With a trip through the winners’ bracket into the Pennsylvania Little League junior baseball state championship game on the line, Loyalsock was looking to get off to a fast start against East Side Little League on Saturday at Brandon Park. 

Instead it was East Side, out of Chester County, that took early control of the game.

East Side took advantage of some early pitching woes from Loyalsock to put up six runs in the top of the first, and hung on to win 10-6 to advance to the championship game on Monday.

“It’s tough to say what that was the tale of the game, because we ended up scoring six at the end. It’s really just about hanging on,” Loyalsock manager Mike Frederick said. “When you give up runs like that early, it makes it tough for everyone, especially the pitching staff. When you’re trying to plan for an entire tournament with games back to back to back, it’s tough. But the guys responded well. They fought, and we want it tomorrow.” 

With the loss, Loyalsock falls into the losers’ bracket and faces Upper Moreland on Sunday at noon.

Loyalsock would out-hit East Side, 12-7, but free passes caused Loyalsock problems throughout the game as East Side drew nine walks. East Side took advantage of those walks right from the jump. Three walks, hit batter and two singles put East Side up 3-0 with two outs in the inning before John Esposito slammed a ball into right field that scored that brought home three runs to make it 6-0.

Loyalsock put up a crooked number in their half of the first as Dyson DuPont led off with a walk and scored immediately when Parker Frederick hit a double. Jackson Keefer then lined out sharply to shortstop and Frederick was doubled off third base through no fault of his own. But a few batters later, Dom Vassallo brought in two more to make it 6-3 after the first inning. 

The two sides played scoreless innings in the second and third before East Side added four in the fourth, highlighted by a two-run double off the bat of Alex Dulisse to make it 10-3. 

The score remained at 10-3 heading to the bottom of the seventh when Loyalsock mounted a rally.  A hit batter, single and two walks made the score 10-6 with the tying run in the on-deck circle. But once again, Keefer was unlucky, as he hit a frozen rope that looked destined for extra bases right into the glove of the third baseman to end the ballgame and stop a rally that looked like it had real legs. 

Loyalsock has a chance to see East Side again. The winner of Sunday’s game between Loyalsock and Upper Moreland will advance to Monday’s champjonship game and will need to beat East Side twice in back-to-back games to win the state title. 

East Side 10, Loyalsock 6

East Side 600 400 0 — 10 7 1

Loyalsock 300 000 3 — 6 12 0

Rauch, Canuso (5), Villano (7) and Maletsky. Lewis, Keefer (1)  Bower (5) and Bower, Lewis (1).

(Top hitters not available)