BY CLIFF SMELLEY
Host and second seed Trinity Catholic hit three homers for all of its runs in defeating the seventh-seed Keystone Heights High School softball team 4-2 in a Region 2-2A quarterfinal game on May 7 in Ocala.
Keystone (9-17) was held to three hits by pitcher Caylee Barbe, who struck out nine and gave up just one walk in a complete-game effort.
The Indians had runners in scoring position in the top of the first. Bella Cumbo hit a one-out single and stole second and third, while Amber Wagner drew a two-out walk and stole second. A ground out, though, left the runners stranded.
Trinity (20-8) scored all the runs it would need in the bottom of the first. Leadoff batter Barbe was down 0-2 in the count, but took a third pitch for a ball before hitting a home run to center. After Kristina Fogelman walked, the Celtics got another homer, with Hailey Wilson sending a long ball to left to put Trinity up 3-0.
Wilson wasn’t done. With two outs and no one on in the bottom of the third, she homered again, giving the Celtics their final run.
Keystone got a one-out single from Wagner and a two-out single from Bailey Amato in the fourth. An error on Amato’s hit allowed Wagner to score and Amato to make it all the way around to third. An infield pop-up ended the inning, leaving the Indians trailing 4-1.
The Celtics threatened to add to their lead in the bottom of the fourth. The first two batters — Dakota Cobb and Julianna Ortega — both fell behind 1-2 in the count before hitting singles. Keystone, though, recorded three straight outs, with the third coming on pitcher Kadence Massey’s seventh strikeout.
Chloe Still reached on an error to lead off the Indians’ half of the fifth. After a strikeout for the inning’s first out, she stole second and scored on an error, making it a 4-2 game. Trinity’s Barbe recorded another strikeout before an infield pop-up ended the inning.
Trinity had two outs and no one on in the bottom of the fifth before Emma Simms hit a double. She was left stranded at second when Massey struck out the next batter.
The Celtics got their leadoff batter on in the sixth when Cobb drew a walk. However, Ortega hit a line drive that was caught by Massey, who then threw to first to complete a double play. Massey then recorded a strikeout to end the inning.
Massey pitched a complete game, striking out nine.
Trinity’s Barbe capped her night by striking out the side in the top of the seventh as she helped the Celtics move on to the next round. Trinity will host third seed Melbourne Central Catholic (20-3) in a semifinal game on Tuesday, May 13.
