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Early runs lift East Lycoming Little League over Montoursville in first round of District 12 junior baseball tournament

EVAN WHEATON/Sun-Gazette East Lycoming Little League players huddle up before the first round of the District 12 junior baseball tournament against Montoursville at Reed Field on Wednesday. East Lycoming won, 8-2 to advance in the winners' bracket.

HUGHESVILLE — Ben Meckbach told his team in the postgame huddle that he wasn’t going to sleep for a long time that night.

Understandably, East Lycoming was amped after an 8-2 first-round win over Montoursville in the District 12 junior baseball tournament at Reed Field on Wednesday.

“The 14-year-olds of this group were the 12-year-olds of COVID,” Meckbach said, speaking of the canceled 2020 season due to the pandemic. “This group hasn’t had a chance to play together in a postseason scenario in little league, so I’m super, super excited to be here coaching them.”

Down a run to start, East Lycoming responded by piling on five runs in the second inning. Two walks and a single loaded the bases before a passed ball brought in the tying run.

After an infield pop, Dylan McConnell gave East Lycoming a permanent lead by knocking an RBI single. With the bases loaded, a walk forced in another run.

“Most of these kids have played between little league and American Legion baseball with me and some of the other coaches, so we really stress good at-bats lead to good hits rather than good hitting leads to good hitting,” Meckbach said. “Good plate discipline, finding pitches that are below our hands and identifying up or down in the zone right away.”

Connor Anstadt (2 for 4, double) roped one to left field to drive in the last two runs of the inning, prompting a pitching change from Shea Ulmer (three strikeouts, four hits, 59 pitches) to Trent Jean (one strikeout, three hits).

Gabe Moser led off the top of the second with a base hit and a fielder’s choice advanced him to second base. After an infield pop, Chase Jones singled to put runners on the corners for Montoursville.

Austin Davidson then ripped a line drive to right field to bring in the first run of the game. Following East Lycoming’s five-run barrage in the bottom half, both fields battled for two scoreless innings, no one having reached base in the fourth.

“We told them they were still in it, tried to keep the kids up,” Montoursville coach Bruce Jones said. “Kids have a tendency to get down on themselves if things aren’t going their way and this is a good test. Test your mettle. Face adversity, it’s a good life lesson.”

East Lycoming poured on another three runs in the fifth inning to add insurance down the stretch. Anstadt led off the frame with a double and advanced to third with a fielder’s choice.

Dohl then forced him in before Blake Babb added an RBI. A walk loaded the bases afterward and McConnell drove in the last run of the frame with a single.

“They just kept saying, ‘Gas.’ We want to stay on the gas,” Meckbach said. “Our group, especially at different times in the year, sometimes they lose focus even when they’re ahead. Just to stay focused and stay on the gas was the idea and keep the intensity up. When they do that, they’re great.”

Dohl struck out seven and allowed three hits in a full 95-pitch game that took him to the sixth inning. Babb gave up three hits in relief.

Montoursville mounted a late rally and loaded the bases in the top of the seventh inning. Chase Jones drove in one last run in that time before East Lycoming pulled out of the frame with limited damage.

“At the end, we were still fighting. The score was a bit lopsided, but our last at-bats were good ones,” Bruce Jones said. “We got a couple hits, scored a couple runs, so you get a good last inning and it gives you a little something to work on … I think we’ll be fine.”

Montoursville 010 000 1 — 2 6 1

East Lycoming 050 030 x — 8 7 2

Shea Ulmer, Trent Jean (2) and Austin Davidson. Graden Dohl, Blake Babb (6) and Kyler Solomon. W: Dohl. L: Ulmer.

Top Montoursville hitters: Chase Jones 2-3. Top East Lycoming hitters: Connor Anstadt 2-4, 2B; Kyler Solomon 2-4.

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