Was it a regional high school baseball semifinal, or a home run derby? Trinity Christian senior Jordan Martinez was prepared for either one.
“Our coaches just preach to keep fighting until the last out, and that’s what we’ve done all year,” Martinez said.
After a three-homer game for Martinez, and six long balls for Trinity Christian as a team, the Conquerors are final eight-bound, defeating Ocala Trinity Catholic 9-6 in Game 2 of the best-of-3 Florida High School Athletic Association Region 1-2A semifinal series on May 2.
On a blustery late afternoon, the nationally-ranked Conquerors (23-7) made the most of the gusts howling out toward right field for a game-changing seventh inning. The scores were 5-5 when Brady Harris opened the inning with a tie-breaking blast. Martinez followed with his third of the night. Two batters later, Chris Reali went deep for the third time in the inning and a 9-5 lead.
“That might be the first time as a coach in high school I’ve had six in one game,” Trinity Christian coach Jon Murphy said. “It’s up there.”
The Celtics advanced the would-be tying run into scoring position, but Romy DeCenzo extinguished his second bases-loaded jam in as many nights, after notching the save in Friday’s 5-0 Game 1.
From the long balls to the bullpen to infield defense, including two Celtics cut down at the plate by first baseman Tyler Ellis, things are clicking at the right time for Trinity Christian.
Although the Celtics (22-7) briefly edged ahead midway through, using home runs from Gavin Greathouse and Matthew Wetherell to erase the hosts’ early four-run lead, the Conquerors’ power is shining bright. Some of Saturday’s hits would have left the house, wind or no wind.
Future LSU teammates Martinez and Parker Loew went back-to-back in the first inning, and Martinez hit a game-tying bomb in the fifth. Toss in homers from Game 1 off the bats of Loew and Reali, and Trinity clubbed eight homers in the two-game span.
No Conqueror bat is hotter than the one in the hands of Martinez, who has raised his average from .143 at the end of February to .360. The shortstop has a pair of three-homer games in 2026, counting his early performance against Lowndes.
Up next is Jacksonville’s most anticipated series of the year, the long-circled weekend of May 8-9. Trinity Christian stays at home on The Hill for a best-of-3 set against Bishop Snyder, following the teams’ 13-inning epic in the District 3-2A final. The prize: a trip to Fort Myers for the FHSAA final four.
“They’re such a good team,” Murphy said. “It’s a really cool opportunity.”
REGION 1-6A
Pace d. Tocoi Creek 2-0 (12-2, 7-2)
The host Patriots (26-4) ended Tocoi Creek’s run in the Panhandle in a Saturday sweep. All nine Pace batters reached base and the Patriots scored in every inning for a 12-2 Game 1 rout, and in Game 2, the hosts clawed back from an early Toro advantage to end the series 7-2.
Cam Lee and Dax Brooks had three hits apiece for Pace in the late game, after Tocoi Creek (15-15) had jumped in front on RBI hits by Tommy Glasspoole and Ayden Ramos in the first. The Toros also had Game 1 homers from Jacob Collins and Emmett Pellegrino.
REGION 1-4A
Choctawhatchee d. St. Augustine 2-1 (2-3, 9-4, 4-1)
Top seed Choctaw came from behind to eliminate St. Augustine (16-15). The Yellow Jackets took Game 1 3-2 after Maddux Dowler’s go-ahead two-run double in the fifth inning, but the Big Green (24-5) won a Saturday doubleheader, 9-4 in Game 2 and 4-1 in Game 3.
Jordan Figueroa went 3 for 4 in Game 2 for Choctaw, which scored four first-inning runs and punished four St. Augustine errors and six walks. In the decider, Choctaw’s Maddox Gentry pitched a five-hit gem and Trevor Camden went 3 for 3 as the hosts built a 4-0 lead in the first three frames.
REGION 1-1A
St. Johns Country Day d. University Christian 2-0 (4-2, 8-2)
The Brayden Harris postseason show continued for 2024 state champion St. Johns. Harris pitched 6 1/3 innings and struck out 10 batters in a 4-2 Game 1 victory, then blasted home runs in the fourth and fifth innings to push the Spartans to an 8-2 win in Game 2.
UC (13-18) grabbed an early lead in Game 1 on a Ranses Venero homer and brought the tying run to the plate before Gavin Coffey secured the save. Hunter Rodgers (Game 1) and Kaeson Johns (Game 2) also went deep for St. Johns (22-8), and Jonas Wells had three total RBI.
(This story has been updated to add new information.)
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Boom! Jordan Martinez home runs lift Trinity Christian baseball
Reporting by Clayton Freeman, Jacksonville Florida Times-Union / Florida Times-Union
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
