The common denominator became LaRosa and Frederick owning those big moments.

LaRosa stranded four runners over the final two innings; Frederick scorched a clutch pinch-hit, go-ahead two-run single and Loyalsock stormed back from a five-run deficit, defeating Jersey Shore, 10-7 at Brandon Park. The Lancers scored six fifth inning runs, moving ahead for the first time, and earned a large character win in a battle of playoff bubble teams.

“I was just ready go and get after it,” LaRosa said after earning the win in relief. “It felt amazing.”

“It’s what our team needed. Everyone came up big,” Frederick said. “That was a great team win.”

RALPH WILSON/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Jersey Shore's Ben Gill steals second as Loyalsock's Connor Cowden attempts the tag during a high school baseball on Friday at Brandon Park.

Nolan Rall and Bennett Singer both produced two hits and two RBIs and Loyalsock (6-8) put Thursday’s 10-run loss at Hughesville far in the rearview mirror. Jersey Shore (6-8) led 4-0 after 2 ½ innings and 7-2 after 4 ½. Instead of wilting, Loyalsock thundered back and produced its biggest win this season.

Time will tell what this win does for a fairly young team, but it certainly revealed a lot about who the Lancers are and where they want to go.

“I don’t want to say we were due because we’re not owed anything, but it felt like these guys have put time in and I wanted it for them,” Loyalsock coach Mike Frederick said. “I don’t know if it’s a program changer but it’s something we can build on through the weekend and talk about next week and that’s big.”

A big opportunity came Parker Frederick’s way after Loyalsock started mounting its comeback. Kayden Keefer and Brecken Gusick opened the fifth inning with walks and Keefer scored on an error a batter later. Drake Dupont (1 for 1, 3 walks) and Jacob Baylor drew consecutive walks. Baylor’s cut it to 7-4 before Rall hit an infield RBI single and Singer an RBI fielder’s choice.

In a flash, Loyalsock trailed by just a run. Frederick injured his back the previous day and his father opted not to start the freshman who is enjoying a quality debut season. But after watching for 4 ½ innings, Parker was ready to pounce when his named was called.

RALPH WILSON/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Loyalsock's Kayden Keefer reaches second as Jersey Shore's Carter Rhinehart attempts a tag during a high school baseball on Friday at Brandon Park.

“I was just staying warm. I was trusting everyone to get on base and I can try and make the most of my big spot,” he said. “I felt confident. I was ready to get in there.”

It showed. After Carter Cowden walked and while facing one of the area’s premier pitchers in Nolen Pauling, Frederick took a first-pitch ball before finding the one he wanted. Frederick belted a hard shot into right field, two runs scored and Loyalsock held its first lead.

“I was just looking for anything to hit,” Parker Frederick said. “I wanted something I could drive to bring my teammates in and help us win.”

“That’s a big hit but I felt like anybody on this team was ready to be up in that situation and do that,” Mike Frederick said. “That’s a great thing and I really felt that way.”

The clutch hitting continued an inning later, providing Loyalsock two valuable insurance runs. LaRosa and Dupont started the inning with walks before Rall dropped a perfectly-place bunt up the first-base line, scoring LaRosa. Singer followed and smashed a two-out, RBI single, giving Loyalsock a 10-7 advantage and its eighth straight run.

RALPH WILSON/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Jersey Shore's Grayson Confair attempts the tag at first on Loyalsock's Connor Cowden during a high school baseball on Friday at Brandon Park.

After Hughesville had scored the final 13 runs Thursday, Loyalsock had been outscored 20-2 over a two-day stretch when Jersey Shore opened its five-run lead. Instead of wondering what happened, the Lancers focused on what could be. Turns out, it could be something special.

“Everyone was confident,” Parker Frederick said. “It was a momentum switch.”

LaRosa built on that momentum and showcased both good stuff and toughness over the final two innings. Jersey Shore put the first two runs on in the sixth and had second and third with one out. LaRosa responded by inducing an inning-ending flyout to Keefer in center field.

An inning later, Jersey Shore again threatened. Down to their last strike five times, the Bulldogs kept fighting and Tucker Hanna fought back from 1-2 to work a seven-pitch walk before Conner Yingling turned on the jets and beat out a two-out infield single. LaRosa stayed strong, worked ahead and induced a game-ending flyout as Rall hauled it in.

“I was amped up the whole game. That (lead) lifted me more,” LaRosa said. “I was just trying to throw strikes. I knew my guys would make plays.”

RALPH WILSON/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Curtis Lewis starts out on the mound for Loyalsock during a high school baseball game against Jersey Shore on Friday at Brandon Park.

“You’re thinking of every situation as a coach, but I just want him to make a pitch and I’m super proud of him,” Mike Frederick said. “We needed that.”

Yingling collected two hits and Hanna three RBIs for Jersey Shore. After a Carter Rhinehart sacrifice fly scored Pauling and gave Jersey Shore a 1-0 lead two batters into the game, Greyson Confair’s two-out, two-run single highlighted a three-run third inning, making it, 4-0. Hanna and Yingling provided the big two-out hits in the fifth, Hanna belting a two-run single and Yingling an RBI single extended Jersey Shore’s lead to 7-2.

Despite LaRosa and Dupont hitting second-inning RBI singles, it felt like Jersey Shore had everything going its way at that point. But on a day it rained throughout the game, Loyalsock found the light through the storm clouds.

“It felt different at 7-2,” Mike Frederick said. “These guys have completely bought in and worked so hard and I felt like one of these has to go our way.”

Jersey Shore 103 030 0–7 6 1

RALPH WILSON/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Nolen Pauling starts out on the mound for Jersey Shore's during a high school baseball against Loyalsock on Friday at Brandon Park.

Loyalsock 002 062 x–10 7 0

Nolen Pauling, Hayden Kelley (2), Landon Lathan (5), Pauling (5), Greyson Confair (6) and Hunter Enders, Mason Winter (6). Curtis Lewis, Jahvon Larosa (5) and Bennett Singer. W–LaRosa. L–Pauling.

Top Jersey Shore hitters: Yingling 2-4, RBI; Tucker Hanna 1-2, BB, 3 RBIs, R; Enders 1-3, BB; Confair 1-4, 2 RBIs; Mazden Lupton 1-3, BB, R; Carter Rhinehart 2R, RBI; Pauling 2R, 3 SB. Top Loyalsock hitters: Nolan Rall 2-3, 2 RBIs; Singer 2-4, 2 RBIs; LaRosa 1-2, 2 BB, RBI, 2R; Drake Dupont 1-1, 3 BB, RBI, 2R; Parker Frederick 1-1, 2 RBIs; Kayden Keefer 2 BB, 2R; Brecken Gusick 2 BB, 2R.

Records: Loyalsock 6-8. Jersey Shore 6-8.

RALPH WILSON/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Hayden Kelley takes over on the mound for Jersey Shore's during a high school baseball against Loyalsock on Friday at Brandon Park.