Seminole County teams continue to perform well in State Tournaments.
A trio of Baseball teams _ Hagerty, Orangewood Christian and Winter Springs _ all earned trips to the State Final 4 at Hammond Stadium at Lee Health Sports Complex in Ft. Myers.
Orangewood Christian (26-4) held on to win its State Semifinal on Thursday (May 14), 6-4, over Neumann (20-14), but then was tripped up, 6-2, by top-seeded St. Johns Country Day (26-8) in the Class 1A State Championship game on Saturday, May 16, while the Huskies dropped a rough, 9-8, walkoff loss to powerful Stoneman Douglas (28-6) in its Friday (May 15) Semifinal. The Bears (26-7) got a walkoff, 5-4, victory over Charlotte (22-10) on Monday (May 18), but was edged, 5-4, by No. 2 seeded Lincoln (20-16) in Wednesday’s (May 20) Class 5A Championship Game.
Class 1A
Orangewood Christian got off to a fast start in its Semifinal against Neumann, scoring three runs in the top of the first inning and would never relinquish the lead as it advanced to the Championship Game with the 6-4 victory.
The Rams put up 13 hits in the victory, led by Max Sakala (3-for-4 with a double and an RBI), Addison Lambert (3-for-4, run scored, RBI) and Sam Lambert (2-for-4, run scored), while Aaron McLarnon and Tre Roach (1-for-3, RBI), Austin Wendorf and Aiden Balls (1-for-4, run scored), Carson Balls (1-for-4, RBI) and Grayson Hilinski (two runs scored) also contributed.
Sakala was also the winning pitcher, going 6-2/3 innings, allowing four runs, three earned, on nine hits, while striking out eight and walking just one. Aiden Balls came in to earn the save, striking out the only batter he faced.
In the Championship Game, St. Johns Country Day broke a scoreless tie, scoring three runs in the bottom of the third, and while OCS for back to within 3-2, the Spartans put the game out of reach by scoring three insurance runs in the bottom of the sixth inning.
The Rams were held to four hits in the finale, with Sakala going 1-for-2 with a double, Sam Lambert going 1-for-3 with an RBI, McClarnon and Carson Balls both going 1-for-3, Aiden Balls and Jack Benson both scoring a run and Roach driving in a run.
Orangewood Christian was led by veteran Head Coach Scott Hilinski, who was assisted by Kevin Davidson, Zach Sutter, Ralph Albano and Statistician Steve Braz.
Making up the roster were, Seniors: Carson Balls, Jack Benson, James Grimm, Rex Martin, Tre Roach, Luke Ulmer, Austin Wendorf; Juniors: Aiden Balls, Grayson Hilinski, Addison Lambert, Sam Lambert, Rhys Oldham, Max Sakala, Alex Walker; Sophomores: Mason Ayala, Daniel Johnson, Aaron McClarnon, Adam Mireles; Freshman: Kellin Harrington; 8th-Graders: Jacob Bibaud and Hudson Lewis.
Class 5A
Edward Risano, the only player remaining from the 2023 Final 4 team, capped a rally with a walkout, game-winning single in the bottom of the seventh inning as top-seeded Winter Springs (26-7) edged Charlotte (22-10), 5-4, in its Class 5A Semifinal on Monday at Hammond Stadium.
The win was the 14th in the past 15 games for the Bears, the fifth by one run, as they advanced to the State Championship Game for the first time in school history.
The locals had built a 4-3 lead through four innings, but Charlotte plated a pair of runs in the fifth inning to take a 5-4 lead, but Winter Springs was able to tie the game when Brandon Curl’s last to left hit the top of the wall for an RBI double.
Tyler Kenast (2-for-4, double, run scored) and Ryland Sander (2-for-3, two runs), who was the winning pitcher in relief, led a seven-hit Bears attack. Also contributing were Curl (1-for-2, 2 RBI), Chance Baisden (1-for-2), Risano (1-for-3, RBI) and Robbie Mungovan and Owen Swanson (run score each).
Tripp Rosenberger started on the mound and allowed four earned runs on six hits over 4-2/3 innings with six strike outs and three bases on balls, before Sander came on to throw 2-1/3 innings of shutout ball, allowing one hit and no walks with three strike outs.
But Lincoln (20-16) turned the tables on Winter Springs in the Finale, taking advantage of a pair of errors to score five runs in the third inning and hanging on for a 5-4 victory on Wednesday.
The Bears answered right back with three runs in the bottom of the third on a double by Risano, an RBI single by Jackson Swann and an RBI double by Swanson, who would score the third run on a throwing error on his steal of third.
The locals would cut their deficit to one in the fifth on singles by Swann and Luke Walters are followed by a safety squeeze from Swanson. But Lincoln avoided further damage by throwing out a runner going to third and ending the inning by throwing out another runner at the plate.
Winter Springs would get two on in the sixth and another in the seventh, but could not get the big hit to tie or win the title.
Risano (2-for-3, double), Swanson (2-for-3, double, 2 RBI) and Swann (2-for-3, two runs scored, RBI) paced a nine-hit attack, while Kenast (1-for-4, double), Xavier Rodriguez (1-for-3), Walters (1-for-3) and Sammy Sabella (run scored) also contributed.
Sander was outstanding in relief again, allowing no runs on two hits with a walk and four strike outs over four innings.
Winter Springs was under the direction of Head Coach Mike Bradley, who was assisted by Matthew Faulkner (Catching, Infielders and Hitters), Kutler Lane (Pitching Coordinator), Karl Hodges (Director of Baseball Operations), Mike LeMorta (Outfielders), Parker Laffrey (Baserunning) and Mark Michaud (Director of Player Development).
Making up the roster were, Seniors: Chris Cortes, Harper Costello, Brandon Curl, Grayson DeGraff, Tyler Kenast, Robbie Mungovan, Jackson Resnick, Curtis Rinne, Edward Risano, Xavier Rodriguez, Tripp Rosenberger, Sammy Sabella, Ryland Sander, Jackson Swann, Owen Swanson, Luke Walters; Juniors: Travis Baillio, Michael Bradley, Manny Sanchez, Connor Sines; Sophomores: Chance Baisden, Cameron Maiorano and Ethan Rice.
Class 7A
Hagerty (22-9) gave powerful, and eventual state champion, Stoneman Douglas (28-6) all it could handle, but the Huskies could hold a late lead and fell, 9-8, on a walkoff in the bottom of the seventh inning of its Semifinal.
The locals took a 3-0 lead in the top of the first inning and also led 7-5 and 8-6, before Douglas scored two runs in the bottom of the fifth inning to tie the score at 8-8 and then plating the game winner in the seventh.
Aiden Kearney (3-for-4, triple, 2 runs scored, RBI) led a 13-hit Hagerty attack, while Shaurya Bhosale (2-for-4, triple, double, 4 RBI), Carlos Cruz (2-for-4, RBI), Keltan Fitzgerald (2-for-4), Isaias Torres (1-for-3, 2 runs, RBI), Nate Rhodes (1-for-3, 2 runs scored), Jalin Copeland (1-for-3, run scored) and Colton Beams (1-for-4, run scored) also contributed.
Mike Sindone was the Head Coach of the Huskies and he was assisted by Allen Tuttle (Assistant Varsity Coach, 1st Base Coach), Kevin Gallaher (Varsity Pitching Coach), Dylan Strickland (Varsity Assistant Coach), John Prano (Varsity Assistant Coach/Head JV Coach), Charles Prano (Varsity Assistant Coach/JV Pitching Coach), Mike D'Emo (Varsity Assistant Coach/JV Assistant Coach) and Tommy Gonzalez (Varsity Assistant Coach/JV Assistant Coach).
Making up the roster were, Seniors: Brendan Beldowicz, Jalin Copeland, Keltan Fitzgerald, Daniel Frade, Kyle Galarza, Koben Zeigler; Juniors: Noah Adkins, James Austin, Ryne Benincasa, Lucas Caro, Carlos Cruz, Luis Cruz, Noah Lovelady, Nate Rhodes, Cooper Simpson; Sophomores: Colton Beams, Shaurya Bhosale, Aiden Kearney, Zach Konrad, J. Rivera, Nick Stentiford and Isaias Torres.
Here are the results:
FHSAA Baseball State Championships
At Hammond Stadium at Lee Health Sports Complex, Fort Myers
Class 7A
Semifinals
Friday, May 15
Game 1 _ (1) Venice (32-1) 4, (4) Vero Beach (24-5) 2.
Game 2 _ (2) Stoneman Douglas (27-6) 9, (3) Hagerty (22-9) 8.
Finals
Saturday, May 16
Game 3 _ Championship: (2) Stoneman Douglas (28-6) 2, (1) Venice (32-2) 1.
Class 5A
Semifinals
Monday, May 18
Game 1 _ (1) Winter Springs (26-6) 5, (4) Charlotte (22-10) 4.
Game 2 _ (2) Lincoln (19-16) 7, (3) Mater Academy Charter (26-7) 4.
Finals
Wednesday, May 20
Game 3 _ Championship: (2) Lincoln (20-16) 5, (1) Winter Springs (26-7) 4.
Class 1A
Semifinals
Thursday, May 14
Game 1 _ (1) St. Johns Country Day (25-8) 5, (4) Schoolhouse Prep (17-14) 0.
Game 2 _ (3) Orangewood Christian (26-3) 6, (2) Neumann (20-14) 4.
Finals
Saturday, May 16
Game 3 _ Championship: (1) St. Johns Country Day (26-8) 6, (3) Orangewood Christian (26-4) 2.
