MYRTLE BEACH, South Carolina - The Keystone Giants delivered an impressive all-around performance Monday, erupting for eight runs in the second inning on their way to a commanding 10–1 win over Immaculata and then a tight battle with Penn State-Beaver, dropping the second game of the double-header 2-1.
After Immaculata scratched across an early run, Keystone quickly took control in the bottom of the second with an offensive outburst that changed the game. The Giants strung together a series of clutch hits to plate eight runs in the frame. Aimee Lyons (Ajax, ON) and Emily Schultz (Tunkhannock, Pa.) each delivered RBI singles to get the rally started. Krista Cortazar (Throop, Pa.) followed with a two-run single, and Clara Sandly (Taylor, Pa.) added another big hit with a two-run single of her own. Isabella Benitez (East Windsor, N.J.) capped the inning with a towering two-run homer to right field, putting Keystone firmly in front.
With the offense rolling, Lyons took care of the rest in the circle. The freshman starter dominated over five innings, allowing no hits while giving up just one run. Lyons struck out six and walked three in a strong outing that kept the Mighty Macs off balance throughout the game. "She has a good command for her pitches. That will really throw off a lot of hitters." said assistant coach Madolyn Fernandes.
Sandly led the Giants offensively from the middle of the lineup, driving in four runs while going 2-for-3 at the plate. Schultz, Cortazar, and Sandly each recorded two hits in the victory, helping Keystone pile up consistent pressure throughout the game.
Benitez also had a big day on the bases and at the plate, drawing two walks, stealing two bases, and blasting her two-run homer during the decisive second inning. The Giants showed patience and aggressiveness offensively, working five walks and swiping three bases as a team.
Defensively, Keystone was flawless in the field, committing no errors. Sandly led the way behind the plate with five defensive chances as the Giants played a clean game to support their pitcher. "Clara is actually picking up a new position coming into college and will be catching for us a lot. She's really doing well in it. She's a wall behind the plate and has a strong bat as well," said head coach Mariah Ford.
Despite several stolen bases by Immaculata—including two from Emma Pinto—the Giants' dominant second inning and strong pitching performance proved too much to overcome as Keystone secured the convincing 10–1 victory.
Celebration would have to wait as the Giants went into their second double-header in as many days. "We have a small roster. They all get playing time and no rest. It's why we condition really hard in the preseason to get ready to play 8-10 games in a week," said Ford.
A hard-fought pitcher's duel came up just short in a 2–1 loss to Penn State Beaver.
The Nittany Lions struck first in the top of the first inning. After a leadoff single and a stolen base put a runner in scoring position, Reza Benson delivered an RBI single to give the visitors a 1–0 lead.
Keystone answered right away in the bottom half of the inning. Shalimar Lopez Ramirez (Baltimore, Md.) led off with a single and later advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt by Briana Aponte (El Paso, Tex.). With two outs, Cortazar reached on a misplayed ball in left field, allowing Lopez Ramirez to score and tying the game at 1–1.
From there, both teams settled into a defensive battle. Keystone's defense kept Penn State-Beaver off the scoreboard through the second, third, and fourth innings, highlighted by clean infield work and steady pitching. On the offensive side, the Giants threatened in the fourth when Schultz singled and moved to third, but the inning ended before Keystone could take the lead.
The Lions broke the tie in the fifth. After loading the bases with a single, hit-by-pitch, and bunt single, Kierstyn Mays drove in the go-ahead run on a fielder's choice to make it 2–1.
Keystone nearly answered in the bottom of the fifth when Bianca Markovitch (Scranton, Pa.) crushed a triple to put the tying run just 60 feet away. However, the Beaver defense escaped the jam with back-to-back outs to keep the Giants off the board.
The Giants continued to fight late. Schultz added another hit in the sixth, and Keystone put the tying run on base again in the seventh when Sandly reached on an error and pinch-runner Jordan Chabreck (Lacombe, La.) advanced to third. But Penn State-Beaver recorded the final out to seal the narrow victory.
Despite the loss, Keystone showed resilience throughout the game, holding Penn State Beaver to just two runs while collecting key hits from across the line-up.
These long days are worth it for the Giants according to Coach Ford, "Getting outside and being together, really forming that team culture before in-conference games. [The team is] so close and that is something that we've really needed in the program. We're all there for a common goal. We take it game by game and we take the game that is right in front of us."
Keystone takes on their third double-header of the week on Wednesday.
