⚾ Class 5A-Region 3 ⚾
Play suspended due to lighting malfunction – will resume on Thursday 

East Bay 4
Manatee 0

The lights went out on the game between East Bay and visiting Manatee in the top of the third inning, forcing the game to be postponed until tomorrow evening. Indians head coach Rowland Ruiz said that play is set to resume at 5:30, but the schools were waiting on word from the FHSAA on weather they would play a double-header on Thursday, or adjust the schedule. We’ll update this post Thursday morning when we get word.

M 00-|—|- – |0|0|0
E 40-|—|- – |0|0|0
Records – M (17-10); E (14-11).

⚾ Class 6A-Region 2 ⚾
Martin County (1-0)

Stuart Martin County 3
Durant 2

Tristan Macpherson led off the fourth with a double and stole third, before Cooper Hughes walked and both scored on a Shawn Graves two-run single. Martin County answered back in the home-fourth when Will Perry lined a two-run single to centerfield to tie the game, and the Tigers took the lead scoring on a double-steal as Frankie Branceleone crossed the plate before the Cougars recorded the third out on the bases. Senior Owen Franklin took the loss allowing three runs over 5 1/3 innings and striking out five.

D 000|200|0 – |0|0|0
M 000|300|x – |0|0|0
W – Chan; L – Franklin (6-2); S – Cuccurullo
2B – Macpherson (D); Moody (M). Records – D (15-10); M (19-8).

⚾ Class 6A-Region 2 ⚾
Martin County wins series 2-0

Stuart Martin County 9
Durant 4

Durant dug itself too deep a hole as Martin County scored five first-inning runs and held off a late Cougars charge, which included a three-run homer by Brantley Hayward (his team-leading fifth homer) in the sixth inning and a seventh-inning RBI double from Shawn Graves (whose two-hit game finishes the sophomore tied for the team lead with 26 hits on the year).

D 000|003|1 – |4|7|1
M 500|202|x – |9|8|1
W – Bennin; L – Nero
2B – Graves (D); Ortega, French, Thornton (M); HR – Hayward (D). Records – D (15-11); M (20-8).

⚾ Class 6A-Region 2 ⚾
Bloomingdale (1-0)

Bloomingdale 6
Winter Garden Horizon 0

Senior Vinny Dinzeo Jr. (2-for-3) started the game of with a leadoff homer to centerfield and the Bulls never let up, cruising to a big win in the opening game of region play. Fellow senior Hayden Porter held Horizon to four singles and two walks, while striking out 12 before running into his pitch-count limit after 6 2/3 innings, and turning the ball over to Eli Edwards who recorded a strikeout to end the game. Cesar Campos picked up two RBI (a bases loaded walk and RBI sac fly), John Ramos singled and scored a run in the second, Payton Jennings had an RBI sac fly, and  Mason Johnson singled in a run. The two teams will meet at Bloomingdale again on Thursday at 7.

H 000|000|0 – |0|4|1
B 111|030|x – |6|6|1
W – Porter (7-1); L – Patton
HR – Dinzeo (B). Records – H (14-13); B (23-4).

⚾ Class 6A-Region 3 ⚾
Sickles (1-0)

Sickles 9
Palmetto 1

Sickles junior Jake Taylor broke open a tie game with a fifth-inning RBI double as Sickles unloaded on Palmetto late to earn a win in the opening game of the region quarterfinals. Taylor, who was 2-for-3 at the plate with two runs scored, also tossed a complete game, allowing one run (a Landon Henderson solo home run in the second) on two hits and struck out five to earn his seventh win of the season. Senior Braden Ross followed Taylor’s double, with a two-run single, then salted the game away in the sixth with a bases clearing double, while Jordan Yost went 2-for-3 with a pair of runs scored in the win. The two teams will again meet at Sickles for Game 2 on Thursday.

P 010|000|0 – |1|2|2
S 100|035|x – |9|8|0
W – Taylor (7-3); L – Henderson (1-2)
2B – Schappacher (P); Taylor, Ross (S); HR – Henderson (P);. Records – P (8-19); S (21-7).

⚾ Class 6A-Region 3 ⚾
Gaither (1-0)

Gaither 3
East Lake 0

Check back Thursday morning for our game coverage. 

G 000|200|1 – |3|7|1
E 000|000|0 – |0|7|2
W – Linares (6-2); L – Boehm (5-4); S – Kindberg (2)
2B – Hernandez, Rojo (G). Records – G (19-8); E (19-8).

⚾ Class 6A-Region 3 ⚾
Wharton (1-0)

Wharton 7
Parrish Community 3

Wharton stretched out a lead on a two-run single by Drew Cobb, an RBI sac fly from Jarius Morris, and a two-run single by Justis Meadows, before Parrish Community tried to fight back into the game. But steady relief from Connor Evans (save, 1.1ip, 0 H) in support of winning pitcher Daniel Duno (5.2ip, 2 ER, 6 H, 3 K), and a two-run homer for Meadows pushed the Wildcats to a Game 1 win over the Bulls. The two will return to the field in New Tampa on Thursday for Game 2.

P  000|021|0 – |3|6|1
W 021|202|x – |7|9|1
W – Duno; L – Anderson; S – Evans
2B – Whitehead (P); HR – Quiles (P); Meadows (W). Records – P (20-6); W (22-5).

⚾ Class 6A-Region 3 ⚾

Plant 4
Steinbrenner 2

Plant’s Nick Townley weathered some late Steinbrenner offense going the distance as the Panthers hitters stretched out a big enough lead to pick up a Game 1 region quarterfinal win. Sophomore Jordan Olivia (2-for-3, double) got the scoring started with a solo home run (his fifth) in the third inning, an RBI sac fly by Brody Vermette and a run-scoring single by Desan DeCamp in the fourth put the game out of reach. Steinbrenner senior Kelton Meares singled to start the fifth and was driven in by classmate Austin Liss’ double to right. But Olivia doubled and Jackson Cucchi traded places with him to answer in the home half. Mason Koumas doubled and scored on a Dylan Kolsen single for the Warriors in the seventh, but Townley ended the game with his third strikeout to pick up his seventh win of the season.

S 000|010|1 – |2|7|2
P 001|210|x – |4|5|0
W – Townley (7-0); L – Meares
2B – Liss, Koumas (S); Allen, J. Cucchi, Olivia (P); HR – Olivia (P). Records – S (15-13); P (21-6).

⚾ Class 7A-Region 2 ⚾
Newsome (1-0)

Newsome 2
Strawberry Crest 0

Wolves win Game 1 behind Sanchez’s three hits and save.

S 000|000|0 – |0|3|0
N 000|200|x – |2|9|0
W – DiPietro (1-0); L – Tweedy (6-4); S – Sanchez (2)
2B – Plusquellic (N)). Records – S (18-8); N (20-6).

⚾ Class 7A-Region 2 ⚾
Alonso (1-0)

Alonso 9
Windermere 3

Alonso traveled east and unloaded 13 hits on Windermere taking an afternoon win in Game 1 of its region quarterfinal with Samuel Fernandez hitting a two-run homer to center, and Bryan Alonso (2-for-4, two runs) doubling in a pair in the win. Fernandez, Daniel Despaine (2 runs, RBI), Alvin Santiago (RBI), and Jordan Brautigam (run) each had two hits in the win. Julian Batista picked up the win on the mound with five strikeouts in 5 1/3 innings allowing two runs on three hits. Alonso and the Wolverines will play Game 2 tomorrow at Windermere at 4 pm.

A  102|002|4 – |9|13|1
W 000|002|1 – |3|3|1
W – Batista; L – Fink
2B – Campos, Alonso (A); HR – Fernandez (A). Records – A (16-10); W (21-7).