IMMACULATA, Pa. – The Keystone College baseball team tallied five runs in the last three innings to grab a come-from-behind 7-5 victory at Immaculata University in the opening contest of the 2022 NCAA Regionals, hosted by the Mighty Macs.
Keystone improves to 25-18 and will face the winner of Montclair State and Ithaca Sunday, May 22 at 10 a.m.
IU drops to 28-13 and will take on the loser of the Red Hawks and Bombers on Saturday afternoon.
UPDATED TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE
Saturday, May 21:
Game 2: Ithaca vs. Montclair State, 12:30 p.m.
Game 3: Montclair State vs. Immaculata, 30 minutes after G2 ends
Sunday, May 22:
Game 4: Keystone vs. Ithaca, 10 a.m.
Game 5: Immaculata vs. Loser G4, 30 minutes after G4 ends
Monday, May 23:
Game 6: Winner G4 vs. Winner G5, 11 a.m.
Game 7: Winner G6 vs. Loser G6 (if necessary), 30 minutes after G6 ends
JD Barrett (Moosic, Pa./Dallas) launched a two-run shot to right field to start the scoring for the Giants in the third frame. IU answered back with a two-run single to knot the contest at 2-2 and grabbed a 3-2 lead after an error. The Mighty Macs increased the advantage to 5-2 in the fifth on a two-run single up the middle.
In the seventh, Jason Thomas (Miami, Fla./Barbara Goleman) notched an RBI groundout on a fielder's choice to cut into the deficit 5-3 before Julio Acosta (Elizabeth, N.J./Hudson Catholic) came through with a run-scoring triple to right-center to make it a 5-4 ballgame. In the eighth, Pedro Abreu (Bronx, N.Y./Santa Teresa) executed a run-scoring sacrifice bunt - as pinch-runner Devin Reed (Hazleton, Pa./Hazleton Area) tied the game at 5-5.
Acosta and RJ Gouldsbury (Throop, Pa./Mid Valley) tacked on insurance runs in the top of the ninth thanks to a double and single to go ahead 7-5. Nathan Hinkley (Bradenton, Fla./Saint Lucie West Centennial) came in relief to earn the save to clinch the opening tournament win for the Giants.
The top of the order for Keystone (Barrett, Acosta, Gouldsbury) combined to go 6-for-13 with five RBI. Adam Kelly (Beach Lake, Pa./Honesdale) went 2-for-4 while Bobby Pokorney (Margate, Fla./J.P. Taravella) and Thomas went 4-for-8 with three runs at the bottom of the order.
Patrick Adamski (Kingston, Pa./Wyoming Valley West) earned the start and tossed five frames, allowing two earned runs, with one strikeout, eight flyouts, and six groundouts on 86 pitches. Brandon Valles (Toms River, N.J./Toms River North) threw 2.1 innings in relief while Nick Gravel (Sidney, N.Y./Sidney) earned the win, throwing 2/3 of an inning with one punchout. Hinkley gave up a leadoff single but got out of the jam, thanks to an 8-4 flyout double play to end the game.
For IU, Louis Sharp collected four RBI. Jason Hughes tossed seven frames with seven strikeouts.
