The Keystone Heights Indians will face off against the Newberry Panthers at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday. Both come into the contest bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
Keystone Heights is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Tuesday. They walked away with a 7-4 victory over P.K. Yonge.
Audry Cisco spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered just two earned (and two unearned) runs on seven hits and racked up ten Ks. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't given up more than one walk in seven consecutive appearances.
At the plate, Kadence Massey was incredible, going a perfect 3-for-3 with three RBI, two runs, and one double. That's the most RBI she has posted since back in February of 2024. Another player making a difference was Amberlea Wagner, who went 2-for-4 with one stolen base, two RBI, and one run.
Keystone Heights hit smart and finished the game with only two strikeouts. The team has now struck out at least five batters in eight consecutive matchups.
Meanwhile, Newberry entered their tilt with Interlachen on Tuesday with three consecutive wins, and they'll enter their next game with four. They were the clear victors by a 12-2 margin over the Rams. The result was nothing new for the Panthers, who have now won 11 games by six runs or more so far this season.
Madison Rodgers looked comfortable as she didn't allow a single earned run over four innings pitched.
On the hitting side, Malana Kennard was a standout: she went 3-for-4 with three stolen bases, two runs, and one RBI. Gracie Mattson was another key player, going 2-for-3 with two runs, one triple, and one RBI.
Newberry pushed their record up to 19-5 with the win, which was their fifth straight at home. The home victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 11.8 runs over those games. As for Keystone Heights, their win ended a four-game drought at home and bumped them up to 9-15.
Keystone Heights couldn't quite finish off Newberry when the teams last played back in February and fell 8-6. Can the Indians avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
