Telegraph Staff Writer
Emma Rogel drove in a total of three runs and scored three in two wins on April 1 that put the Keystone Heights High School softball team into the ninth-place game in the Gold Bracket at the Roger Jones Kissimmee Klassic, which was unable to be played to completion on April 2 due to the weather.
The annual tournament consisted of 32 teams divided evenly into two brackets: Gold and Blue. Because of the weather, a coin flip or run differential was used to determine the champion, runner-up and third-place team in each bracket.
Keystone (6-7) opened play with a 6-0 loss to Robinson on March 31. Robinson was held to three hits by pitcher Madi Mitzel through the first four innings, but had five in the fifth. The Knights scored all of their runs in that inning, with three scoring on two errors.
The Indians bounced back, with Rogel going 3 for 3 in a 6-5 win over Space Coast on April 1.
Space Coast led 5-3 before Keystone scored three runs in the fourth. Kinley Carlton was hit by a pitch, while Delia Johnson singled. An error on a ball put into play by Jaiden Robinson scored a run. Rogel then hit a single that scored two.
The Vipers couldn’t manufacture any runs against pitcher Caitlyn Frampton, who gave up two hits and struck out three in 3.1 innings of relief.
Keystone took the early lead with a three-run first inning. Rogel singled, while Alaina Kinsal walked. An error on a ball hit by Kiley Channell scored a run. Amberlea Wagner and Ashley Nugent each drove in a run as well as the Indians went up 3-0.
Like Rogel, Wagner was perfect at the plate, going 2 for 2.
Space Coast plated all of its runs with two outs in the second, taking advantage of two singles, a double, a hit batter and two walks.
Keystone played again on April 1, with Mitzel holding Orlando Christian Prep to four hits in a 3-1 win.
Mitzel, who went the distance, gave up only one walk.
Rogel, who went 3 for 3, scored the game’s first run in the first inning. After hitting a leadoff single, she stole second and advanced to third on Kinsal’s ground out before scoring on Channell’s two-out single.
Channell finished the game 2 for 3.
In the third, it was Kinsal who hit a two-out, RBI single, scoring Rogel, who singled and then stole second to put herself in scoring position.
The Warriors scored a run in the top of the fifth on an error, but Keystone answered with a run of its own in the bottom of the inning. Robinson singled and was able to advance to third on the play because of an error. She scored on a Rogel single.
Keystone hosts Oakleaf on Tuesday, April 5, at 7:30 p.m. and will travel to play Middleburg on Thursday, April 7, at 7 p.m. The Indians return home on Monday, April 11, to play Bradford at 6 p.m.
On Tuesday, April 12, Keystone hosts Ridgeview at 7 p.m.
