BY CLIFF SMELLEY
Keystone Heights High School’s baseball team got a home run from Aiden Screen to tie the score early, but the Indians eventually lost 9-7 to the visiting Santa Fe Raiders on March 12.
Keystone (10-4) trailed 3-1 entering the bottom of the third. Destin Harnage singled before Screen drove the first pitch he saw over the field in left to make it a 3-3 game.
The Raiders (7-6) answered with three runs in the top of the fourth, taking advantage of three singles, a double and two walks, with one walk occurring with the bases loaded.
Santa Fe later added another run to lead 7-3 before the Indians scored two in the sixth. Gauge Barry singled, while Tyler Brinson reached on an error. Tallon Campbell walked to load the bases before Aiden Wossilek hit a two-run single with one out. A strikeout and a fly out ended the inning.
The Raiders loaded the bases in the top of the seventh on an error, a walk and a single. A bases-loaded walk resulted in one run, while another was scored on a sacrifice fly.
Keystone scored two runs of its own in the bottom of the seventh. Screen walked and scored on an Austin Smith double. Barry reached on an error, which allowed Smith to advance to third. After a strikeout for the first out, Barry was caught stealing. Campbell drew a walk before Smith scored on a passed ball. A strikeout ended the game.
Screen and Wossilek finished with two RBI each, while Smith and Ethan Franklin each had one.
Barry and Harnage both went 2 for 4, while Campbell and Smith each hit a double.
It was Keystone’s second loss in four games, while Santa Fe won its fourth straight.
The Indians entered the game off a 6-2 win at Oakleaf on March 10 in which Franklin pitched a complete game, giving up one earned run and two hits, while striking out eight.
Smith, who went 3 for 4 with a double and two RBI, hit a two-run single in the third that put Keystone up 2-1.
It was tied at 2-2 before the Indians scored a run in the sixth. Andrew Wilson, who went 2 for 4 with an RBI, hit a single that scored courtesy runner Ryder Trull. Trull was running for Campbell, who walked.
Franklin and Wossilek each hit an RBI single as part of a three-run seventh. Franklin and Wossilek each finished 2 for 4 with one RBI.
Keystone plays at Orange Park on Friday, March 14, at 7 p.m. and at Paxon on Monday, March 17, at 6 p.m. The Indians then return to action with a home game against Paxon on Wednesday, March 26, at 6:30 p.m.
