BY CLIFF SMELLEY
Keystone Heights High School’s baseball team was held to four hits by Orange Park’s Josh Taylor, who struck out seven in the visiting Raiders’ 5-2 win over the Indians on March 28.
Class 3A Keystone (10-2) lost for the first time since its season opener, while the Class 5A Raiders (5-7) won for the third time in four games.
Two of the Indians’ hits occurred in the second inning, when they took a 1-0 lead. Austin Smith hit a leadoff single. One out later, Aiden Screen singled, with Smith advancing to third. Smith scored on a passed ball before a strikeout and a ground out ended the inning.
The Raiders loaded the bases on two singles and a hit batter with one out in the top of the third. Jack Bejarano and Tyson Cruz each drew a walk to force a run in, putting Orange Park up 2-1.
Orange Park added two runs in the fifth. With two on and one out, Robert Barnett drove a run in on a sacrifice fly. Cruz followed with an RBI single into left field.
The Raiders threatened to score more runs in the inning, with an error on a throw to first giving Orange Park runners on first and third with two outs. Jaylen Williams walked to load the bases.
Gage Barry then entered the game to relieve starting pitcher Ty Mitzel. Barry struck out Devon Moore to get out of the jam.
Keystone’s Alex Addington hit a one-out single in the bottom of the sixth, followed by Connor Guy drawing a walk. Smith, who went 2 for 3, hit an RBI single with two outs to make the score 4-2.
The Raiders’ Williams drove in the game’s final run with a single in the seventh.
It was the only run allowed by Barry, who gave up three hits and no walks in 2.1 innings. He had three strikeouts.
The Indians entered the game off an 11-1 win over visiting Class 1A Williston on March 26.
Keystone wasted little time in scoring with five runs in the first. Leadoff batter Addington reached on an error and eventually scored on a Guy double. Austin Musgrove hit an RBI double, while Screen and Brady Kerlin each had an RBI single. Smith drove in a run as well.
Guy, who went 3 for 3 with three RBI ended the game in the bottom of the fifth with a solo home run that enacted the mercy rule.
Mitzel went 2 for 2 with a double and two RBI, while Screen and Smith each went 2 for 3. Screen had one RBI, while Smith, who hit a double, had two.
Kerlin, who had two RBI, started on the mound, allowing one run and one hit in three innings. He had four strikeouts.
Guy pitched the final two innings, giving up one hit and no walks.
The Indians host Class 4A Palatka on Friday, March 29, at 7 p.m. and will travel to play Class 5A Middleburg on Tuesday, April 2, at 6:30 p.m.
