MYRTLE BEACH, S.C.- After dropping their second matchup to Hanover College 10-9 earlier in the day, the Keystone College baseball team bounced back with a 17-13 win over Methodist University on Wednesday afternoon at the Cal Ripken Experience.
Game One: Keystone 9, Hanover 10
Keystone jumped out to an early lead in the first inning as Benny Hess' (Reading, Ohio/Reading Community) two-RBI double put the Giants up 2-0. Hanover answered quickly, plating two runs in the bottom of the frame on a fielding error and an RBI single by Frank Spears to knot the score at 2-2.
In the third, Keystone struck again. Dante Ruby's (Archbald, Pa./Valley View) triple drove in Colson Bennett (Camden, Del./Caesar Rodney), and the Giants tacked on another run moments later to take a 4-2 edge. Hanover responded in a big way, though, scoring five runs in the third to take a 7-4 lead.
The Panthers weren't done, adding three more in the fourth inning to push the margin to 10-4. Keystone continued to fight, chipping away with a fifth-inning RBI single by Dillion Bird (Westlake, La./Sulphur), then rallies in the sixth through eighth. Hess and Dee Rice (Spartanburg, S.C./Dorman) each drove in runs in the sixth, while Ian Scalabrini (Oakland, N.J./Don Bosco Prep) and Bennett added late RBIs in the seventh and eighth to pull the Giants within a run.
Despite Keystone's late offensive push and season-high 13 hits in the ballgame, Hanover held on for the one-run victory.
Game Two: Methodist 13, Keystone 17
Keystone drew first blood in the bottom of the first inning when Cooper Fesh (Bethel, Conn./Bethel) scored on a throwing error, giving the Giants an early 1-0 advantage.
Methodist responded in the second with two RBI by Jackson Kuhn and a sacrifice fly from Bronson Shaikh, but Keystone quickly took control later in the frame. Bird's three-run double and a wild pitch that plated a run put the Giants ahead 5-2 at the conclusion of two innings.
The Giants offense showed no signs of slowing in the third inning. Emilio Portes (Miami, Fla./Monsignor Pace) and Bennett each delivered big hits, driving in multiple runs and extending Keystone's lead to 9-2.
The Monarchs mounted a rally in the fourth, putting up five runs on a string of clutch hits that included an RBI double from Blake Freeman, pulling Methodist within two runs.
Keystone regained the advantage in the fifth when Fesh belted a solo home run to center field. The offensive outburst continued in the sixth and seventh, as Keystone continued to extend its lead with timely hitting and taking advantage of defensive miscues.
Methodist refused to go away quietly, however, getting multi-run contributions in the sixth and eighth to keep pressure on the Giants.
In the decisive eighth inning, Keystone exploded for four runs, highlighted by a grand slam by Teegan Monroney (Camden, Del./Caesar Rodney), which ultimately sealed the victory. The pitchers for the Giants were able to hold off the final charge from Methodist to close out the contest.
Noah Parks (Seattle, Wash./Tahoma) earned the win on the mound as he pitched 2.1 innings in relief and struck out five.
What's Next
Keystone (1-2) wraps up the Myrtle Beach trip tomorrow morning with a third meeting with Hanover at 10 a.m.
