KEYSTONE 19, KANE 6

May 29, 2008 - District 9 Class A Baseball Consolation Game at St. Marys' Berwind Park

By Chris Rossetti

ST. MARYS – Keystone pounded out 16 hits while also drawing 10 walks and getting hit by three pitches to beat Kane 19-6 in the District 9 Class A baseball consolation game Thursday afternoon at Berwind Park in St. Marys.

With the victory, the Panthers (12-7) advance to the PIAA playoffs for the first time in school history. They will meet WPIAL champion Carmichaels in the opening round.

Keystone, the eighth seed who had never won a playoff game prior to this season, scored three times in the first innings and never really stopped scoring before breaking open a three-run lead with a 10-spot in the top of the seventh.

Things started poorly for third-seeded Kane (15-6) and starting pitcher Zach Anderson right from the get-go when Anderson walked two of the first three batters he faced while loading the bases with no one out in the top of the first.

Anderson appeared to be on the verge of getting out of the ham unscathed when he got cleanup hitter Matt Bashline to ground into a 1-2-3 double play, but Scott Lutz came through with a two-out, two-run single to left and Ken Alsop followed with an RBI base knock to center making it 3-0 Panthers.

Kane answered right back against Keystone starter Brett Zuck scoring three times in the bottom of the first to tie the game at three. Mike Punk had an RBI single, Tyler Bizzak an RBI triple and Anderson a sacrifice fly to account for the scoring.

But Keystone retook the lead for good with two more runs in the second when Gary Stephens scored on an error and Zach Smith on a single by Lutz making it 5-3.

Keystone then tacked on a run in the fourth when Zach Smith led off with a walk, one of nine free passes charged to Anderson, and scored on a single to right by Alsop, who finished the game 4-for-6 with four RBIs.

Maybe even more important than the 6-3 lead for Keystone was the fact that Anderson, Kane’s ace, had thrown 102 pitches through four innings.

That high pitch count proved costly an inning later after John Bizzak’s two-out double off reliever Lutz had gotten the Wolves back to within a run at 6-5.

With one out in the fifth, an obviously tiring Anderson hit Gary Stephens with a pitch, one of five times in six plate appearances Stephens reached base. Following a sacrifice bunt, Smith drew a walk, Bashline was hit by a pitch and Lutz drew a bases loaded walk making it 7-5. That ended Anderson’s day on the mound with Mike Johnson taking over.

Johnson appeared to get out of the jam when he got Alsop to hit a grounder to second baseman Brad Avenali. But Avenali committed a costly two-run error giving Keystone a 9-5 lead.

Kane answered with a run in the bottom of the fifth, but Lutz actually pitched out of what could have been a more deadly inning.

The first two Wolves batters of the inning reached base giving Kane runners at second and third with no one out, but the only run came home on a one-out sacrifice fly to left by Tyler Smith.

Keystone then broke the game wide open with the 10-run seventh inning off of two Kane pitcher – Johnson and Punk.

Johnson faced the first two batters of the inning and didn’t retire either one. Punk then relieved, and Keystone sent 13 more men to the plate scoring seven more runs, although just two of them were earned thanks to a costly error by shortstop Grant Clyde.

Lutz picked up the win going five innings in relief and allowing three runs, one earned, on six hits and two walks while striking out four. Zuck started and went the first two innings allowing three earned runs on four hits while striking out three.

Lutz helped himself with the bat going 3-for-3 with three RBIs and two runs scored. Switzer was 3-for-4 with a pair of RBIs and three runs scored, Smith scored six runs and Bashline was 2-for-5 with three runs scored and two RBIs despite starting the game 0-for-3.

Anderson picked up the loss going 4 2/3 innings and allowing nine runs, six of them earned, on eight hits, nine walks and two hit batsmen. He struck out five. Johnson went 1 1/3 innings and allowed two earned runs on just one hit and a walk while striking out one. Punk finished off going one inning and allowing the seven runs, two earned, on seven hits and a hit batter while striking out one.

John Bizzak led the Kane offense going 3-for-4 with two doubles and two RBIs while also scoring a run. Punk was 2-for-4 with an RBI and two runs scored, while Tyler Bizzak was 2-for-4 with a triple, a run scored and an RBI. Anderson chipped in by going 2-for-3 with a sacrifice fly and an RBI.

KEYSTONE 19, KANE 6

Score by Innings

Keystone 320 130 (10) – 19

Kane 300 210 0 – 6

Keystone – 19

Gary Stephens rf 2310, Mike Switzer lf 4332, Zach Smith cf 2610, Matt Bashline ss 5322, Scott Lutz 1b/p 3233, Ken Alsop c 6044, Josh Huffman 3b 4111, Brett Zuck p 1000, Matt Hargenrader cr 0000, Brock Witkowski cr/1b 4111, Ben Marchand 2b 5000. Totals 36-19-16-13.

Kane – 6

John Bizzak cf 4132, Grant Clyde ss 4000, Mike Punk c/p 4221, Tyler Bizzak 1b 4121, Zach Anderson p/rf 3021, Tyler Smith 3b 3101, Mike Johnson rf/p 3100, Rob Kumher c 1000, Brad Avenali 2b 3000, Dustin Moran lf 2010. Totals 31-6-10-6.

Errors: Kane 4, Keystone 2. LOB: Kane 7, Keystone 12. 2B: Witkowski, J. Bizzak (2). 3B: T. Bizzak. SB: Stephens (2), Z. Smith, Bashline, Lutz. HBP: Stephens by Anderson, Bashline by Anderson, Lutz by Punk.

Pitching

Keystone: Brett Zuck 2 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 0 BB, 3 SO; Scott Lutz 5 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 4 SO.

Kane: Zach Anderson 4 2/3 IP, 8 H, 9 R, 6 ER, 9 BB, 2 HB, 5 SO; Mike Johnson 1 1/3 IP 1 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 1 SO; Mike Punk 1 IP, 7 H, 7 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 1 HB, 1 SO.

Winning pitcher: Lutz. Losing pitcher: Anderson.