JERSEY SHORE–Neither his first two at-bats, nor his pitching performance went the way Grayson Confair hoped, but the Jersey Shore junior remained positive.

He understood redemption was just one swing away.

Confair delivered two clutch hits over Jersey Shore’s final two at-bats, first belting a game-tying RBI double before lacing a go-ahead, two-run single an inning later. Those were among a series of key hits Jersey Shore produced as it generated a big season-opening win, rallying past defending District 4 Class AA champion South Williamsport, 9-6.

“I’m just doing it for these guys,” Confair said. “We’re all in it together. It takes everyone.”

Seemingly everyone contributed, too. Landon Lathan threw 2 1/3 hitless innings after entering with South ahead, 5-3; Nolen Pauling earned the win in relief and hit an RBI double, while Hunter Enders went 2 for 3 with two RBIs.

Jersey Shore erased two, two-run deficits, eight players reached base and it scored five runs in the fifth and sixth innings to build a 9-5 advantage entering the seventh. Tucker Hanna added two hits and reached base three times. It’s a long season, but this certainly was a strong way to start it.

“These guys top to bottom have been working hard,” Jersey Shore coach Joe Dunn said. “Everyone kind of stepped up. It was a great team win.”

Confair highlighted the team’s resilience. He did not throw bad, but a Cade Lusk two-run single and Jaymes Carpenter two-run home run helped South take a 5-3 third inning before Confair moved to first base where he played outstanding defense.

Since working his way onto the varsity roster as a freshman two years ago, Confair has shown a keen focus on the next pitch, play or at-bat. That again proved valuable against South, especially in the fifth and sixth innings.

Jersey Shore had closed within 5-4 in the third inning on Hanna’s double, steal and an error. It stayed that way into the fifth when Mazden Lupton fought back from 1-2 to draw a lead-off walk. Confair then launched an RBI double to the center field fence, scoring Lupton and tying the game, 5-5.

An inning later, Confair one-upped himself. Carter Rhinehart ignited a rally with a one-out double before Enders was intentionally walked. He swung at a pitch out of the zone to start the at-bat, but Confair looked ahead instead of back, ripping the next one into center field for the two-run single which put Jersey Shore ahead to stay.

“I just wanted to get on base and put the ball in play,” Confair said. “I knew my guys were quick out there.”

“That kid is a trooper. He’s always been since his freshman year. We brought him with us to our playoff game against Milton that year and he just kind of stepped in,” Dunn said. “He was ready to go. He oozes with confidence. He doesn’t allow things to bother him. He just steps right back up.”

That mentality permeated throughout the dugout as Jersey Shore twice responded after South took two-run leads. Colton Cimini drew a two-out walk after Carson Watkins was hit by a pitch in the second inning and Pauling scorched an RBI double. Following a Rhinehart walk, Enders gave Jersey Shore its first lead, 3-2, hitting a two-run single.

South again put Jersey Shore down in the third inning, but the Bulldogs refused to stay there. In fact, they scored in all but one inning over their final five at-bats. After Confair put Jersey Shore ahead in the sixth, an error brought in another run and Watkins kept the momentum going, his sacrifice fly making it, 9-5.

“Everyone is coming together,” Confair said. “They hit that home run and we were down, but we got the bats going and brought it up and kept hitting.”

“Something we lacked the last few years and that I have to do a better job as a coach with is keeping these guys up through the entire game,” Dunn said. “Taking shots like that, going down, and not folding and getting right back up and fighting is huge. That was nice to see that to start.”

South displayed similar fight and did not go quietly. Chance Quimby lasered a pinch-hit, one-out double in the seventh inning, scoring on Cole Gerber’s grounder. Fellow pinch-hitter Jonah Caputo, who scored twice and stole a base as a courtesy runner, then rocketed a triple into the left-center gap before Pauling sealed victory with a game-ending strikeout.

Cade Lusk hit a two-out, two-run single which put South up, 2-0 in the second inning. After Jersey Shore took the lead in the bottom half of that inning, Carpenter launched a moon shot well over the right field fence in the third, his two-run blast putting South back ahead.

It was hardly that South played a bad game Saturday. Jersey Shore just played a little better.

“They’re tough-nosed kids. When you think of Jersey Shore kids, you think of grinders. They made the plays today,” South coach Chase Waller said. “It’s a long season; it’s Game 1. You have to get by it; you have to flush it. Losing’s not fun and it shouldn’t be, but there are some positives to take away from today.”

That includes Gerber striking out four in two innings and Kamdyn Bubb throwing well in relief. Those two stranded seven runners in five innings.

Bubb came up especially big in the fifth after Jersey Shore tied the game and had the go-ahead runners on second and third with no outs. The sophomore struck out the next two batters before inducing a grounder to second baseman Torin Haug which preserved the tie.

Levi Butler then looked like he would open the sixth inning with a lead-off single, but Lupton made a tremendous play at second base and robbed him. Lupton dove deep into the hole near the second base bag, popped up after stopping the hard grounder and made a snap throw which ignited the team as Pauling went on to retire the top of the order in order.

“They’re workers. We have a good group, and I believe we’re going to do good things, but it’s a lot of pieces that have to fall in into place,” Waller said. “We have a lot of competition. I feel good with our depth. That’s a good problem to have, but it’s about putting guys in position to succeed and going from there.”

Both teams are hoping they can use Saturday’s opener as a springboard, regardless of the result. This was a good game between two potential contenders. Each, however, understands that the most important game now is the next one.

“I told them out there, we have to keep that intensity going throughout the year,” Dunn said. “That’s what we’re working on next.”

South 023 000 1–6 5 2

Jersey Shore 031 014 x–9 8 2

Cole Gerber, Kamdyn Bubb (3), Chance Quimby (6) and Trace Wertz. Grayson Confair, Landon Lathan (3), Nolen Pauling (5) and Hunter Enders. W–Pauling. L–Quimby.

Top South hitters: Jonah Caupto 1-1, 3B, 2R; Quimby 1-1, R; Jaymes Carpenter 1-2, HR, 2 RBIs, 2R; Gerber 1-3, RBI; Cade Lusk 1-3, 2 RBIs. Top Jersey Shore hitters: Confair 2-4, 2B, 3 RBIs, R; Enders 2-3, BB, 2 RBIs; Tucker Hanna 2-4, 2B, R; Pauling 1-3, 2B, RBI, R; Carter Rhinehart 1-3, 2B, R; Mazden Lupton 2 BB, 2R; Colton Cimini 2 BB, R.

Records: Jersey Shore 1-0. South 0-1.