Keystone used a five run sixth inning to hold on for a 6-1 victory and advance in the winner's bracket of the College World Series. The Redhawks fall into the loser's bracket where they have enjoyed success in both the AMCC Tournament and NCAA Mideast Regional. La Roche will take on St. John Fisher with the winner advancing to play Keystone in what equates to a Final Four matchup.
Centerfielder Ian Velez recorded all three first inning outs and the La Roche offense found another first inning run to take a 1-0 lead early. Luis Navedo was hit by an inside fastball and scored from second on a 2-out bloop single by David Lemley.
Starting pitcher Regis Sauer got out of a jam in the second getting Keystone second baseman Julian LaFranco to chase a 3-2 pitch in the dirt. Sauer got a comebacker to the mound to strand a runner at second in the top of the third.
Keystone broke the shutout in the top of the fourth when Bill Nelson advanced to second on a wild pitch and scored on a 2-out liner up the middle by Alex Herceg. Sauer allowed just the one run through five innings and in the fifth Sauer got a tailor made 5-4-3 inning ending double play.
The Redhawks stranded a runner on second in the fifth inning. Keystone then broke things open with five runs in the sixth. Robbie Nardelli, Louis Reyes and Brandon Eady all hit in runs for the Giants before Eady was thrown out trying to stretch a double into a triple.
Velez led off the seventh with a single up the middle and reached third on a stolen base and overthrow by Keystone catcher Brandon Eady. Three straight strikeouts kept Velez on third as Keystone headed into the eighth with a 6-1 lead.
Brady Hamer retired nine straight following the sixth but La Roche went down in order to end the ninth.
Navedo scored for the eighth straight game and Williamson extended his streak of reaching base to eighteen games. Lazor had a pair of hits and Lemley registered his 53rd RBI of the season.