BY CLIFF SMELLEY
Pitcher Gage Barry kept the host Wildcats off the board for five innings, while Connor Guy drove in three runs on two extra-base hits in the Keystone Heights High School baseball team’s 9-1 over Class 4A Baker County on April 15 in Glen St. Mary.
Barry gave up five hits and two walks, while striking out 10 before giving way to Brady Kerlin, who faced the game’s final batter, striking him out. Barry didn’t allow the Wildcats’ run until the sixth inning.
The Class 3A Indians (14-6) put three runs on the board in the first. Alex Addington walked and scored on a Guy triple. Guy scored on an Austin Musgrove single. Musgrove, who advanced to second on the play, went to third on an Austin Smith ground out before scoring on Aiden Screen’s single.
It was 5-1 when Keystone scored four runs in the seventh. Andru Siemer singled, while Addington reached on an error. Both scored on Guy’s second triple of the night. After Guy scored on a wild pitch, Smith and Screen reached on a walk and a single, respectively. Tallon Campbell, who went 3 for 4 with an RBI, ended the scoring with run-scoring single.
Guy and Musgrove each finished 2 for 4, with Musgrove driving in a total of two runs.
Siemer went 2 for 3 with an RBI.
The Indians entered the game following a week in which they went 1-2.
On Aug. 9, Screen, Siemer and Smith all drove in runs on doubles late in the game to help Keystone defeat visiting Class 4A North Marion 11-7.
Keystone fell behind 4-0 and trailed 5-1 before a two-run third. Guy hit a solo homer before the Indians got two-out singles from Smith, Kerlin and Screen. Screen’s hit drove in a run to make the score 5-3.
It was 7-3 when Keystone scored four runs in the fourth. One of those runs came courtesy of an Addington single.
The Indians pushed another three runs across in the fifth to take a 9-7 lead. Smith doubled, while Kerlin singled. Smith scored on a passed ball before Keystone got back-to-back RBI doubles from Screen and Siemer.
Smith drove in the final two runs in the sixth inning. He hit a double that scored Guy, who singled, and Musgrove, who walked.
Screen, who hit a solo homer in the second, and Smith both went 3 for 4. Screen finished with three RBI, while Smith, who hit two doubles, had two.
Guy went 4 for 4 with an RBI, while Kerlin was 2 for 4.
Addington and Siemer each finished with one RBI.
Keystone traveled to play Class 3A Baldwin on April 11 and was held to three hits in a 13-3 loss.
The Indians scored the game’s first run in the first inning on a Smith single, which scored courtesy runner Ben Goforth. Goforth had entered to run for Addington, who reached on an error to lead off the inning.
Baldwin scored four runs in the second, but Keystone was able to cut the host team’s lead to 4-3 with a two-run fourth. Screen singled, followed by Campbell drawing a walk. Both scored on a Mitzel single.
It remained a one-run game until Baldwin scored nine runs in the sixth, taking advantage of six hits (including a solo home run), three walks, an error and two batters hit by pitches with the bases loaded.
The Indians struggled at the plate again in a home game on April 12, getting just four hits in a 7-0 loss to Class 3A Fernandina Beach.
Fernandina scored all of its runs against starting pitcher Musgrove, but only three of those runs were earned. Musgrove struck out seven batters in 4.2 innings.
Guy pitched 2.1 innings, giving up one hit and striking out five.
Keystone travels to play Class 3A Bradford on Tuesday, April 16, at 7 p.m.
