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COGAN STATION - For the game's first four innings, the Jersey Shore GSV major baseball team did not have much going for them. The squad managed just one run on three hits as Keystone pitcher Kai Fravel limited the Jersey Shore GSV lineup.
The fifth inning was a different story though as Shore's bats come to life in a pre-Fourth of July explosion.
Jersey Shore GSV entered the fifth with the game tied at one, but left it with a commanding three-run lead. Keystone was held in check in the top of the sixth as Jersey Shore held on for the 4-1 victory in the first round of the District 12 playoffs.
The big inning was ignited by Colton Rockwell's one-out single. Connor Yingling later chopped a fastball over the Keystone third baseman's head for a double to score Rockwell and give Shore the lead. The magic did not stop there as the Shore dugout and bleacher section roared with excitement after leadoff hitter Nolen Pauling collected a base hit that scored Rockwell. Pauling went on to score the third run of the inning thanks to an error.
"I think it was just a team effort, we were a little nervous there; our bats weren't moving. They seemed to pull it together, we got some clutch hits from some kids we were subbing through" Shore coach Jordan Pauling said after his team's win. "We moved some kids, manufactured some things and all of a sudden it just worked out."
Keystone was the first to strike in the battle of local area teams Monday evening as fans of both teams packed around the outfield fence. Nolan Karstetter came up with an RBI single in the top part of the fourth to score Mason Warden. The Keystone lead did not last long as Shore tied it back up in the bottom of the same inning.
Shore's left-handed hitter Zeke Sechrist pulled a ball down right field line for a double to score Carter Rhinehart and put his team on the board.
Sechrist's RBI in the fourth was a precursor as to where things were headed for Shore. The RBI by the lefty came an inning before Shore's big fifth inning.
Shore struggled to get the bats rolling in the game's first three innings, thanks in part to Keystone's Fravel. The right-handed hurler suffered the loss on the bump for Keystone but was nothing short of excellent Monday night. Fravel struck out five in 4 2/3 innings of action.
Despite the workmanlike performance pieced together by Fravel, Pauling did not lose hope in his team. He knew they would come through eventually.
"I felt really good about we were at. We put some big runs when it mattered. He (Kai Fravel) was on his game. We were struggling and didn't have very good at bats. We were swinging at a lot of early stuff. They seemed to kind of overcome that as the game went along," Pauling said.
Fravel was not the only pitcher to shine, Shore's Hayden Kelley went 6 2/3 innings and struck out four. Kelley retired five straight batters prior to allowing a two-out single in the sixth.
"Team MVP right there," Pauling said with a grin. "Us coaches, we talk about Hayden Kelley and a lot of the stuff he's been through recently. It's never a surprise with that kid, you put him out there to pitch you know what you're getting out of him each and every start. He's going to go the distance for you and he's going to give you 100%.”
Keystone 000 100 — 1 8 2
Jersey Shore GSV 000 13x — 4 6 1
Top Keystone hitters: Kai Fravel 2-3; Caleb Stitzer 1-2, 2B. Top Jersey Shore GSV hitters: Zeke Sechrist 2-3, 2B; Connor Yingling 1-1, 2B.