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East Lycoming’s Comeback Kids force “if” game for 9-11 District 12 championship, rallying past Keystone

By Chris Masse 6 min read

Roman Meckbach sprinted toward the line and made a catch he will never forget. As the ball landed in Meckbach’s glove, jubilant East Lycoming players jumped for joy and exchanged hugs while producing a moment they will never forget at Volunteer Stadium.

Playing on a Little Leaguer’s field of dreams, Meckbach made a brilliant run-saving catch and all his teammates made similar impressive contributions as East Lycoming edged Keystone, 8-7 in the opening game of the 9-11 District 12 championship.

East Lycoming won its fourth straight game and handed Keystone its first loss while twice overcoming three-run deficits. Now, this resilient, resourceful team plays Keystone again Saturday morning at 10 a.m. in a winner-take-all battle for the championship.

"It’s a great group of kids. They’re a lot of fun to be around. For me, this is the best thing going in baseball right now," East Lycoming coach Donnie Babb said. "We only have four teams in our league, but this is a good little team and I’m really proud of them."

That pride permeated throughout the stands as boisterous fans watched East Lycoming fight back against a team which had routed consecutive opponents by a 24-0 margin. East Lycoming scored three two-out runs in the fourth to tie the game before going ahead to stay with two more in the fifth.

Keystone loaded the bases with two outs in the sixth and Meckbach went into action, making the kind of play which will land on ESPN five weeks from now. Camden Fuller rocketed a ball deep into left field and it looked like it would surely tie the game or put Keystone ahead.

Meckbach had other ideas. He read the ball well off the bat, tracked it as it soared through the air and caught it on the run. After that it was pure joy for both he and his teammates who celebrated on the outfield grass.

"It was an awesome catch. I knew he was going to get it," Babb said. "It’s a great win. It’s a great group of boys and they were ready to play."

"That kid made a nice play. An inch or two higher and I think we would have had a whole different ball game there," Keystone coach Cole Hanley said. "Cam connected with it and I’m proud of Cam. In that big situation he stepped up."

East Lycoming immediately had to step up when it lost the tournament’s opening game against Jersey Shore/GSV. Unfazed, it came storming back and has won four straight games, the margin growing in each of the first three.

So, it felt like Friday’s game served a microcosm of this entire East Lycoming run. Keystone took a 3-0 lead before East Lycoming came to bat. East Lycoming tied it with three in the bottom of the first, but Keystone scored twice in the second and once in the fourth to go up, 6-3.

Bryan Rote, who blasted a two-run, first-inning home run, retired East Lycoming’s first two batters in the fourth on two pitches and it felt like the sun was setting on East Lycoming’s season. Again, though, this valiant team was just getting started.

Highlighting how deep this team is, pinch-hitters Kenny Hunley and Kellynn Wool ripped consecutive singles. No. 9 hitter Jacob Liuzza then followed with a single, loading the bases. Winning pitcher Everett Shaner hit an RBI grounder, a run scored on a wild pitch and Owen Babb drew an RBI walk as East Lycoming tied the game.

An inning later it took the lead. Again, it was a group effort. Hayden Denton roped a lead-off single, Hunley was hit by a pitch and Wool hit an infield single which produced a throw to first which went in the dirt and allowed the go-ahead run to score. Liuzza continued his big night a batter later and hit an RBI single, putting East Lycoming up, 8-6.

"He’s our no. 9 hitter for a reason. He’s fast, he puts the ball in play, and he gets around the bases. That’s why we want him there," Donnie Babb said. "It’s fun stuff. They keep getting better."

That is Keystone’s focus now. Keystone lost the game, but not the championship and Saturday offers a new opportunity for a team which put together an outstanding sixth-inning rally, making it a one-run game on Heath Marino’s two-out RBI walk. Ultimately, this was a case of East Lycoming winning the game more than Keystone losing it.

"The boys battled. They came back and didn’t quit. I think we were just a couple hits away and left a little too many runners on base today," Hanley said. "We have to fix that and clear our heads and come back ready to play again tomorrow."

Keystone picked up where it left off in its last mercy-rule victory, scoring three runs in the top of the first. Rote clobbered a two-run home run over the left-field fence making it 3-0 and broke a 3-3 tie in the second when Fuller belted an RBI double and Carter Frank an RBI single. Evan Batterson added an RBI grounder in the fourth, putting Keystone up, 6-3.

The result was not what Keystone wanted but could produce some positives yet. Keystone had steamrolled its way to the final, winning 13-0 and 11-0. Now it has been through the fire in a thrilling game, something which could help it grow.

"They need to fight a little adversity. That’s the biggest thing, we have to fight the adversity," Hanley said. "We let our heads go the wrong way early on and then came back with our heads squared on after that. We have to come back and do it from the first through the sixth inning instead of just in the sixth inning."

Keystone 320 101--7 9 2

E. Lycoming 300 32x--8 9 1

Bryan Rote, Carson Smith (4), Evan Edwards (5) and Carter Frank. Owen Babb, Everett Shaner and Hayden Denton. W--Shaner. L--Smith.

Top Keystone hitters: Heath Marino 2-2, BB, RBI, R; Smith 1-1, 2 BB; Frank 2-4, RBI, R; Rote 1-3, HR, 2 RBIs; Logan Bower 1-2, RBI; Camden Fuller 1-3, 2B, RBI, R; Maverick Shultz 1-2. Top East Lycoming hitters: Kellynn Wool 2-2, R; Jacob Liuzza 2-3, RBI, R; Kenny Hunley 1-1, R; Babb 1-1, 2 BB, 2 RBIs, R; Shaner 1-4, RBI, R; Denton 1-3, R; Lyle Huggler 1-3, RBI.

Starting at /week.