BY CLIFF SMELLEY
A three-run home run by Chris Rembert proved to be the difference in the Keystone Heights High School baseball team’s 5-2 loss to top seed and host Pensacola Catholic in a May 8 Region 1-3A quarterfinal game.
The eighth seed Indians (20-9) outhit Pensacola Catholic (eight to six), but squandered a bases-loaded opportunity with no outs in the third and left a total of six runners stranded in the first three innings.
Alex Addington and Connor Guy hit back-to-back singles to lead off the top of the first, but a strikeout, a line out to left field and ground out to first ended the inning.
Ty Mitzel hit a two-out single with nobody on in the second, but a fly out left him stranded.
Leadoff batter Addington got things started in the third, hitting a single. Guy followed with a double, while Austin Musgrove walked to load the bases. Pitcher Jackson Kohr then recorded two straight strikeouts before a ground ball to second baseman Rembert ended the inning with the game still scoreless.
Mitzel hit a one-out single in the fourth. Andru Siemer was hit by a pitch, while Addington followed with a single to load the bases. Guy ground into a fielder’s choice, which resulted in Mitzel and Siemer both scoring to put the Indians up 2-0.
The Crusaders (27-1), who are the state’s number-one team regardless of classification in the Florida High School Athletic Association power rankings, were held hitless the first three innings by pitcher Gage Barry, who struck out four of the first nine batters he faced. Pensacola Catholic, however, finally put runners on base when Brock Clayton and Colton Guillot drew back-to-back walks with one out in the bottom of the fourth. The Crusaders then got their first hit — an RBI double from Vaughn Howard that cut Keystone’s lead to one.
Keystone got out of the inning without allowing anymore runs on two plays by third baseman Addington. He fielded a grounder hit by Gavin Howard and threw home to catcher Tallon Campbell to put out Guillot. Addington then caught a pop up for the third out.
Three of the Crusaders’ six hits allowed by Barry, who pitched a complete game, occurred in the fifth. Ben Bates and Jasper Simon both hit singles. Rembert, with one out, fell behind 0-2 in the count before hitting a line drive over the fence in left for a three-run homer and a 4-2 Pensacola Catholic lead.
The Crusaders scored the game’s final run in the sixth. Gavin Howard hit a single, while Parker Granse was hit by a pitch. Bates reached when the Indians committed an error on a fly ball, loading the bases with two outs. Rhyland Richards hit a single to score one run. Granse attempted to score on the play as well, but he was put out on the throw from center fielder Guy.
Guy was hit by a pitch to lead off the top of the seventh, but a ground ball hit by Musgrove resulted in a double play. Another ground out ended the game.
Barry finished the game allowing just two walks, while striking out six.
All of Keystone’s hits came from three batters — Addington (3 for 4), Guy (2 for 3) and Mitzel (3 for 3).
