Nine-run outburst propels York Catholic past Littlestown

Things got a little crazy when York Catholic batted in the bottom of the fifth inning during Friday's YAIAA crossover baseball game against Littlestown.

What had been a battle between York Catholic's Jake Krevetski and Littlestown's Russell Livesay on the pitching mound suddenly became a 12-batter, nine-run, four-walk outburst.

"I've never seen anything like it," Krevetski said. "Not in my high school baseball experience at least. A pitchers' duel turns into a slugfest."

It culminated in a 12-2 York Catholic win Friday afternoon on the Irish's home field. The game was halted by the 10-run rule when Brenden Kennedy's one-out single scored C.J. Burnside from third base.

York Catholic (6-2, 6-1 Division IV) has now won six of its past seven games while Littlestown (9-2, 7-2 Division III) has dropped two straight.

"We were off a little bit in this one," said Littlestown coach Todd Gantz. "It happens. They hit the ball. We walked a few guys. Credit to them."

The Irish opened the fifth inning with back-to-back singles to right field off Livesay, who was then relieved on the mound by shortstop Brady Topper.

"Russell (Livesay) has done a great job for us all year," Gantz said. "Early on, we were hitting the mitt well. We just got a little wild. It's just one of those things. You have those days."

Topper's first hitter, Kennedy, dropped down a bunt to advance the runners, but was safe when the Littlestown second baseman was late in covering first base.

That was the turning point, as the next six York Catholic batters reached base and scored. Twice in that span Littlestown issued back-to-back, bases-loaded walks. Burnside greeted the third Littlestown pitcher of the inning, right-hander Jacob Craumer, with a two-run single.

"I think maybe (Livesay) started tiring and they had to bring another pitcher in cold," said York Catholic coach Joe Guerreri. "That's tough. No room for error there."

After a line out to second for the first out of the inning, Irish cleanup hitter Brady Wilking singled home second baseman Dillon Hippensteel to set the stage for Kennedy's game-ending hit.

"When we started the inning, I was thinking, 'Okay, 3-2 lead. Let's get one more run. Let's get that insurance run,'" Guerreri said. "I thought we can get to 4-2 and hold them. The floodgates just opened."

York Catholic had managed four hits over the first four innings against Littlestown righty Livesay. The Irish still had managed to rally from a two-run, third-inning deficit to take a one-run lead into the fifth.

Wilking had a two-out RBI double in the third inning while Hippensteel rapped a two-out, two run single to right-center field in the fourth which plated the tying and go-ahead runs.

The offensive fireworks ended the game earlier than expected for Irish right-hander Krevetski, who finished with seven strikeouts and no walks while surrendering four singles.

"I just wanted to throw strikes and let them put the ball in play," said Krevetski, who was making his fourth start of the season. "I wanted to throw first-pitch strikes, limit the walks, get ahead in the count and let the defense make the plays. We've been playing very good defense so far this season."

Littlestown managed two third-inning runs off the York Catholic senior. Lucas Schuman led off by reaching on an error, then stole second and scored on a single to center by No. 9 hitter Jacob Owings. Moments later, Owings would score on a two-out single by No. 3 hitter Travis Henrie.

York Catholic 12, Littlestown 2

Littlestown00200—241York Catholic00129—12111

Lt, Russell Livesay, Brady Topper (5), Jacob Craumer (5) and Travis Henrie; YC, Jake Krevetski and Frank Skehan.

SO-BB — Lt, Livesay 1-3, Topper 0-4, Craumer 0-0. YC, Krevetski 7-0; W .— Krevetski; L — Livesay; 2B — YC, Brady Wilking; 3B — None; HR — None.