⚾ Class 5A-Region 3 ⚾
Manatee wins series 2-1

Manatee 15
East Bay 14 – 10 innings

A wild four-hour game didn’t go East Bay’s way as a pair of bases-loaded hit batters pushed across two Manatee runs in the 10th inning and stopped the Indians first region tournament run since 2001. East Bay jumped out with eight first-inning runs, but inconsistent pitching – including 11 walks and six hit batters spoiled a 14-hit offensive performance. Rowland Ruiz Jr. was 3-for-5 with three doubles, drove in a run and scored three times, Eddie Smith was also 3-for-5 with a homer, three RBI and a run scored, Jonathan Bryant drove in three with a two hit game, and Jeffrey Diab was 2-for-5 with two runs and two RBI.

E  800|014|000|1 – |14|14|3
M 701|100|400|2 – |15|12|4
W – Williams (4-2); L – Gavigan (2-2)
2B – Ruiz 3, Bryant, Cunningham, Diab (E); Eylar 2 (M); 3B – Hovda (M); HR – Smith (E); Richardson (M). Records – E (15-13); M (19-11).

⚾ Class 6A-Region 3 ⚾
Sickles wins series 2-1

Sickles 11
Palmetto 6

Palmetto answered Sickles offense three times, before the Gryphons had to scratch out a ting run in the sixth to force extra innings, then pull away with a big five-run eighth to book the region’s top seed a spot in next week’s semifinal series. After splitting the first two games with Palmetto at home, the Gryphons were forced on the road and in the eighth inning loaded the bases on singles from Jaden Nazar (2-for-3, 2 runs, 2 RBI), Brandon Gonzales (2-for-3, 3 runs) and Zach Dial (3-for-5, 2B, 2 RBI), before the deciding run (Nazar) scored on a wild pitch and Connor Bly (2-for-3, 3 RBI)sured up the win with a two-run single up the middle. Ben Durda pitched 3 1/3 innings of scoreless relief, allowing one hit and striking out three to earn the win. Sickles will host East Lake in a best-of-three region semifinal series beginning next Wednesday. In the district final, the Gryphons defeated East Lake 6-5 in eight innings.

S 022|101|05 – |11|13|0
P 013|020|00 – |6|9|4
W – Durda; L – Capel
2B – Taylor, Dial (S); Kretzer, Willis, Nye (P). Records – S (22-8); P (9-20).

⚾ Class 6A-Region 3 ⚾
East Lake wins series 2-1

East Lake 7
Gaither 4

East Lake rallied with five, seventh-inning runs with sophomore Camden Boehm’s RBI double to left putting the Eagles in the lead for good. Gaither opened the scoring in the third when senior David Pina (3-for-3) homered to centerfield, and the Cowboys extended its lead in the fourth with an RBI double from Ryder Warriner, a RBI fielder’s choice by Eddy Rojo, and a Jackson Mirza (2-for-4) RBI single. But East Lake chipped away in the sixth with a two-run homer to center by Eli Millian (2-for-4), who also had an RBI single in the seventh. Albert Antinori and SJ Branham both had two hits and scored a run for the Cowboys; and Andrew Sheffield was 2-for-3 with a run and RBI for the Eagles. East Lake will now face No. 1 seed Sickles in the best-of-three semifinal series beginning on Wednesday.

E 000|002|5 – |7|7|0
G 001|300|0 – |4|10|1
W – Rolon (1-2); L – Locklear (4-4)
2B – Boehm (E); Warriner, Pina (G);  HR – Millian (E); Pina (G). Records – E (21-8); G (19-10).

⚾ Class 7A-Region 2 ⚾
Newsome wins series 2-1

Newsome 8
Strawberry Crest 4

Newsome jumped out to a five-run lead in the first inning with RBI singles from Lincoln Jordy, Trey Bosso, Nick Bradner, and Aiden Smitson putting the game far enough out of reach to hold off Strawberry Crest. Aiden Dolan worked four innings, allowing two earned runs and striking out four, while JP Glassford pitched the final two scoreless innings, striking out a pair. Chase Conti was 3-for-4 with a double, run and RBI for the Chargers, Matt Hall drove in a pair, while Toby Highsmith and Nico Cappucci (run) each had two hits. Saxon Shah struck out eight in four relief innings for Crest. Newsome will travel to Venice for the region semifinal series beginning on Wednesday 4/30.

N 500|300|0 – |8|13|2
S 102|010|0 – |4|9|4
W – Dolan (8-1); L – Tweedy (6-5)
2B – Sanchez, Jordy (N); Conti (S). Records – N (21-7); S (19-9).

⚾ Class 7A-Region 2 ⚾
Alonso wins series 2-1

Alonso 4
Windermere 3

Llanes’ walk-off double puts Alonso in region semis.