LAGRANGE — It might have been a little too close for comfort, but the season isn’t over yet for the state’s top-ranked Division II team.
Keystone took advantage of an error in the top of the seventh inning Tuesday to push across the eventual winning run in a 2-1 victory over Fairview in a district semifinal at Community Park.
That’s No. 1-in-the-state Keystone with the 24-4 record and under-.500 Fairview, which closed its season 11-13.
A mismatch on paper? Sure. On the field, though, it was a heck of a match.
“Give Fairview a lot of credit,” said Keystone coach Jim Piazza, whose Wildcats play Holy Name, a 6-5 winner over Highland in Tuesday’s other semifinal, for the district title today at 5 p.m. “Their pitcher did a nice job of moving the ball inside and out and they did a nice job defensively, making the plays when they had to.”
Well, most of the plays. With the game tied at 1 in the top of the seventh, Keystone got the go-ahead run in scoring position when Taylor Kessinger singled to left with one out and made it all the way to third when the ball went through the legs of the Warrior left fielder and rolled to the fence.
 Piazza brought in Jaimee Senk to pinch run for Kessinger, and Wildcats pitcher Lauren Wagner drove her home with a ground ball to second.
Wagner then made quick work of Fairview in the bottom of the seventh, striking out two and getting the last out on a fly ball to center.
“I’m proud of our kids for hanging in there and sticking it out like they’re supposed to,” Piazza said. “You have to have these kinds of games. They build character. The teams that get the breaks at the right time are the ones that come out. This is tournament time.”
Most of the game was a good old-fashioned pitcher’s duel between Wagner and Fairview’s Katie Brown. Wagner allowed just four hits and struck out 10, while Brown surrendered just two hits and struck out eight.
The Wildcats finally broke through in the top of the sixth. Kara Dill led off with an infield single and stole second. Kim Kokoski followed with a sacrifice to move Dill to third and Dill scored on Claire Sullivan’s groundout to deep short.
Fairview came right back to tie the score in the bottom of the sixth. Brown led off with an infield single and Katie Bilak followed with a sacrifice. A bad throw on the play sent the ball into foul territory down the right-field line and it was touched by a spectator, leaving runners at second and third with no outs.
Piazza then had Wagner intentionally walk Danie Lisowski to load the bases, setting up a force at home.
The strategy almost paid off as Gabby Craider grounded to second baseman Sullivan, who bobbled the ball momentarily and threw home. The bobble gave Brown just enough time to cross the plate with the tying run.
Two more grounders turned into force plays at home and another groundout to first got the Wildcats out of the inning with minimal damage.
Contact Ron Nenadal at 329-7135 or ctsports@chroniclet.com.

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