BUTLER, Pa. (EYT/D9) — Karns City is always looking for an opportunity to steal.
The Gremlins are blessed with speed down their lineup and they are not shy in showcasing it. They certainly weren’t against Keystone on a dreary Wednesday afternoon.
Karns City swiped 12 bases to make up for only getting one hit in a 8-1 win over the Panthers at Michelle Krill Field at Historic Pullman Park.
Leadoff hitter Cole Sherwin had four of them.
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“We’re aggressive on the bath paths. Every team knows that,” said Karns City coach Josh “Sluggo” Smith. “I told these guys if we hit aggressive, too, we’re a tough team to play against.”
The Gremlins (2-1) just weren’t able to get settled in at the plate, in part because of the wildness of Keystone starting pitcher Aidan Sell, who had a rough day on the mound.
Sell last just one-plus inning. He didn’t give up a hit, but he walked six and hit three batters.
That, and Karns City’s penchant for moving up 90 feet via the stolen base or the wild pitch, is what enabled the Gremlins to score the first seven runs without the benefit of a hit.
“We tried to let him work out of it, but even he told me, ‘I wasn’t feeling it today,’” said Keystone coach Nick Banner.
When Sell did get the ball over the plate, Karns City had trouble with it. Mixed in with the wildness, Sell got a roller back to him, a strikeout and a pop up to get out of the first with four runs on the board for Karns City.
Sell started Keystone’s first game of the season last week against A-C Valley/Union and fared much better. He did walk five, but he was in better command in his four innings of work.
Smith said Sell’s wildness made it tough for his hitters.
“We got the damage done early, run-wise, but offensively we didn’t hit,” Smith said. “That’s how baseball works sometimes. Effectively wild. Guys don’t want to dig in and get hit, but we found a way to win. You take any win in the game of baseball.”
A trio of Karns City pitchers combined to toss a one-hitter.
Wyatt Fleming got the start. After a clean top of the first inning, the junior right-hander got in trouble with two outs in the second, loading the bases on a walk, single by Nick Casper and another walk. He wiggled out of it thanks to a groundout to third.
He wasn’t so fortunate in the third.
Again, after setting down the first two hitters of the inning, Fleming lost his command, walking four straight batters before leaving the game.
Tyler Hutchison relieved him and got a strikeout to end another bases-loaded threat.
“We needed to take advantage of runners on base,” Banner said. “We had the bases loaded twice. That’s actually the third time this season we’ve had the bases loaded this season and haven’t done much with it.”
Hutchison got the win, working 2 1/3 hitless innings, striking out seven.
Jacob Jones wrapped things up by setting down six straight in over his two innings.
“(Wyatt) has electric stuff; he has a good fastball and a good slider,” Smith said. “When it all shows up, he’s going to be fun to watch. Then Tyler Hutchison, a 10th-grader, came in and threw strikes. He throws hard for being a smaller guy. And Jacob Jones, a ninth-grader, did some good work.”
Jacob Callihan got the only hit for Karns City, beating out an infield single in the second against reliever Cole Henry.
Henry, a junior, hadn’t pitched since Little League until he was summoned to the mound from third base in the second inning.
The tall right-hander pitched well, going five innings, striking out three. He didn’t walk a batter, but he did hit two.
“I was really proud of Cole,” Banner said. “We’re been working with him this offseason.”
In all, five Karns City players were plunked. Hunter Troutman had a fastball glance off his cheek, but stayed in the game.
Mallick Metcalfe brought home a run with a sacrifice fly in the third that made it 8-1. Fleming also had a RBI when he was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded in the first.
“I’m happy with the win,” Smith said, “but there’s a lot more room to grow.”
Redbank Valley, Keystone, and Union/A-C Valley sports coverage on Explore and D9Sports.com is brought to you by Heeter Lumber.
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