Handville steals home to seal Freedom’s first district title

Freedom junior Logan Handville dives in head first to the plate, stealing home to give his team the lead in the seventh inning, which the Patriots would make stick for a 4-3 district championship win at East Bay. 

By Jarrett Guthrie, Editor

GIBSONTON – An honest moment of assessment led Freedom sophomore Parker Crafton to admit to his head coach Dane Moore a few months back that he was struggling with left-handed pitching. Moore tucked the information away.

So, in a tie game in the seventh inning of Friday’s Class 5A-District 9 championship, with two outs and Crafton at the plate against East Bay lefty Brady Robello, Moore told junior Logan Handville – on third after reaching to start the inning with a single – to take another step after each pitch of the at-bat went on.

With two strikes on the batter, Handville stretched out a lead of about six paces from the third base bag and as Robello came set, Moore made the call and the runner rocketed down the line sliding home before the pitcher could throw to the plate and giving the Patriots the edge for a 4-3 victory.

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“That whole play and thought originated a few months back from my hitter, Parker Crafton, telling me he can’t hit lefties, that lefties have been carving him up,” Moore said. “So, as soon as Logan got to third base and Parker stepped in I told (Handville) to start getting ready, because with two strikes you’re going.

“With a lefty on the mound, that gives you a few extra steps. Every pitch of that at-bat we were prepping – get more, get more, get more – and when he got to two strikes I told him to wait for the set and take off. That’s one of those chaotic plays where everything is on the line, if you get thrown out by a mile and you look like an idiot. And if it works out, then you’re here after the game talking about your district championship.”

Patriots players stream out of the dugout to greet Logan Handville after his steal of home gave Freedom a seventh-inning lead.

Handville admitted that he felt nervous about the plan, but also felt driven to come through in the biggest moment for his team.

“That was the plan all along when he (Robello) got to two strikes,” Handville said. “(Coach Moore) said, ‘as soon as he gets to two strikes, when he comes set, you’re going home.’

“At first I was scared, but I also really wanted to get that run for my team.”

 

The steal of home plate provided the winning run, but the Patriots had numerous heroes who helped bring home Freedom’s first-ever district title and lock down a region playoff appearance for just the third time.

Freedom junior starting pitcher Gaige Spano allowed three runs (one earned) in a complete-game win.

Freedom (19-7) junior Gaige Spano scattered five hits and two walks, while allowing just one earned run in his complete-game win.

Junior shortstop Luke Ledford was a part of four double-plays – including a game-saving play on a blooped pop fly to shallow left field, where he was playing up, turned on contact and extended his glove to make a basket catch before firing to second baseman Devon Acord to double off a runner.

“At first, I thought it was going to be a bloop single,” Ledford said. “I knew from the beginning that if we wanted to win this game, we’d have to give everything we had and make big plays. Off the bat, I knew I had a chance at it, so I put my head down and ran, looked up, stuck my glove out and it ended up in there.”

Freedom’s Luke Ledford (#1) and leftfielder Gavin Tarr (#7) are fired up after the shortstop made a highlight-reel play to end the sixth inning.

After the game, Spano marveled at the play.

“I’m honestly speechless,” Spano said. “I thought it was going to be a little blooper over his head to decide the game, and I was like, ‘oh, no.’

“But then he got there, snagged it, I saw their guy (East Bay runner KJ Sampson) halfway, I just jumped up and was so excited. It was honestly an amazing play.”

Patriots 2B Devon Acord is fired up after catching the ball to complete Ledford’s sixth-inning double play. The duo were the pivot-point of three double plays in the win.

In turn, Ledford said the moment was the perfect reward for the hard work all season long from the now 9-2 Spano.

“He’s so good, not just tonight, all season long,” Ledford said of Spano, “that kid has worked his absolute tail off. We all love him over here – how could you not? He gives everything he has – first one at the field, last one out – and it was so nice to be able to help him get what he deserved tonight.”

Moore agreed.

“Gaige is a guy, from my understanding that hadn’t pitched a day in his life, and I put him on the mound during fall tryouts his freshman year,” Moore said. “He threw the ball over the plate and I told him you’re going to pitch for us, and he has busted his tail … this is what dedication and hard work gets you.”

East Bay senior Jeffrey Diab doubled down the right field line in the first inning, taking third on an error and scored the game’s first run.

It was the home team Indians who got off to the quick start as East Bay senior Jeffrey Diab (2-for-2, two runs) led off the home-first with a double down the rightfield line, and advanced to third on an error. Junior Connor Gavigan (1-for-2) would draw first blood with an RBI sac fly.

Junior Connor Gavigan sent an RBI sac fly to center to plate the game’s first run.

Gavigan, who verbally committed to the University of South Florida Friday afternoon, got the start on the mound, working 3 2/3 innings, allowing one run on four hits with a pair of strikeouts.

Freedom would even the score in the third when David Simpkins sent an RBI single up the middle to score Dominick Commiso (leadoff single to right), but the Indians would answer in the bottom-third loading the bases on two hit batters and an infield single by Gavigan, before Johnathan Bryant would drive in one with a fielder’s choice, and another run scored on an error.

East Bay senior Johnathan Bryant drives in a run with a productive groundball out.

An error in the sixth brought the game within one, and Ledford sent a sac fly to centerfield to score Gavin Tarr (2-for-4 on his birthday) to tie the game and set up the decisive seventh inning.

East Bay (15-9) did not go quietly, as Qwenlen Bennett lined a leadoff single to center, then moved into scoring position on a Diab sac bunt. But a fly ball to centerfield was caught and Freedom appealed at second base, where the umpire called the runner out in game-ending double-play (the Patriots’ fourth of the game).

Starting pitcher Gaige Spano jumps into the arms of Freedom 1B David Simpkins after the win.

The win continues a record-breaking season for the Patriots and fourth-year head coach, Moore, who recently became the winningest head coach in program history, and has led his alma mater to a new single-season wins mark, a first district title and a region playoff berth.

“To go from 10-15 last year to where we are right now, the good times keep coming,” Moore said. “A longtime goal for me coaching at Freedom was to break the win record, to give tenure to this program, and I still have one more season to go to be the longest tenured (baseball) coach … but some of those things that have come along the way, a district championship, a region appearance and hopefully a region win, those are the goals. But I have to give all the credit to these guys.”

Now in his fourth season as the head coach of his alma mater, Freedom’s Dane Moore is the Patriots all-time coaching wins leader, led his team to a new single-season win mark and a first-ever district title.

In the last Florida High School Athletic Association rankings (last updated 4/7/26), East Bay ranked third in the region, so the Indians now wait for Monday’s “Bracket Release Show” (4/20/26 at 2pm on YouTube) to see if they will advance to region tournament play.

⚾ Class 5A-District 9 Championship ⚾

Freedom 4
#10 East Bay 3

F 001|002|1 – |4|7|4
E 102|000|0 – |3|5|2
W – Spano (9-2); L – Robello (1-1)
2B – Diab (E). Records – F (19-7); E (15-9).

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East Bay’s Army JROTC color guard presents the Florida and United States flags prior to the National Anthem.

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Indians junior starting pitcher Connor Gavigan

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Indians 2B Ethan Cunningham throws for an out in the first.

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East Bay SS ends the top of the first with a hard throw from the edge of the clay.

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After doubling down the line, Indians senior Jeffrey Diab stayed on his horse, motoring to third base after a misplay in the outfield.

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Freedom junior SS Luke Ledford gloves a pop fly in the first.

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Jeffrey Diab slides safely into the plate as Freedom C Parker Crafton receives a throw from the outfield.

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Freedom lone senior starter Gavin Tarr smashes a ball into the dirt in front of the plate, sending a skipping single toward the left side.

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Patriots CF Logan Handville brings in a catch in the second.

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Pats 2B Devon Acord fires to first to complete the first of four Freedom double plays.

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Three of those double plays included the up-the-middle duo of SS Luke Ledford (left) and 2B Devon Acord.

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Dominick Cammiso lined a leadoff single to right to start the third and would score the Patriots’ first run.

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Connor Gavigan throws for an out on a sac bunt.

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Patriots first base coach Craig Pentimone congratulates David Simpkins on his RBI single in the third inning.

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East Bay senior Rowland Ruiz Jr. is fired up scoring in the third inning.

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Freedom’s Keven Made squares up a single in the fourth.

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East Bay reliever JJ Groover pitched 1 2/3 innings, allowed two unearned runs and struck out one.

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Gaige Spano improved to 9-2 on the mound this season with his fourth complete game.

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East Bay C Johnathan Bryant throws to second base …

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… where Indians 2B Ethan Cunningham drops down a tag to catch a stealing runner.

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Jeffrey Diab lets out a yell after singling to start the home-fifth.

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Luke Ledford this time on the double-play turn.

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Devon Acord flied a single to left to start the sixth inning.

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Gavin Tarr followed that with his second hit of the game.

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East Bay 3B KJ Sampson makes a catch in foul territory.

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Brady Hall connects on this pitch to send a ball to first base, good enough to drive in a run.

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Luke Ledford sent a sac fly to center …

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… which brought in a jubilant Gavin Tarr to score.

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East Bay reliever Brady Robello

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Gaige Spano gloves a popped up bunt in the sixth.

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David Simpkins hypes up the Freedom dugout after he is intentionally walked in the seventh.

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Qwenlen Bennett lines a single into center in the seventh inning.

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Gaige Spano is congratulated by teammates after finishing his complete game.

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