By Ray Wilde

Sports correspondent

LEWISTOWN — Even the rain can’t stop McVeytown.

On Wednesday evening, a heavy rainstorm hit the McVeytown area and the McVeytown-Beaver Springs Babe Ruth game was moved to Rec Park (Lewistown).

The game started at 7:30 p.m. and just became official as another storm hit the area. But in between the drops, McVeytown (18-1) rolled to its 18th straight win, a 9-2 victory over second-place Beaver Springs (12-5). The game was called after four and a half innings due to rain.

McVeytown, which clinched the league championship on Tuesday, got a strong pitching performance from Gatlin Kauffman on Wednesday.

Kauffman went the first four innings and gave up one run on no hits. He walked five and struck out five.

McVeytown’s star closer, Carson Cherry, gave up two runs on two hits and struck out three.

Beaver Springs scored a run in the third as Kauffman walked the bases loaded and River Knepp had an RBI groundout. In the fifth, Springs rallied for two runs with two outs before the rains came. Max Trawitz reached on an error and then Knepp roped the first hit of the game for Beaver Springs, a double. Maverick Smith then got Springs’ second hit, a single that scored Trawitz. Knepp then came home on a McVeytown throwing error.

Cherry then struck out the next batter to end the game.

McVeytown took an early lead with three runs in the first. Cullen Busch and Kauffman had base hits along with a walk and two hit batters.

In the second, McVeytown added two more runs as Landon Pecht and Trayven Shaffer hit back-to-back doubles to open the inning. Cherry picked up an RBI with a bases loaded walk and Bo Benny had an RBI single.

McVeytown wrapped up the game and its scoring, with four runs in the fourth. Kauffman came home on a wild pitch, Cherry got another RBI with a bases-loaded walk, Benny got hit by a pitch with the bases full and Jett Powell had a sacrifice fly that made it 9-1.

BELLTOWN 7, BURNHAM 6

BELLTOWN — One of the hottest teams in the league, Belltown, continued to play strong baseball in the final weeks of the season. Belltown won its fourth straight game as it came from behind to edge Burnham, 7-6.

It marked the third win in a row that Belltown has pulled out at the end of a game as it beat Beaver Springs, 10-9, and Milroy, 8-5, during this stretch.

The hero for Belltown was Luke Shawver. Logan Baumgardner walked to open the seventh. Kyler Baker followed with a base hit. One out later, Shawver doubled to win the game for Belltown.

Kyler Shirk started for Belltown on the mound and pitched into the third inning.

Jacob Parker-Fultz then finished and got the win. Parker-Fultz finished with seven strikeouts.

Burnham (12-7) had seven hits. Liam Shaffer went 3-for-3 with a double. Cohen Leister also was a multiple hitter with a home run and a double.

In the third inning, Leister hit a two-run homer, his seventh of the year. Chase Benfer followed with a solo shot of his own as Burnham tied the game at 3-3.

Belltown finished with 10 hits. Kyler Baker was 3-for-3, while Shawver had two hits, both doubles. RJ Link also had a double for the winners.