KEYSTONE HEIGHTS - A five-run third inning added to the Keystone Heights seemingly abrupt 5-2 gap to Trinity Catholic to a 7-5 lead with the Indians adding five more in the final two stanzas for a 12-5 district 4-2A championship win over the Celtics Thursday night at Keystone Heights High School. Keystone Heights advances into the region 1-2A playoffs with a best of three series against Bishop Snyder to start Monday, April 21 through Wednesday, April 23.

For Keystone Heights, the No. 7 region seed and ranked 17th in Class 2A, and most of the region 1-2A bracket, all formerly in Class 3A, now in region 1-2A, the opening round will feature home games against Bishop Snyder (20-5, ranked sixth in 2A, 3A region finalist) with Bozeman (Panama City, 22-4, ranked fifth) and Bolles (16-9, ranked 26th) in the opposite first round bracket.
Not repeating in Class 2A is defending champion St. Johns Country Day School, now in Class 1A.
In the upper bracket, Trinity Christian Academy (22-4, ranked No. 1, 3A Final Four finisher) will host Maclay of Tallahassee (15-7, ranked 33rd) with Providence (15-10, ranked 18th) and Episcopal (20-6, ranked 18th) staying close to home in the other end of that side of the bracket.
Last year in Class 3A, Keystone Heights lost in round one to Pensacola Catholic, Bishop Snyder lost to Trinity Christian Academy in the region final, Bolles lost to Trinity Christian in the region semifinals and Providence lost to Bolles in the region quarters. Trinity Christian lost in the state semifinals to eventual 3A runnerup Westminster Christian 6-4.
Against Keystone Heights, Trinity Catholic blasted away in the first inning with a triple off Keystone Height starter Gauge Barry the opening salvo that also got a field error to put baserunners in position to make coach Chris Roach's night uneasy, but a double play from shortstop Ty Mitzel to second baseman Destin Harnage to first baseman Austin Smith squelched the early threat.
Harnage retaliated with a single, the first of three hits, three runs and three runs batted in for Harnage, as an error moved Harnage and a long fly from Austin Smith plated Harnage. Smith got in on a passed ball to put Keystone Heights up 2-0 quickly.
Gauge Barry whiffed two of three in the ensuing at bat for the Celtics, but Trinity Catholic answered with their own two whiffs.
Trinity Catholic ramped up their bats on Barry with five runs off two doubles and three singles to retake the lead at 5-2.
Barry, himself, answered with a double that got pinchrunner Ryder Trull a wild pitch run before a single to Ethan Franklin preluded a monster triple from Tyler Brinson to tie the game at 5-5 with a Harnage single put Keystone Heights up 7-5 going to the fourth.
In the fifth, RBI singles by Wilson and Smith pushed to ore up to 9-5 and, in the sixth, RBI singles from Harnage and Smith pushed the score to 12-5.