High School Baseball: Deuces wild for Red Land
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Article RatingLEWISBERRY — The legend of Kyle Otstot continues to grow.
On a wind-swept Tuesday afternoon at Brandt Cook Field, the Red Land right-handed pitcher/third baseman added another chapter to his already stellar high school career.
Expecting to be sidelined at least four weeks following an emergency appendectomy, Otstot put his stamp on the Patriots’ home opener against Mechanicsburg in a big way.
With the score tied, 1-1, in the bottom of the sixth inning and runners on first and second with two outs, Red Land coach Kyle Wagner inserted Otstot into the No. 9 hole as a pinch hitter for third baseman Mike Urich.
What happened next won’t soon be forgotten.
Otstot drilled a 2-0 fastball from pitcher Aaron Jones over right fielder Matt Morell’s head for a stand-up, two-run double and a 3-1 lead.
“I went to the doctor yesterday and he said it’s up to me. Whatever I can do that doesn’t hurt, I can do,” Otstot said after Red Land hung on for a 3-2 Mid-Penn crossover win. “I was actually going to take off until the end of this week but things change.”
The Patriots (1-1) needed a jolt after losing a tough 14-10 opener to Susquehanna Twp. on Thursday but appeared headed for extra innings until Otstot took matters into his own hands.
“Based upon his batting practice I knew he could physically do it,” Wagner said. “Yesterday’s BP was impressive but he hadn’t run out of the box after hitting, so I told him if there’s a game-winning situation where you can drive a run in and just coast to first base I’d be inclined to do that.
“It just worked out where Kyle got an opportunity with (runners on) first and second — technically there was a base open but it wasn’t the traditional base open — and in classic Otstot fashion he delivered.”
The double spoiled a nice performance from Mechanicsburg right-hander Aaron Jones, who surrendered four hits and four walks to three strikeouts.
“(Jones) is good. I think he’ll throw games like that for us all year,” Mechanicsburg coach Clay McAllister said. “But (Red Land) got the hit when it mattered. That’s baseball.”
Red Land right-hander K.C. Beshore matched Jones zero for zero after a shaky first inning that saw him throw 23 pitches, face five batters and fall behind 1-0 — Ryan Mentzer brought Greg Bretz home with a two-out single.
From there Beshore kept the Wildcats (1-1) off the scoreboard. The senior allowed three hits, walked four and struck out eight in a complete-game effort.
“I was only supposed to go five innings but my pitch count was low,” said Beshore, who threw 57 of his 98 pitches for strikes. “That enabled me to go further in the game.
“This feels good, especially after the loss last week. We still have a lot of work to do but it definitely feels good.”
Beshore kept a Mechanicsburg team that pummeled Conestoga Valley for 12 runs on 13 hits off balance for much of the afternoon by mixing in a slider in the latter innings with his reliable fastball.
“K.C. just commanded his pitches better today,” Wagner said. “Against Susquehanna the wind was such an element against us. It was a little more manageable today. I think (Beshore) could feel the ball better and in turn he could throw his cutter and his curveball more consistently. That he could throw his breaking stuff for strikes was a big key.”
Beshore also minimized the mistakes that bit Jones.
Otstot drove in shortstop Teed Wertz and right fielder Danny Klein after each were hit by a pitch in the sixth.
Two innings earlier center fielder Tyler Fettrow was issued a walk, moved to second on a wild pitch and reached third on a passed ball that catcher Jimmy Spanos couldn’t corral. Klein struck out on the play but reached second as the ball rolled to the backstop.
One batter later Urich, who had three assists at third, brought Fettrow in with a sacrifice fly to even things up.
“You have to get the first win under your belt before you can start to stockpile them,” Wagner said. “That’s why this one was important. You have to get in the win column and start accumulating some wins. K.C. was outstanding today and fortunately we got enough hitting. It certainly won’t be enough down the stretch but today it was.”
Mechanicsburg travels to Palmyra on Tuesday at 4 p.m. for the Keystone Division opener. Red Land is on the road at Central York on Thursday at 4 p.m.
NOTES: Sam Burkholder led off the seventh with a double and was brought home on Morell’s sac fly to right. ... Red Land stranded eight runners, Mechanicsburg left four on base. ... Jones threw 88 pitches, 49 for strikes.
Bible Baptist 5, Dayspring Christian 1
Devin Wislocky went 2-for-2, scored twice and was the winning pitcher for Bible Baptist as the Bobcats downed visiting Dayspring Christian, 5-1, Tuesday in the teams’ mutual season opener.
Josh Buser collected a double and Wislocky added a triple for the winners.
Wislocky lasted five innings, struck out eight, issued two walks and was tagged for three hits.
Bible Baptist hosts Lancaster Christian on Friday at 4 p.m.
Bishop McDevitt 7, Susquenita 1
Defending Mid-Penn Keystone Division runner-up Bishop McDevitt took home a 7-1 win over visiting Susquenita on Tuesday the teams’ season opening affair.
No other details were available.
