to continue to improve, get back to work tomorrow and just keep getting better.”

“We have a lot of arms on the team,” McDermott said of Keystone’s pitching staff. “Adam’s a big boy, he throws the ball hard and he locates his pitches very well. He commands the mound and gets people swinging at what he wants them to.”

RALPH WILSON/For The Express Keystone's Gio Cej rounds the bases after hitting a homer during the District 12 Majors baseball winners bracket final against South Williamsport at Bruce Henry Park in Loyalsock on June 27, 2025. Keystone won 8-0.

In the third inning, Keystone scored three runs thanks to a four-hit inning and started to pull away and set the tone. Jordan Germello reached on a single and, after a sacrifice moved Garmello to second, Dylan McDermott connected on an RBI double to deep center. That was followed up with an RBI double by Brooks Warner to left and an RBI single into shallow right by Cej. It took just five batters for Keystone to plate three runs and take a 5-0 lead.

“Our kids hit the ball well. I think we ended up with two strikeouts throughout the game which is fantastic in a six-inning game,” McDermott said. “That means we’re putting the ball in play. Sometimes they go right to the fielder but we’re making the defense play the ball.”

Cej led Keystone with a 3 for 3 night with a home run, two RBIs and a run scored. Hunter Kisko (2 for 2, hit by pitch) and Germello (2 for 2, RBI, run) both had multiple hits as well for Keystone. Rhylan Bathurst (1 for 3, RBI), Carter Leone (1 for 1, RBI), Jax Orndorf (1 for 3, run), Warner (1 for 3, double, RBI, run) and McDermott (1 for 3, double, RBI, run) all had a hit and Karter Markle scored a run.

Keystone increased its lead in the fourth inning with two runs. Orndorf reached on an error and scored three batters later with an RBI single by Carter Leone. Markle reached on a fielder’s choice and scored when he was brought home by Germello on an infield single.

While South is upset they came up shy on Friday of advancing in the winners’ bracket, South Williamsport isn’t done yet and Gerber is glad the team gets to keep competing.

RALPH WILSON/For The Express South Williamsport's Aiden Jimenez attempts a play on Keystone's Jordan Germello during the District 12 Majors baseball winners bracket final at Bruce Henry Park in Loyalsock on June 27, 2025. Keystone won 8-0.

“I mean we should have everybody available and we strategically kind of did that,” Gerber said. “We didn’t want them to see anybody twice going through the order. I thought everybody did a great job coming in and pitched well and are prepared to take on whatever we do next.”

Meyer was relieved after four innings of play by Dylan McDermott, who closed the game out with no hits over two innings of work and one walk allowed with one hit batter. Meyer reached exactly 65 pitches after four innings, meaning he’s eligible to pitch again in Tuesday’s District 12 championship game if McDermott wants to start him.

“We’ll have all of our arms so we’ll be ready to go with whoever we face. That’s kind of how we work it through districts. Try and ride the arms,” McDermott said. “There’s a lot of days as long as you stay in the winners’ bracket for the rest of your pitchers. After tonight’s game, we pulled Adam at 65 so he has three day’s rest, so he’ll be available and Dylan came in to finish it off so he’s available as well.”

The only inning Keystone didn’t score a run was the fifth inning. Keystone opened with two outs as Jacob Butler forced a fly and ground out. Cej reached on a single and tried to go home when South attempted to pick off a runner on first, but Cej was out at home on a throw to end the inning.

Keystone’s final run came in the sixth when Ryker Packach scored on a wild pitch after reaching on a single.

RALPH WILSON/For The Express Easton Yetter throws for South Williamsport during the District 12 Majors baseball winners bracket final against Keystone at Bruce Henry Park in Loyalsock on June 27, 2025. Keystone won 8-0.

Keystone’s players have been together for awhile, and that’s something McDermott credits as the team’s biggest strength.

“The biggest strength I think is these kids have played together for years. This team here, every kid during the regular season has seen the mound and has pitched,” McDermott said. “So having that to fall back on, and I tell the kids, you never know when it’s going to be your time. Be ready. So we got a lot of arms that can get the job done.”

While South Williamsport lost and was limited to one hit, Gerber is still proud of how his team performed on Friday night.

“I think they’ve just played really hard, they listen, they work hard. They’re super coachable and they just never give up,” Gerber said. “I’m very proud of their effort tonight. They could have folded or packed it in when they got down a couple of runs, but they battled the whole way through.”

Keystone 8, South Williamsport 0

RALPH WILSON/For The Express South Williamsport catcher Everett Bubb attempts a play on Keystone's Gio Cej at home during the District 12 Majors baseball winners bracket final at Bruce Henry Park in Loyalsock on June 27, 2025. Keystone won 8-0.

Keystone 113 201 — 8 13 0

South 000 000 — 0 1 1

Adam Meyer, Dylan McDermott (5) and Jordan Germello. Miles Gerber, Easton Yetter (3), Jacob Butler (4), Aiden Jimenez (6) and Everett Bubb. W: Meyer. L: Gerber.

Top Keystone hitters: Gio Cej 3-3, HR, 2 RBIs, run; Hunter Kisko 2-2, HBP; Jordan Germello 2-2, RBI, run; Rhylan Bathurst 1-3, RBI; Carter Leone 1-1, RBI; Karter Markle run; Jax Orndorf 1-3 ,run; Brooks Warner 1-3, 2B, RBI, run; Dylan McDermott 1-3, 2B, RBI, run. Top South Williamsport hitters: Trey Engel 1-2; Miles Gerber 2 BBs; Connor Zook HBP.

RALPH WILSON/For The Express South Williamsport's Easton Yetter makes the tag at second on Keystone's Jax Orndorf and looks to first for a double play during the District 12 Majors baseball winners bracket final at Bruce Henry Park in Loyalsock on June 27, 2025. Keystone won 8-0.

RALPH WILSON/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Keystone's Ryker XXXX runs the ball in after catching a fly ball for the final out of the District 12 Majors baseball winners bracket final at Bruce Henry Park in Loyalsock on June 27, 2025. Keystone won 8-0.