Williamsport Area fans were hoping for a repeat of that for WALL. But Loyalsock’s defense wasn’t about to let that happen. Instead, Loyalsock’s infield came up as clutch as could be and ended the game with one hit of the bat.

A hard shot to Jackson King at short turned into a huge double play and gave Loyalsock a thrilling 4-2 win in front of a packed crowd in the District 12 major baseball tournament, sending Loyalsock to the District 12 championship game at Volunteer Stadium on Saturday afternoon.

“We have done a lot of defensive work and that’s been one of our strong suits has been playing good, solid defense. We preach that if you can make routine plays, you leave yourself in ball games and that’s what we’ve done through this tournament so far,” Loyalsock manager Jake King said.

The loss drops Williamsport Area into an elimination win-or-go-home game against East Lycoming on Thursday at Nippenose at 5:45 p.m. The winner of that game advances to Saturday’s District 12 championship game vs. Loyalsock at Volunteer Stadium at 3 p.m.

RALPH WILSON/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Williamsport's Jordan Swigart throws during a District 12 Little League Majors winners bracket final game against Loyalsock on Tuesday at Bruce Henry Park in Loyalsock. Loyalsock won 4-2.

Williamsport Area started the bottom of the sixth inning with a ground out to first base. But a single that dropped into shallow left and a hard shot towards short put Jordan Swigart and Ryder Tate on base with back-to-back singles with one out and the beginning of a rally brewing. That’s when the Loyalsock defense stepped up and secured the win.

“Stay the course, go do what you guys do best,” King said about what he told his players going into the sixth inning. “Maverick Garman on the mound for us, he’s one of our best. We had a lot of confidence in him on the mound to be able to close that. Even when things went a little sideways, he was still the guy we were going to go with.”

“I think a positive of tonight’s game is each time we got behind, they found a way to battle back and make it a game. We’re there with our four-hitter up with one out and we have two guys on. He pops one out of here, game’s over,” Williamsport Area manager Ryan Miller noted. “We put ourselves in a position to come back, but it’s hard to fight back the whole game, especially when you’re facing good pitching. We made enough mistakes earlier in the game that put us in that hole and if we weren’t in the hole, it’s a different ballgame. But it’s hard to scratch quality at bats together against good pitchers and they had good pitchers tonight, so it’s difficult.”

Both teams had their aces start the game and both pitchers came up big, even the relievers. Loyalsock managed just three hits against the combination of Swigart (4 2/3 innings, eight strikeouts) and Hayden Damschroder while Williamsport Area collected just four hits against Ben Gusick (3 innings, six strikeouts) and Garman.

“He’s been big all year,” King said of Gusick. “He’s a 1-A or a 1-B guy and does a great job for us.”

RALPH WILSON/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Loyalsock's Maverick Garman takes over on the mound during a District 12 Little League Majors winners bracket final game against Williamsport on Tuesday at Bruce Henry Park in Loyalsock. Loyalsock won 4-2.

Loyalsock opened the game in the top of the first inning by scoring the game’s first run. Antonio Valentine drew a walk and used three consecutive passed balls to work his way around the bases and score a run as Swigart struck out the next two batters and another got caught stealing after being walked. 

After being held scoreless in the next two innings and leaving a runner stranded each time, Loyalsock collected two more runs in the fourth to take a 3-0 lead. Gusick reached on a shallow single before Jackson King reached after being hit by a pitch. Like earlier, a stolen base and passed ball allowed Gusick to score before an RBI single drove in King from Rhett Datres.

“We did (use smart base-running). We were able to take advantage of some wild pitches, some walks, a couple timely hits,” King said. “We did. We took advantage of that. That’s a 4-2 ball game; that’s a great game by two good programs.”

Williamsport Area has a talented team and has showcased it can spark a rally at any time like it did against Muncy in the winners’ bracket semifinals last week, but the early 3-0 lead proved tough to claw back from. Williamsport Area did score twice in the bottom of the fourth to cut the deficit to one. Williamsport’s Swigart, Tate and Zay reached on three consecutive walks. Swigart found his way home thanks to a wild pitch and a bunt single by Sebastian Sanders put three runners on. Gaige Miller flew out to right field, which allowed Tate to go home, but Zay would get tagged out at home to end the inning and prevent a game-tying run from crossing the plate.

Loyalsock answered right back in the top of the fifth to take a two-run lead.

RALPH WILSON/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Williamsport's Jordan Swigart throws during a District 12 Little League Majors winners bracket final game against Loyalsock on Tuesday at Bruce Henry Park in Loyalsock. Loyalsock won 4-2.

Blake Richardson reached base after being hit by a pitch. Aiden Kiessling got a hold of a hit down the right-field line, but it was called foul, preventing what would have been a double. But Kiessling would get the next pitch and rip a shot into right for a triple and brought home Richardson for the final run of the game.

Kiessling would get tagged out heading home for the second out of the game on a fielder’s choice by Lucas Frey. An error put Brennan Comerford on base for two runners on, but a ground out would end the inning.

“We did not play well defensively, that’s what I talked to them about out there after the game. When you play good baseball teams, you can’t make those kinds of mistakes, especially in these tight ballgames,” Miller said. “It’s very difficult to win them when you do that. The first guy who scored had three consecutive passed balls and got home. It’s going to be a difficult night for you if you can’t find a way to minimize those things. We made those mistakes but we still had an opportunity to win the game, which makes us feel positive about that.”

When Williamsport Area scored twice in the fourth and then trailed 4-2 with two at bats left in the fifth and sixth, King told his players not to panic and keep playing their game, and that’s precisely what Loyalsock did against a very talented team.

“Yeah, there’s no reason to panic. We’re a good team, they’re a good team,” King said. “So, it just comes down to pitching and defense. We already had the lead so it was just a matter of can we hold for six more outs and we did. The boys found a way to do it.”

RALPH WILSON/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Williamsport's Hayden Damschroder tags Loyalsock's Maverick Garman at second during a District 12 Little League Majors winners bracket final game on Tuesday at Bruce Henry Park in Loyalsock. Loyalsock won 4-2.

Loyalsock saw Gusick (1 for 3, run), Silas Smith (1 for 2) and Kiessling (1 for 2, triple) all hit the ball while King (hit batter, stolen base), Garman (two walks), Richardson (hit batter), Valentine (walk) and Jaxton Rupert (walk) all reached by being hit by a pitch or walk. Williamsport Area was led by Swigart, the game’s only hitter to have multiple hits after going 2 for 2 with a walk, Tate (1 for 1, two walks), Sanders (1 for 2), Zay (walk), Gaige Miller (RBI), Gianni Taddeo (walk), Trey Carnevale (hit batter twice) and Noah Roudabush (walk).

Loyalsock 4, Williamsport Area 2

Loyalsock 100 210 — 4 3 0

Williamsport Area 000 200 — 2 4 2

Ben Gusick, Maverick Garman (5) and Blake Richardson. Jordan Swigart, Hayden Damschroder and Ryder Tate. W: Gusick. L: Swigart. SV: Garman.

RALPH WILSON/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Williamsport's Hayden Damschroder tags Loyalsock's Maverick Garman at second during a District 12 Little League Majors winners bracket final game on Tuesday at Bruce Henry Park in Loyalsock. Loyalsock won 4-2.

Top Loyalsock hitters: Ben Gusick 1-3, run; Jackson King HBP, SB, run; Maverick Garman 2 BBs; Silas Smith 1-2; Blake Richardson HBP, run; Aiden Kiessling 1-2, 3B; Antonio Valentine BB; Jaxton Rupert BB. Top Williamsport Area hitters: Jordan Swigart 2-2, BB, run; Ryder Tate 1-1, 2 BBs, run; Ryan Zay BB; Sebastian Sanders 1-2; Gaige Miller RBI; Gianni Taddeo BB; Trey Carnevale 2 HBPs; Noah Roudabush BB.

RALPH WILSON/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Loyalsock's Ben Gusick throws during a District 12 Little League Majors winners bracket final game against Williamsport on Tuesday at Bruce Henry Park in Loyalsock. Loyalsock won 4-2.

RALPH WILSON/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Williamsport's Ryan Zay tags Loyalsock's Ben Gusick at first during a District 12 Little League Majors winners bracket final game on Tuesday at Bruce Henry Park in Loyalsock. Loyalsock won 4-2.

RALPH WILSON/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Williamsport's Joseph Cochran attempts to tags Loyalsock's Ben Gusick at third during a District 12 Little League Majors winners bracket final game on Tuesday at Bruce Henry Park in Loyalsock. Loyalsock won 4-2.

RALPH WILSON/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Williamsport's Jordan Swigart jumps over the ball on his way home during a District 12 Little League Majors winners bracket final game against Loyalsock on Tuesday at Bruce Henry Park in Loyalsock. Loyalsock won 4-2.

RALPH WILSON/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Williamsport's Joseph Cochran attempts to tags Loyalsock's Aiden Kiessling at third during a District 12 Little League Majors winners bracket final game on Tuesday at Bruce Henry Park in Loyalsock. Loyalsock won 4-2.

RALPH WILSON/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Williamsport's Ryder Tate tags Loyalsock's Aiden Kiessling at home during a District 12 Little League Majors winners bracket final game on Tuesday at Bruce Henry Park in Loyalsock. Loyalsock won 4-2.