Stoneman Douglas wins another title

For Stoneman Douglas, it’s 51 straight wins

The start of the game was delayed four hours, which seems to be a thing for the Stoneman Douglas baseball team.

The nation’s top-ranked team, according to Baseball America, completed its perfect season Wednesday night with a 10-0 win over Tampa Plant on a two-run, walk-off single to left by junior Reese Burton at Hammond Stadium in Fort Myers.

The four-hour wait to start the game at 9 p.m. after weather and lightning delays, was just another obstacle that the Eagles (29-0) needed to overcome the past few days en route to their 51st consecutive win dating back to March 22nd in a 4-3 loss to Park Vista. They are the lone South Florida team to ever finish with a perfect record.

Three-time state champion Stoneman Douglas picked up its second straight 10-0 win in the championship game after defeating Palm Beach Gardens by the same score last year.

With the victory, the Eagles became just the second Broward County team to win three consecutive state titles, joining Archbishop McCarthy, who did it twice (2010-2013 and 2015-17). Stoneman Douglas is also on the verge of capturing three straight national titles. They have also won 87 of their past 91 games during that span.

Stoneman Douglas got off to a quick start, picking up all of the runs it needed in the bottom of the first as senior Matthew Ossenfort delivered a two-run double to highlight the scoring.

The Eagles extended the margin to 7-0 with four more runs in the bottom of the third inning. Ossenfort had another RBI double to make it 4-0 and sophomore Bennett Gary, who only had 13 at-bats for the entire season, followed with a basesloaded triple to left center field to up the lead to 7-0.

Senior Christian Rodriguez, who overcame the flu to pitch a complete-game win in the semifinals, went 2 for 3 with an RBI and two runs scored.

“Looking over the past four years, there have been so many memorable moments,” said Rodriguez, a UF signee. “I would say coach Fitz’s 500th win, or probably the state championship honestly. Last year we won with a bang, but this year accomplished so many things. I think this one was a little sweeter.”

Already leading 3-0 entering the bottom of the fourth, junior Alex Rodriguez led off with a double to left center and stole third. After a walk to junior Devin Fitz-Gerald, junior Rylan Lujo hit into a fielder’s choice which scored Rodriguez for an 8-0 lead.

Junior pitcher Jayden Dubanewicz improved to 11-0 with the win. He went five innings and allowed just a bunt single by John Freeman in the second. Dubanewicz struck out four and didn’t walk a batter.

American Heritage comes back from four-run deficit:

Would anyone have expected anything different from the American Heritage baseball team?

The youthful Patriots (21-6) showed their resilience once again as they battled back from an early 4-0 deficit, then overcame a 90-minute lightning delay and rallied for an 8-5, eight-inning victory over defending Class 5A champion Tampa Jesuit.

American Heritage, which has just two seniors on the team, first had to reach the final four by stunning the state’s top-ranked Archbishop McCarthy squad 4-3 on a two-run shot by senior Memphis commit Mateo Serna in the regional final. The Patriots carved through Lake City Columbia 5-2 in the state semifinal on Monday.

“It starts with this group that never quits,” said American Heritage coach Mike Macey, who was an assistant on the previous Patriots state championships. He took over the program two years ago.

“For two years now,” he continued, “you play 21 outs and sure we got down early 4-0 but obviously our senior shortstop (Spencer Butt) hits the grand slam to tie things up and then we get the momentum and get another one and take the lead. At that point, we had all of the momentum and they got one to tie it and then we had the lightning delay.”

Senior shortstop Spencer Butt went 2 for 5 with two runs scored and four RBIs. Serna was 1 for 3 with a run scored and two walks, and junior Andrew Ortiz was also 1 for 3 with a run scored, RBI, and two walks. Sophomore Zack Wilson was 1 for 4 with two RBIs.

Butt took a high, inside fastball and deposited over the rightfield fence. He watched the ball leave the park and did a little bat flip before rounding the bases.

“Honestly I was looking to do damage early in the count and I knew I was going to get a fastball to hit,” said Butt, who has been committed to FSU since his freshman season. “I was just trying to hit the ball hard.”

Freshman lefty Spencer Krasner went 5 ⅔ innings and scattered six hits while walking three and striking out five. He allowed five runs, but only one earned as the Patriots committed five errors. He was relieved by junior Antonio Turco-rivas, who went the final 2 ⅓ hitless innings and struck out two for his first win of the season.

Tampa Jesuit (27-5), a six-time state champion, scored once in the bottom of the second and three in the third off two Patriots’ errors to seize a 4-0 lead, Before the Patriots rallied to tie the game at 4-4 in the top of the fourth as Butt launched a grand slam to right field.

The Tigers managed to tie it in the fifth at 5-5. After the lengthy lightning delay, the Patriots retired Tampa Jesuit in their half of the seventh and scored three in the top of the eighth inning.

Butt would then spark the game-winning rally with a one-out single in the eighth. After senior Mateo Serna walked and junior Lucas Ramirez reached on a fielder’s choice, Andrew Ortiz put the Patriots in front for good with a double down the left-field line. Wilson, a sophomore,with a two-run single, scoring junior Lucas Ramirez and Ortiz.

Cobras give up three in top of seventh, fall to Tampa Prep:

Park Vista (22-4-1) gave up four runs in the final two innings, including three in the top of the seventh and fell to Tampa Plant 5-4 in the Class 7A state semifinals. After Tampa Plant (21-7) scored a run in the top of the second inning, Park Vista answered with three in the bottom of the fourth to seize a 3-1 lead.

The teams traded runs in the sixth as the Cobras carried a 4-2 lead into the top of the seventh before the Panthers rallied for the win and advanced to the final against Stoneman Douglas.