Keystone Heights had lost five straight at home, but on Friday they dropped down to 4-13 to make it six. They fell 8-5 to the Palatka Panthers. The defeat was just more heartbreak for the Indians, who fell 5-3 when the teams last met back in March of 2025.
Cason Burton made the most of his time in the batter's box despite the final result and went 2-for-4 with three RBI and one run.
As for Palatka, their record now sits at 13-4. The victory continues a trend for them in their matchups with Keystone Heights: they've now won three in a row.
On Palatka's side, Paxton Sweat made a splash while hitting and pitching. He looked comfortable on the mound, not allowing a single earned run over 4.1 innings pitched. Sweat has been nothing but reliable: he hasn't given up more than two walks in eight consecutive appearances. He was also big at the plate, getting on base in three of his four plate appearances with two runs and two RBI.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Ryan Surrency, who went 2-for-3 with one run, one double, and one RBI. That's the most hits he has posted since back in February. Morgan Wiggs was another key player, going 2-for-4 with one run, one double, and one RBI.
Looking ahead, Keystone Heights will face off against Baker County at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday. The Wildcats' pitching crew has only allowed 3.8 runs per game this season, so the Indians' hitters will have their work cut out for them. As for Palatka, they didn't take long to hit the field again: they've already played their next matchup, a 14-4 win against Father Lopez on the 30th.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
