It was your basic fundamentals at play, and it gave East Lycoming a huge elimination game win against a perennially strong District 12 program in Keystone, keeping East Lycoming’s summer going for at least another game.

“That’s what Cael (Smith) does. He’s not going to go out and be overpowering and strike a bunch of people out. He does a great job putting it where he wants to and keeps people off-balance and we know we have to play defense behind him,” East Lycoming manager Kyle Daugherty said. “We made some really great plays on some really hot shots from Keystone tonight.”

That they did.

In the first inning, Parker Gatsche fielded a hard-hit line drive for an out with a runner on first, preventing Keystone from advancing him to second and put him into scoring position. In the third, first baseman Jase Spring played well at first and got a tag off a grounder to first and made the play.

RALPH WILSON/Sun-Gazette Correspondent An East Lycoming coach reacts after winning a District 12 Little League Majors elimination game against Keystone on Tuesday at Bruce Henry Park in Loyalsock. East Lycoming won 8-6.

In the fifth, there was a hard liner to third baseman Kiptyn Holmes in which Holmes got his glove up for the play and tried to double it up by getting Beau Phillips at first, only for Phillips to narrowly beat the throw to first.

Pick any inning, and one likely saw great fielding and head’s up plays to prevent Keystone from getting momentum and rallying back. When the strikeouts weren’t there, the defense was to back up Smith and Willy Ochs in relief.

“They hit the ball hard, we were in spots and made some plays,” Daugherty said. “We’ve been doing that for a month now. We’ve really been hammering home the fundamentals with infield and outfield and stuff like that. You see it pay off.”

It was evident in the sixth inning too when Keystone was trying to claw back. Keystone would score three runs that inning, thanks to three consecutive singles and a two-RBI double into center by Jaxon Orndorf. But a pop up to third ended the game after a strikeout and sent East Lycoming to Thursday’s elimination game now against Williamsport Area, who lost a 4-2 heartbreaker to Loyalsock in Tuesday night’s winners’ bracket final at Bruce Henry Park.

For East Lycoming, it’s hoping more of that defensive play will be key against Williamsport Area as Daugherty considers it one of his team’s strengths.

RALPH WILSON/Sun-Gazette Correspondent An East Lycoming coach talks with Willy Ochs at third during a District 12 Little League Majors elimination game on Tuesday at Bruce Henry Park in Loyalsock. East Lycoming won 8-6.

“Defense and pitching, especially when Cael’s throwing like that. We have a bunch of people who can come in and throw pitches. The biggest thing is that we don’t walk people and we make plays defensively,” Daugherty said. “We told kids we want them to make plays. Sometimes that hurts us, (Keystone) got a run on an error, but we’ve been practicing that. We want them to be able to throw and make plays. Sometimes that’s one of the side effects in doing that.”

East Lycoming used a big six-run inning to secure the win vs. Keystone and knows that Williamsport Area is going to be a very tough team to compete against.

“We’re still going to do what we’ve been doing. From the time we dropped down here (into losers’ bracket), we knew Loyalsock the first time would be a tough game, we knew South would be tough, had a rough inning there but had a nice game there hitting the ball. We knew this would be like this,” Daugherty said. “Even when it was 8-2, we knew we weren’t in a spot where we could just like relax completely. We knew they had the bats in the lineup that they could comeback.

“So just to stay on plan and try to teach the kids to stay level and not get down too much,” Daugherty continued. “We’ll just continue to do that. Back tomorrow with another practice and whoever we play, it’ll be a great game on Thursday. We’re just looking forward to it.”

For Williamsport Area, that loss to a talented Loyalsock team stung and the players are eager to get back and shake it off. For Miller, he knows it’ll be a teaching moment and hopefully adversity they can bounce back from, much like they did coming back down 1-0 with two outs away from losing to Muncy last week.

RALPH WILSON/Sun-Gazette Correspondent East Lycoming players reacts after winning a District 12 Little League Majors elimination game against Keystone on Tuesday at Bruce Henry Park in Loyalsock. East Lycoming won 8-6.

“It’s the same thing. You’re talking about games within the actual game and games after the game. It’s all the same. In the middle of this game, you’re trying to find a way to battle back and get back into game and then when you’re in the game, you’re trying to find a way to take the lead. We’re going to regroup at practice tomorrow night, put our best team out there that gives us a chance to get to Volunteer Stadium,” Miller said. “That’s what we want. The boys, like I said, the sun’s coming up tomorrow, the boys are going to be back at the baseball field together and they’ll forget about this tomorrow. That’s the whole thought, forget about it and find a way. We’ll have to manage pitching on Thursday so we have enough left for a final if we can get there.

“But we know what we’re getting into it with East Lycoming,” Miller said. “They’re a good little ball club. We’ve seen them a lot and we expect that to be a good game as well.”

And both teams are going to be ready to play, knowing a trip to Volunteer Stadium is on the line.

RALPH WILSON/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Carl Smith throws for East Lycoming during a District 12 Little League Majors elimination game against Keystone on Tuesday at Bruce Henry Park in Loyalsock. East Lycoming won 8-6.

RALPH WILSON/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Carl Smith throws for East Lycoming during a District 12 Little League Majors elimination game against Keystone on Tuesday at Bruce Henry Park in Loyalsock. East Lycoming won 8-6.