BY CLIFF SMELLEY
Tallon Campbell went 3 for 4 and hit an inside-the-park grand slam in the Keystone Heights High School baseball team’s 12-3 win over visiting Tocoi Creek on April 22.
Tocoi (17-5), which entered the game 10th in the Florida High School Athletic Association Class 6A power rankings, scored three runs in the top of the first and led 3-2 before Keystone (17-6) scored two runs in the fourth. Campbell, who had four RBI, hit a leadoff double, followed by a Ty Mitzel walk. Campbell would score on an error, while Mitzel scored on an Alex Addington sacrifice fly to put the Indians up 4-3.
Keystone, which is 21st in the Class 3A power poll, scored four runs in each of the next two innings.
A single and two errors loaded the bases in the fifth. Campbell stepped to the plate and fell behind 0-2 in the count. He then took two straight balls before hitting a line drive into center field that cleared the base paths and allowed him to come all the way around and score, too, making it an 8-3 game.
Austin Smith, Aiden Screen and Mitzel all walked to load the bases with two outs in the sixth. Andru Siemer and Addington both hit two-run singles to end the scoring.
Addington and Siemer each finished with three RBI, while Connor Guy went 2 for 2 with one RBI off a home run.
Starting pitcher Gage Barry allowed three runs (one earned), nine hits and two walks through 5.1 innings.
Mitzel pitched the remainder of the game, giving up no hits and no walks, while striking out three.
The Indians entered the game off a 2-1 win at Class 4A Santa Fe on April 18 in which Smith delivered what would be the game-winning hit.
Keystone went up 1-0 in the second when a Campbell ground out scored Smith, who reached when he was hit by a pitch.
Santa Fe took advantage of three hits to even the score in the fifth.
Guy hit a one-out single in the sixth. He advanced to second on a passed ball and to third on an Austin Musgrove ground out. A Smith single brought Guy home for the deciding run.
Smith’s RBI single was just one of four hits the Indians had off Santa Fe’s Caleb Kietzman.
Musgrove started on the mound for Keystone, giving up four hits and striking out six before Mitzel entered to face the final batter.
Keystone hosts Middleburg on Tuesday, April 23, at 6 p.m. and will host Clay on Thursday, April 25, at 7 p.m.
