Telegraph Staff Writer
Pitchers Cole Cumbus and Ty Mitzel combined to allow four hits in the Keystone Heights High School baseball team’s 9-2 win over visiting Williston on April 11.
Keystone (8-8) led 9-0 before Williston finally scored in the top of the sixth.
The Indians had a five-run fourth inning to go up 6-0. Chase Packham hit a leadoff single, while Conner Guy walked. After two straight strikeouts, Ty Glenn walked to load the bases. Packham and Guy scored on the same wild pitch. Keystone then loaded the bases again when Gage Smith drew a walk and Noah Branch was hit by a pitch. Ashton Roach hit a single to score Glenn, while an error on the play allowed Smith and Branch to score.
Ryan Jones hit an RBI double as part of a three-run fifth that capped the scoring for the Indians.
Glenn, Jones, Roach and Jeremy Miller each had one RBI, while Packham went 2 for 3 with a double.
Cumbus gave up one run on three hits in six innings, walking one and striking out six. Mitzel threw the final inning, giving up one run on one hit and no walks, striking out two.
It was Keystone’s second win over Williston in less than a week. On April 5, the Indians scored two runs in the top of the sixth that proved to be the difference in a 6-4 win in Williston.
Keystone trailed 2-1 before scoring two runs in the fourth. Jones walked and scored on a Smith ground out. Miller singled and scored on a Packham ground ball to put the Indians ahead 3-2.
It was 4-2 when the Indians scored another two runs in the sixth. Packham walked, advanced on a Branch sacrifice bunt and a Glenn single, and scored on a steal of home. An error allowed Glenn to score.
Packham, Smith and Dalton Hollingsworth each had one RBI, with Hollingsworth going 2 for 3.
Ben Goforth earned the win, giving up four runs (two earned) on five hits through 5.1 innings. He gave up two walks and struck out seven.
Jesse Stanley finished it off on the mound, giving up no hits and no walks.
On April 6, Roach gave up two hits in a complete-game pitching effort, while Hollingsworth drove in three runs in the Indians’ 10-1 win over visiting Orange Park on April 6.
Keystone scored seven runs in the first inning. Alex Addington was hit by a pitch and advanced to third on an error before scoring on a Hollingsworth single. Jones drove Hollingsworth in with a single. The Indians then scored five runs with two outs. After a Smith walk, Packham hit a run-scoring single. Branch drove in two with another single. Bryce Hart reached on catcher’s interference, while Addington reached on an error, loading the bases for Hollingsworth, who drove in two runs with a single.
Hollingsworth finished 3 for 4 with a triple.
Branch, Cumbus, Guy, Jones and Packham each had one RBI.
Roach struck out five in earning the win.
The Indians were looking to make it five wins in a row when they traveled to play Fort White on April 7, but the host team scored three runs in the sixth inning to hand Keystone a 5-3 loss.
Keystone trailed 2-0 before Jones hit an RBI single in the fourth. The Indians then tied the game in the fifth when Roach, who hit a leadoff double, scored on a wild pitch with two outs.
Keystone took the lead in the top of the sixth when Guy, who singled, scored on a Miller single.
Fort White took advantage of two singles and an error in the bottom of the inning.
Starting pitcher Smith gave up two runs on seven hits through four innings.
The Indians travel to play Union County tonight (April 12) at 7 p.m. and will travel to play Bradford on Thursday, April 14, at 7 p.m. Keystone hosts Fernandina Beach on Friday, April 15, at 6:30 p.m. and hosts Oakleaf on Monday, April 18, at 7 p.m.
On Tuesday, April 19, the Indians travel to play Orange Park at 7 p.m.
