The high school baseball season is officially over in Marion County.
After four teams — North Marion, St. John, Trinity Catholic and Vanguard — earned playoff berths in this year’s FHSAA state tournaments, all four teams have since been eliminated.
St. John was unable to make it out of the region quarterfinal round, while North Marion, Trinity Catholic and Vanguard all saw their seasons end this past weekend in their respective region semifinal rounds.
Here’s a look back at what shook out this past weekend:
North Marion
Record: 20-8
Class: 3A
Last game: 2-1 series loss to No. 4 South Sumter in region semifinals
The North Marion Colts’ 13-game win streak came to an end over the weekend as the visiting South Sumter Raiders took Game 1 in a narrow, 7-6 decision.
The top-seeded Colts then took Game 2, winning 6-3, to set up a winner-takes-all Game 3. The third and final game of the series was interrupted by a lengthy weather delay with the game tied in the sixth inning. By the game’s end, it was the fourth-seeded Raiders who were heading back to Sumter County with a series win after topping the Colts 6-5.
While North Marion’s season ends with a 20-8 record, South Sumter moves on to the region final, where it will take on third-seeded Hernando.
Trinity Catholic
Record: 22-7
Class: 2A
Last game: 2-0 series loss to No. 1 Trinity Christian Academy in region semifinals
Competing in one of the deepest classifications in the sport, Trinity Catholic’s playoff run ended in a 2-0 series loss to the region’s No. 1 seed and fourth-ranked team in the entire state in Trinity Christian.
The fourth-seeded Celtics lost Game 1 by a score of 5-0, followed by a 9-6 loss in Game 2.
Trinity Catholic ends its season with a 22-7 record, while Trinity Christian advances to the region final, where it’ll take on the region’s No. 2 seed in Bishop Snyder.
Vanguard
Record: 19-9
Class: 4A
Last game: 2-1 series loss to Eustis in region semifinals
The No. 3-seeded Vanguard Knights were eliminated from the playoffs in a 2-1 series loss to No. 2 Eustis over the weekend.
After losing Game 1 by a score of 7-4, Vanguard battled back to even the series with a 5-4 win in Game 2.
Come the all-deciding Game 3, Eustis and Vanguard would need extra innings for the game to be decided with Panthers, playing at their home field, pulling away from the Knights in a 5-4 win.
While Vanguard’s season comes to a close, Eustis advances to the region final, where it will see the region’s top seed in Bishop Moore.
This article originally appeared on Ocala Star-Banner: Marion County baseball teams eliminated from FHSAA playoffs: Scores, recaps
Reporting by Ainslie Lee, Gainesville Sun / Ocala Star-Banner
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
