BY CLIFF SMELLEY
Telegraph Staff Writer
Keystone Heights hit two home runs, but they weren’t enough to overcome host Baldwin in a 3-2 loss in the May 19 Region 1-3A softball championship game.
The Indians (19-10) had four extra-base hits, including solo homers by Alaina Kinsal and Delia Johnson, but Keystone never had more than one hit in an inning except for the first. Keystone left five runners stranded in scoring position.
Baldwin (26-2) scored all of its runs in the fourth inning, getting a two-run homer from Piper Young.
It didn’t take long for Keystone to gain the upper hand, thanks to the bat of Kinsal. The second batter in the lineup took a strike on the first pitch she saw in the top of the first. She then drove the second pitch from Baldwin pitcher Young over the fence in left for a 1-0 lead. Abbie Roach was able to reach on a two-out infield single, but an infield pop-up ended the inning.
Baldwin put two runners on in the bottom of the inning. Cali Hartung and Jazmine Ramos-Merced hit singles with one out and two outs, respectively. The inning ended with pitcher Madi Mitzel recording a strikeout.
Mitzel was the first batter up in the top of the second, hitting a double on the first pitch she saw. After a strikeout and a fly out, Jaiden Robinson drew a walk. A ground out allowed Baldwin to get out of the inning.
Keystone got its leadoff batter on for the second straight inning when Kinsal drew a walk to start the third. Roach hit a one-out single that just sailed over the shortstop Olivia Hartung’s head. Hartung would record the second out by catching a pop-up. Kinsal and Roach would execute a double steal, but a ground out ended the inning with them stranded on second and third.
Baldwin’s Rylan Gray led off the bottom of the inning with a single. Keystone turned a double play on the next at-bat. Third baseman Kinley Carlton fielded a ground ball hit by Cali Hartung, throwing the ball to second baseman Kinsal to get Gray out. Kinsal fired a throw to first baseman Delia Johnson in time to get Hartung out. Chloe Gotto would hit a single in Baldwin’s next at-bat, but a fly out ended the inning.
Caitlin Frampton hit a one-out double for Keystone in the top of the fourth. She advanced to third on Robinson’s ground out, but the Indians couldn’t bring her home, with Baldwin’s Young catching a line drive for the third out.
Kayla Robinson led off Baldwin’s half of the fourth with a walk. Young then drove a 1-0 pitch over the fence in left to put the host team up 2-1. Chloe Stephersson later hit a one-out double and scored when Keystone committed an error on a bunt by Riley Page.
Baldwin wouldn’t come close to scoring again, with Frampton pitching a no-hitter in 2.2 innings of relief.
Johnson pulled Keystone to within one when she hit a one-out solo homer in the top of the sixth, making the score 3-2.
Keystone put two on with one out in the top of the seventh. Kinsal singled, while Kiley Channell reached on an error. A fly out and a line out ended the game.
Keystone had seven hits, with Kinsal and Roach going 2 for 3 and 2 for 4, respectively.
Starting pitcher Mitzel went 3.1 innings, giving up two earned runs on seven hits. She and Frampton had three and two strikeouts, respectively.
