YORK — The York Little League baseball team is moving on to the championship courtesy of some timely offense and strong starting pitching.

Jack Joyce hit a two-run homer in an eight-run third, and Alex Taylor struck out five in three scoreless innings as York beat Sanford, 8-1, in an elimination game in the 2019 District 4 Little League Baseball Tournament for 10 to 12-year-olds in York.

York advances to play Saco in the championship round on Wednesday. Saco has yet to lose in the tournament.

Joyce’s homer off right-hander Zach Kassim put York ahead 6-0. Lucas Ketchum and Robbie Hanscom each added RBI singles for York, which sent 12 batters to the plate in the inning.

“(Breaking the game open) doesn’t get any better than that,” said York coach Ed Gullison. “Just to see guys hit throughout your whole lineup, it just gets everybody fired up.”

Gullison’s mantra for his team is “one game at a time.” Its purpose is to make sure his team doesn’t look ahead. So, when York broke the game open with eight runs in the third inning against Sanford, he made sure to tell his players to stick with that mentality. 

“We want our guys to be as humble as possible because we don’t want them thinking anything beyond the next game,” said Gullison. “(Sanford’s) a really good team, well coached. We were happy to jump ahead like that because you never know with that team.”

Sanford got into the scoring column in the fourth when Brayden Baron drove in Scott Long with a long single to right field. 

Despite falling down early, Sanford coach Scott Robitialle was impressed with his teams toughness, particularly Zach Kassim, who took a line drive off the chest while pitching in the third. Kassim remained in the game and proceeded to pitch the next three innings and struck out six batters. The toughness is something Robitaille has appreciated from his group.

“We’re tough, I’m proud of every single one of those guys,” said Robitaille. “That’s my team.”