BY CLIFF SMELLEY
Visiting Bishop Snyder scored five of its six fourth-inning runs on an error, two bases-loaded walks and two passed balls in defeating the Keystone Heights High School baseball team 8-3 in the opening game of a Region 1-2A quarterfinal series on April 21.
The seventh seed Indians (19-8) will attempt to prolong the series in a Tuesday, April 22, game that’ll be played in Keystone. If the Indians win, they’ll force a decisive third game, which would be played Thursday, April 24, at 7 p.m. at Bishop Snyder.
Second seed Bishop Snyder (21-6) put the first run on the board in the top of the second. Cole Dennis hit a leadoff double, followed by Tristan Silver drawing a walk. Silver and courtesy runner William Pounds advanced on a Tanner Upton sacrifice bunt before Pounds scored on a ground ball hit by Illias Mamea.
The Cardinals had a runner in scoring position in the third when Josh Murray hit a one-out double, but two consecutive ground outs left him stranded.
Keystone scored all of its runs in the bottom of the third. Tyler Brinson hit a leadoff single, while Ty Mitzel drew a walk. After pitcher Cody Boshell recorded a strikeout, the Indians’ Andrew Wilson drew another walk, loading the bases. Austin Smith, who was down 1-2 in the count, hit a single into center field that scored Brinson and Mitzel and allowed Wilson to advance to third. Guage Barry hit another single into center, which allowed Wilson to score and put Keystone up 3-1.
Bishop Snyder was able to get out of the inning by turning a double play on a ground ball to short.
The lead didn’t last long. The Cardinals’ Dennis walked to lead off the top of the fourth. Silver and Upton were both hit by pitches to load the bases. Dennis scored on a passed ball before Mamea hit into a fielder’s choice, which resulted in Silver being put out at home. Evan Pieklo and Jack Perry hit back-to-back bunt singles, with Pieklo’s hit scoring Upton and tying the score at 3-3.
After a strikeout for the inning’s second out, an error on a ground ball hit by Boshell resulted in Mamea scoring. Tripp Hannah and Dennis drew back-to-back bases-loaded walks to force another two runs in. Boshell scored the inning’s final run on a passed ball.
Keystone failed to get a hit in the final four innings off pitchers Jack Rauch and Cade Cooper, who combined to throw 4.2 innings of scoreless relief.
The Indians, who finished the game with only three hits, did put two on with one out in the fifth when Destin Harnage reached on an error and Wilson was hit by a pitch. A fly out and a ground out ended the inning.
Bishop Snyder’s final run scored as the result of an error in the sixth inning, which began with the Cardinals getting a single and a walk.
