Keystone Intermediate All

Jul 25, 2023

The Keystone Intermediate All-Stars were unstoppable — until the Little League World Series championship game for that division.

The 13-year-olds went farther than any other Keystone team had gone before, its long postseason run ending with an 11-4 loss to South Korea in California. Keystone’s Junior Softball team played in the 2018 World Series but did not reach the title game.

Overall, Keystone proved to be highly successful in the playoffs. The 11 Baseball team won state and southeast regional titles; the 10U Softball squad won a state championship and was a southeast regional runner-up; and the 10U Baseball team was a state runner-up.

“It’s an unprecedented amount of success we’ve had across the league,” said league president Adam Van Rees, adding that the Intermediate’s run “was an incredible feat.”

ESPN carried several rounds of the playoffs with many local fans attending watch parties at McDivot’s Sports Bar & Restaurant in Westchase.

Manager Dan McCaffrey noted that seven of his players were on the team that played in last year’s southeast regionals and also were on back-to-back-to-back state championship-winning teams at the 11U and 12U levels.

All of which could be inspirational, especially to younger ballplayers.

“It gives them something they see that they can do,” McCaffrey said.

In winning district, sectional, state, southeast regional and the U.S. titles, Keystone amassed a 16-2 record, outscoring the opposition by a whopping 201-58 margin along the way. Representing Keystone throughout the postseason the team was given Florida jerseys at regionals and Southeast uniforms for the World Series.

The latter round had the closest games. Keystone posted three one-run victories, including a 5-4 comeback win over Hawaii in the U.S. championship game. Trailing 4-1, Keystone scored four runs in the fourth inning, highlighted by Presley Bromberg’s two-run single.

Gavin McCaffrey pitched four innings of scoreless relief, striking out nine and not allowing a walk. Previously, he tossed a no-hitter with 15 strikeouts in the state championship win over Jacksonville.

Keystone reached the World Series by avenging an earlier loss to South Carolina with a 16-0 win in a rematch for the southeast regional crown. Starting pitcher Bromberg wound up with a perfect game and Cole Shearer, who had four home runs in that round, homered in the shutout.

Joining Bromberg and McCaffrey with the most innings pitched was Chanse Goode.

As for the top hitters, that group featured Lee Melamut, Josh Trautmann, Nathan Trodden, Jackie Frasor, Goode and Shearer.

Rounding out the roster were: Colin Gremour, Trevor Hicks, Jordan Martorana and Trey Noland; along with assistants Jason Frasor, Chris Trautmann and Tim Trodden.

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