The Vero Beach High School baseball team was so close, it could taste it.
Vero had the best team in the state on the ropes and was four outs away from punching its ticket to the state title game.
Yet, in the end, it was not to be.
Venice plated three runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to spoil Vero Beach’s upset bid. Vero Beach fell 4-2 in a Class 7A state semifinal on Friday, May 15 from Hammond Stadium in Fort Myers.
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Vero entered as the underdogs, but kept pace with the favorites. The last Treasure Coast team alive only trailed 1-0 before taking the lead with two runs in the top of the sixth.
Jordan Tomas and Nate Downey each reached to open the frame. With no outs, Dom Lopez bunted toward starting pitcher Carter Cox, who’s errant throw to third allowed courtesy runner Eli Thiemann to plate the tying run.
Then a sacrifice fly from Caleb Wood scored Downey, giving Vero Beach a lead that was short-lived.
Cody Morgan battled one of the nation’s top lineups before running out of gas, and out of pitches.
The senior allowed minimal damage the first five innings, and got the first out of the sixth before relinquishing a double to Beau Daniel. Morgan answered by striking out R.J. Shields, but Venice tied it with a Maddox Volk RBI single.
Following a single from Kohen Poplin, Morgan was knocked out after throwing 104 pitches. Colt Miller entered the game and relinquished the lead after an August Backman RBI single. It was the home side’s fourth hit of the inning after recording just three through the first five.
Venice added another run on a balk with the bases loaded.
Cox returned to the mound and retired Vero Beach in order. The senior got Hudson Schlitt to line out before striking out Jaxon Pomar and Miller to end the complete game.
Venice, who is ranked No. 2 nationally according to MaxPreps, improves its record to 32-1 this season and will face the winner of Hagerty and Stoneman Douglas in Saturday’s state title game.
Vero Beach had its 10-game winning streak snapped and finishes the season at 24-5.
Patrick Bernadeau is a sports reporter for Treasure Coast Newspapers. He can be reached at 772-985-9692, on X at @PatBernadeau or via email at pbernadeau@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: Vero Beach baseball outlasted by Venice in 7A state semifinal
Reporting by Patrick Bernadeau, Treasure Coast Newspapers / Treasure Coast Newspapers
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