Telegraph Staff Writer
Keystone Heights High School’s softball team couldn’t overtake visiting Fleming Island, which scored three runs in the first inning and defeated the Indians 3-2 on March 7.
After giving up two hits and one earned run in the first inning, Keystone starting pitcher Caitlin Frampton gave up one total hit in the second, third and fourth innings. She had a total of seven strikeouts.
Madi Mitzel threw the final three innings, giving up one hit and no walks, while striking out three.
Kadance Massey drove in the Indians’ first run on a ground out in the fourth inning, while Jaiden Robinson hit an RBI single in the fifth.
Robinson’s hit was just one of three hits for the team.
Keystone (2-5) was coming off a week in which it went 1-2, beginning with an 11-10 loss at Nease on March 1.
Kiley Channell, who went 4 for 4 with seven RBI, put the first two runs on the board with a double in the top of the third, but the host Panthers answered with three in the bottom half of the inning.
Delia Johnson, who went 2 for 3 with three RBI, hit a two-run homer to put the Indians in front 4-3.
Channell hit a three-run homer in the fifth, which also included an RBI double by Johnson. Keystone went up 8-3.
Nease tied it in the bottom of the fifth, taking advantage of a single, a double, a triple and two walks.
Robinson and Emma Rogel hit back-to-back singles to lead off the top of the sixth. Both scored on a Channell single to put Keystone ahead 10-8.
The Panthers put two on in the bottom of the sixth on a walk and a single. Both runners scored on an error. Nease then scored what would be the winning run on a fly ball error.
Channel, Robinson and Rogel, who was 4 for 4, accounted for all but two of the Indians’ hits.
On March 2, Kinley Carlton and Abbie Roach each drove in three runs as the Indians defeated visiting Tocoi Creek 11-1 in five innings.
Three of Keystone’s first five runs were scored on errors as Tocoi Creek committed a total of 10.
Roach and Ashley Nugent each hit an RBI single as part of a three-run third, while a three-run fifth saw Roach hit another run-scoring single and Carlton drive in two more runs on another single.
Rogel went 3 for 4 with a double, while Carlton and Nugent each went 2 for 3. Channell and Roach each went 2 for 4, with Channell hitting a double.
Mitzel, who drove in a run at the plate, earned the win in the circle, giving up three hits and no walks, while striking out six in a complete-game effort.
The Indians hosted Eustis on March 4, losing 6-1.
Eustis scored all of its runs in the third inning, taking advantage of three singles, two doubles and an error.
Roach drove in Keystone’s only run with a double in the bottom of the sixth.
In 4.2 innings of relief, Frampton gave up three hits and one walk, while striking out four.
Keystone travels to play P.K. Yonge tonight at 6 p.m. and will host West Nassau on Thursday, March 10, at 7 p.m.
