LA PLUME, Pa.- Keystone College head baseball coach Jamie Shevchik picked up his 700th career victory as the Keystone College baseball team defeated St. Elizabeth 8-7 in the team's first game of the Colonial State Athletic Conference playoffs. Keystone moves to 28-12. St. Elizabeth falls to 14-27.
Chris Hadsall (Lehman, Pa./Lake Lehman) went 3-for-4 which included a two RBI single. Julio Acosta (Elizabeth, N.J./Hudson Catholic), Justin Mann (St. John's, Fla./Bartram Trail), and Griffin Yastremski (Bath, N.Y./Haverling) each picked up two base knocks. Jordan Art (Greenfield Township, Pa./Lakeland) earned the start and went four innings with three strikeouts. Drew Sorrentino (Schnecksville, Pa./Parkland), Brayan Villar (West Orange, N.J./Belleville), and Tyler Mullen (Scott Township, Pa./Lakeland) appeared in relief as Sorrentino got credited with the win. Mullen picked up his fourth save of the season as the freshman went 2.2 innings with no hits and four strikeouts.
Keystone was up 3-0 heading into the top of third before St. Elizabeth cut into the Giants lead as they tallied a run in four runs in the third through fifth inning to take a 4-3 lead. The Giants answered back with a three-run home run by Giovanni Diaz (Bronx, N.Y./Christopher Columbus) to make the lead, 6-4.
The Eagles answered with one run of their own in the sixth inning. In the bottom half of that inning, Robert Estrada (Jersey City, N.J./Ferris) belted a two-RBI triple to left-center to extend the Giants lead. However, St. Elizabeth would not go away as they picked up two runs in the seventh off of two base knocks. With clutch pitching from Mullen, St. Elizabeth was unable to put up runs as the Giants squeezed away with the win.
Keystone will face the winner of the Wilson and Cairn game Friday afternoon at 3 p.m. St. Elizabeth will face the loser of that game on the same day at 11 a.m. Both games will be played at Christy Mathewson Field.