Indians baseball headed to state

KEYSTONE HEIGHTS — Win or lose, regardless of the outcome, Andrew Secules said he would be crying following the third and decisive game of the best-of-three Region 2-3A finals series between his Keystone Heights team and Ocala Trinity Catholic on Saturday afternoon.

Fortunately for Secules he was shedding tears of joy after he worked out of a bases-loaded jam in the top of seventh inning as the Indians held on for a 6-5 win over the Celtics in front of another packed house.

The senior, after pitching a complete-game in Friday night's second game, came on in the seventh and gave up a couple of hits but struck out Drew Brandies looking. The game and series clinching punch out ignited a celebratory pile on of Indians on the pitcher's mound.

"It was amazing, I'm speechless. I can't even describe it," Secules said. "I was on the bottom of the pile on the mound, but I was hoping they were going to do that."

Colton Crews (5-2) pitched six plus innings to earn the win for Keystone Heights (25-6), which advances to the FHSAA Class 3A state semifinals for the first time since finishing as Class 3A state runner ups in 1995 and 1996.

"I don't have the vocabulary to describe how proud of this team I am," Keystone Heights coach Alan Mattox said. "They keep finding a way when they're down to come back and get back into it and make a play and have a good at bat."

Trailing 3-2, the Indians had the would-be tying run thrown out at the plate in the fourth inning, but scored three times in the fifth and once in the sixth. Those runs proved to be very important as the game neared its end.

Brett Anderson's sacrifice fly, Austin Alvers' RBI single and a passed ball accounted for the Indians' three runs in the fifth before Crews' deep fly out in the sixth plated Chase Chambers for the 6-3 lead.

In the seventh, Crews hit Trinity Catholic's John Ramsey and then gave up a single to Andrew Bartlett, which ended the senior's day in favor of Secules. After getting a fly out, the Indians' right-hander then walked Moose Winningham to load the bases.

Chester Pigeon's infield hit on a high chopper to shortstop scored courtesy runner Taylor Yates to make it a 6-4 game and re-load the bases. Secules then got Ty O'Shields to pop out, but David Bergmaier singled to center field to bring in Bartlett and make it a one-run affair with the bases full for the third time in the frame. But with the count 0-2, Secules threw what he said was a low fastball down the middle of the plate and froze Brandies to set off the celebration.

Secules finished with two doubles and scored a run for the Indians, which have won 13 of its last 14 games. Pigeon had three hits and scored a run for the Celtics (20-11), which committed two errors in the fifth and one in the sixth inning.

"We definitely showed a lot of heart there in the last inning trying to battle back," said Trinity Catholic coach Tommy Bond, who pitched for the Gators from 1995-98. "Anytime in the postseason when you are playing good teams you can't give them extra outs. We have to play better defense."

Up next for the Indians is a trip to Sarasota to play Fort Pierce John Carroll (23-5) in a Class 3A state semifinal at Ed Smith Stadium on May 19.

"It is nothing I have ever felt before, it feels amazing to be a part of this team," said Crews, who planned on attending the KHHS prom Saturday night. "It is not a bad day at all, but I don't know much dancing we are going to do."