BY CLIFF SMELLEY
Alex Addington and Connor Guy combined for five RBI and both pitched, limiting visiting Pierson Taylor one hit in the Keystone Heights High School baseball team’s 12-0, five-inning win in the quarterfinals of the District 4-3A tournament on April 29.
The Indians (19-7), who are the tournament’s second seed, will host third seed P.K. Yonge (17-6) in a semifinal game on Tuesday, April 30, at 7 p.m.
Guy got the start on the mound and pitched a no-hitter through three innings before giving way to Addington. Guy walked just one batter and struck out four. One of his strikeouts occurred when the seventh seed Wildcats (9-15) had a runner on third with two outs in the top of the first.
Addington gave up one hit and one walk in two innings.
Austin Musgrove hit the first of Keystone’s three home runs in the first inning — a solo shot to left field to put the Indians up 1-0.
The Indians scored six runs in the second. Tallon Campbell drew a leadoff walk and scored on an Aiden Screen double. A one-out single by Ty Mitzel gave Keystone runners at the corners when Andru Siemer hit a run-scoring single. Addington walked to load the bases, followed by Guy hitting a sacrifice fly to score a run an make it a 4-0 game.
Musgrove kept the inning going when he walked to load the bases. Austin Smith hit an RBI single, while Campbell walked to force a run in. Musgrove scored the inning’s final run on a passed ball.
Keystone had two on with one out in the third when Addington homered to left field to make the score 10-0. Guy, in the next at-bat, drove the first pitch he saw over the fence in right for another homer.
The final run occurred in the fourth. Ben Goforth, a courtesy runner for Campbell, who singled, scored on a Mitzel ground out.
Prior to the tournament, the Indians went 1-1 in their final two regular-season games, defeating visiting Middleburg 9-8 on April 23 and losing 6-1 to visiting Clay on April 25.
The Indians trailed 8-2 against Middleburg entering the bottom of the sixth. Campbell walked, while Siemer singled. Guy and Musgrove each hit an RBI single with two outs to make the score 8-4.
Keystone scored five runs in the seventh to complete the rally. The Indians loaded the bases on a Brady Kerlin single and walks by Screen and Campbell. Mitzel hit a two-run single, while Siemer drove in a run on a sacrifice fly and reached on an error. Addington then hit a walkoff single that plated the tying and winning runs.
Kerlin and Mitzel each went 2 for 4 with two RBI. Addington finished with two RBI also.
Guy and Musgrove each went 2 for 4 with an RBI.
Siemer finished with one RBI as well.
Against Clay, Keystone trailed only 1-0 when it tied the score in the second. Campbell reached on a fielder’s choice. Screen and Nick Binet both walked to load the bases. Mitzel then ground into a fielder’s choice, with a run scoring.
Clay scored two runs in the third and its final three in the sixth.
The Indians were held to five hits. Guy had two of those in three at-bats.
