BY CLIFF SMELLEY
Pitchers Austin Musgrove and Aiden Screen combined to allow one hit, while Alex Addington drove in three runs in the Keystone Heights High School baseball team’s 8-0 win over visiting Class 4A Palatka on March 29.
The Indians (11-2) were coming off a loss that ended a 10-game win streak (see related story), but had no trouble getting back into the win column. A hit batter is all that prevented Musgrove from pitching a perfect game through the first four innings, while Screen gave up just one hit in the final three. Musgrove struck out eight, while Screen struck out four.
Palatka (4-10) had just four base runners on two hit batters, a walk and a single.
A big second inning provided the pitchers with plenty of run support. The Indians loaded the bases with one out, getting singles from Tallon Campbell and Andru Siemer and a walk by Ty Mitzel. Addington hit a two-run single. After Siemer was picked off at second, Keystone loaded the bases again, with Guy being intentionally walked and Musgrove hitting a single. An error on a ground ball hit by Austin Smith scored a run to make it 3-0. Guy scored the fourth run on a passed ball before Brady Kerlin walked to load the bases. Screen hit a two-run double to put the Indians ahead 6-0.
Addington, who went 3 for 4, hit an RBI single in the third, while a Tyler Brinson ground ball with the bases loaded pushed the final run across in the sixth.
Kerlin and Screen finished 2 for 3 and 2 for 4, respectively.
The Class 3A Indians travel to play Class 5A Middleburg on Tuesday, April 2, at 6:30 p.m. and will travel to play Class 6A Buchholz on Thursday, April 4, at 7 p.m. Keystone travels to play Class 5A Orange Park on Friday, April 5, 7 p.m. before returning home to play Class 4A North Marion on Tuesday, April 9, at 6:30 p.m.
