⚾ Class 4A – Region 3 ⚾
#1 Jesuit 14
Englewood Lemon Bay 0 – five innings
Jesuit made it an early night in its quarterfinal game against Lemon Bay, as two errors spotted the Tigers four runs in the second, before Wilson Andersen (2-for-3, 2 doubles, 3 RBI) doubled in a pair, Bryce Besece singled in one and Christian Sheffield (3-for-3, 2 doubles, 2 runs, 3 RBI) doubled in a run to cap an eight-run inning. Andersen went four innings on the mound, allowed two hits and two walks and struck out eight, and Kaden Waechter struck out the side in the fifth inning. Jesuit will host Seminole (4-3 winners against Naples Barron Collier) next Friday in the best-of-three region semifinal.
L 000|00x|x – |0|2|3
J 084|2xx|x – |14|11|0
W – Andersen (8-2); L – Shaw (6-3)
2B – Sheffield 2, Andersen 2 (J). Records – L (12-12); J (22-5).
⚾ Class 5A – Region 3 ⚾
#9 Freedom 6
St. Petersburg 5
Freedom put up a five-spot in the fourth inning to build up a big enough lead to hold off St. Petersburg and earn the Patriots first-ever region playoff win. Parker Crafton lead off the home-fourth with a double to centerfield to start off the rally; with the bases loaded Logan Handville walked before David Simpkins (2-for-4) cleared the bases with a double to the left-center gap. Gaige Spano worked five innings of relief, allowed two earned runs and struck out six to earn his 10th win on the mound this season. Green Devils’ senior Brody Nelson was 4-for-4 with a double, triple and four RBI; Thomas Fisher Grizzard went 1-for-1 with a double and scored two runs; and Auston Meissner was 1-for-3 with a triple and two runs scored. Freedom will travel to Naples Palmetto Ridge (5-4 winners against Cape Coral Mariner) for next weekend’s best-of-three region semifinal.
S 111|002|0 – |5|8|2
F 001|500|x – |6|6|0
W – Spano (10-2); L – Hobbs (0-2)
2B – Gizzard, Nelson (S); Simpkins, Crafton, Price (F); 3B – Nelson, Meissner (S). Records – S (15-9); F (20-7).
⚾ Class 4A – Region 3 ⚾
East Bay 5
Northeast 3
East Bay came out swinging taking control with a pair of runs in each of the first two innings. Johnathan Bryant doubled in the first run of the game, and Ethan Cunningham extended the lead with a productive out, and singles by Trended Norman and Qwenlen Bennett (3-for-4) were cashed in on an error the next innings. Cam Cook worked 4 2/3 innings to pick up the win, allowing three runs on five hits and three walks, and striking out three; JJ Groover issued just one walk over 1 1/3 innings; and Jaxson Franchione worked a 1-2-3 seventh to earn the save. Jeffrey Diab was 2-for-4 with two RBI; Rowland Ruiz Jr. drove in a run with a single in the fifth; and Connor Gavigan was 1-for-3 with a run scored. East Bay will travel to face No. 1 region seed Punta Gorda Charlotte for next weekend’s best-of-three region semifinal.
E 220|100|0 – |5|10|0
N 100|020|0 – |3|5|2
W – Cook (4-1); L – Halle (4-2); S – Farchione (2)
2B – Cunningham, Bryant (E); Mook, Schmidt (N). Records – E (16-9); N (14-11).
⚾ Class 6A – Region 2 ⚾
T-#3 Bloomingdale 4
Durant 0
Osting fans 15 as Bloomingdale defeats Durant.
D 000|000|0 – |0|1|2
B 120|001|x – |4|5|0
W – Osting (5-2); L – Macpherson (2-3)
HR – Santiago (B). Records – D (14-9); B (22-4).
⚾ Class 6A – Region 3 ⚾
T-#3 Gaither 5
Parrish 3
Check back Saturday morning for our coverage of this game.
P 111|000|0 – |3|6|0
G 301|100|0 – |5|8|0
W – Altman (13-0); L – Brown (3-3); S – Lockler (1)
2B – Brown (P); Butler, Gutierrez, Wade (G). Records – P (13-13); G (22-4).
⚾ Class 6A – Region 3 ⚾
#7 Sickles 10
Palmetto 3
Sickles made an early lead stick by putting the game away with some key two-out hitting in the sixth to score four runs – highlighted by a pinch hit RBI single by Noah Gonzalez, an Cole Shearer RBI single, a Emilio Salgado (2-for-3) RBI single and the second of two RBI doubles by Lee Melamut (2-for-3, 3 RBI). Jake Taylor pitched 4 1/3 innings, allowed three runs (two earned) and struck out seven, and Ben Durda picked up his third save working the final eight outs. Taylor also went 2-for-4 with a double and two runs scored, Charlie Martz was 2-for-2 with a homer, a walk, two runs and two RBI; and Nick Grannis (double) and Sean Kloehn each had a hit and RBI in the win. Sickles will face top seed Gaither in next weekend’s region semifinal series.
S 113|004|1 – |10|13|2
P 012|000|0 – |3|7|0
W – Taylor (5-3); L – Stuart (3-2); S – Durda (3)
2B – Melamut 2, Taylor, Grannis (S); HR – Martz (S). Records – S (19-8); P (18-8).
⚾ Class 6A – Region 3 ⚾
Land O’Lakes 7
Plant 6 – eight innings
Check back Saturday morning for our coverage of this game.
P 002|022|00 – |6|10|3
L 240|000|01 – |7|11|3
W – Hendrix (2-0); L – Keller (6-2)
2B – DeCamp, Benitez, Meade (P); Marks 2 (L); HR – Scott, Barclay (L). Records – P (14-13); L (21-5).
⚾ Class 6A – Region 3 ⚾
East Lake 2
Wharton 1
East Lake junior Camden Boehm struck out 12 over six no-hit innings, allowing one unearned run on two walks, and Nic Genna worked the seventh, allowed one hit to earn the save. After an error and a passed ball gave Wharton a third-inning lead, the Eagles tied the game on an error, before taking the lead on an Eli Millian (2-for-3) single in the home half. Boehm and Madden James both had a hit and a run scored in the win. No. 2-seed East Lake will host Land O’Lakes in next weekend’s region semifinal series.
W 001|000|0 – |1|1|2
E 002|000|0 – |2|5|2
W – Boehm (4-0); L – Antalek; S – Genna (1)
Records – W (15-10-1); E (22-4).
⚾ Class 7A – Region 2 ⚾
Plant City 3
Sarasota 1
Plant City junior Keegan Wilkerson (1-for-2, double, run) worked around a first-inning Sarasota run and kept his team in the ballgame, scattering three hits and a walk while striking out seven over six innings, and the Raiders scored three runs in the seventh to bring a win home. After a pair of walks to start the seventh, and a sac bunt moving both runners in scoring position, a Sailors error on a fly ball allowed two to cross and the batter Parker Scott (2-for-4) to move around to third. Drew Cothren padded the lead with a line drive single to right, and Alex Rodriguez faced the minimum in a save effort. (7) Plant City will travel to (6) Winter Haven for next weekend’s region semifinal best-of-three series.
P 000|000|3 – |3|6|0
S 100|000|0 – |1|3|1
W – Wilkerson (7-1); L – Mackay (4-2); S – Rodriguez (1)
2B – Wilkerson (P); Metcalf (S). Records – P (17-10); S (19-8).
⚾ Class 7A – Region 2 ⚾
Lakeland Jenkins 6
#5 Strawberry Crest 5
A passed ball and an error on the same play allowed Jenkins to rally for a walk-off win at home against Strawberry Crest. The Chargers stretched out an early lead on a wild pitch and a Jaxon Beattie RBI single in the second, then streched out the lead with three more in the fourth – led by a Reuben Vasquez RBI single and a Nico Cappucci (2-for-3, double) two-run single. But the Eagles answered back in the second half of the game reducing the deficit to one run in the fifth with a Deniel Gonzalez RBI single and a two-run homer by Anthony Iatarola. Jenkins will travel to face Venice in the region semifinal series.
S 020|300|0 – |5|5|1
J 000|130|2 – |6|7|0
W – Gomez (1-0); L – Hicks (2-2)
2B – Cappucci (S) 3B – Wilson (J); HR – Iatarola (J). Records – S (20-7); J (22-5).
⚾ Class 7A – Region 2 ⚾
Venice 6
#10 Sumner 0
Venice senior Carter Cox struck out 17 and walked three, delivering the top-seeded Indians a no-hitter in the region quarterfinals. Sumner senior Ethan DeJesus struck out 10 over five innings allowing four runs (one earned) on two hits and six walks. Venice will host Lakeland George Jenkins in the semifinal series.
S 000|000|0 – |0|0|3
V 020|112|x – |6|3|0
W – Cox; L – DeJesus (8-3)
HR – Shields (V). Records – S (17-9); V (27-1).
