LAKELAND — Pitching wins titles but there certainly isn’t anything wrong with high-powered lineup. Lakeland Christian had plenty of both to open the regional playoffs.
Gavin Byrd and Brandon Barton each homered to lead the lineup, and Kole Walker pitched a two-hitter over four innings in the Vikings’ 12-0 victory over Oviedo Master’s Academy on Saturday night in the Class 1A, Region 2 quarterfinals.
LCS (19-3) will advance to the regional semifinals against Cocoa Beach in a best-of-three series. In all regional semifinals, one game will be played Friday night and two — if needed — on Saturday.
To start the playoffs, LCS coach Matt Diaz couldn’t have asked for more from his team. Byrd led the 12-hit attack by going 2-for-3 with his third home run of the season and four RBIs. Barton slammed a two-run homer, and Parker Kant, Brooks Blankenship and Reid Freda all had two hits.
“Gavin had a good day, Nate (Diaz) had a hit in the first, but then the fun part for me was 1 through 9 had great games,” Matt Diaz said. “Even our 9-hole J-Rod (Jaxson Rodriguez) was 0 for 0 with two walks, a sacrifice bunt. He did his job, saw pitches, worked their guy. It was a good team win today. We played pretty solid defense overall.”
The Vikings scored in every inning with one in the first on Maclain Irby’s sacrifice fly, two in the second on Byrd’s home run then five in the third and four in the fourth.
Walker was nearly unhittable on the mound. He did not walk a batter and struck out six. Nate Diaz pitched a scoreless fifth inning.
“In a one-and-done scenario, you’re very nervous, and it ended up working out for us today,” Matt Diaz said. “We got a tough opponent next wee, but the good new is they got to come here.”
2A-2: First Academy rallies past Santa Fe Catholic to avoid upset
Santa Fe Catholic ace Jameson McGuire shut down Orlando First Academy for six innings, but the Crimson Hawks couldn’t close out the seventh inning.
The Royals rallied for four runs to slip past Santa Fe, 5-4, in the 2A-2 quarterfinals.
McGuire was in control into the seventh inning. He had allowed just one run on five hits through six with 11 strikeouts and retired the first batter in the seventh. Then things fell apart for the Crimson Hawks.
Kinon Bastain reached on an error on a fly ball that should have been the second out, then Aiden Williams drove him in.
Aaron Walsh came into pitch and allowed a game-tying, two-run homer to Cannon Koronka. A walk, stolen base then an RBI single by Jaxson Wells completed the comeback.
3A-3: Spurgeon, Cordova lead McKeel’s upset
Jorge Cordova hurled a four-hit shutout, and Brock Spurgeon’s solo home run provided McKeel with the only run it would need as the No. 6 Wildcats knocked off No. 3 Bishop Verot, 1-0, in the 3A-3 regional quarterfinals.
Cordova finished with six strikeouts and walked just two batters.
Spurgeon’s homer, his third of the season, was one of just two that McKeel could manage off Bishop Perot’s Joey Lawson. Logan Gill’s single was McKeel’s other hit.
McKeel will play at North Broward Prep in the regional semifinals.
4A-2: Mount Dora dominates Lake Wales
Mount Dora piled up 14 hits off four Lake Wales pitchers and defeated the Highlanders’ 14-3, in the 4A-2 regional quarterfinals.
Leading 4-1, Mount Dora took control with four runs in the fourth then turned the game into a rout with six runs in the sixth inning.
7A-2: Jenkins rallies to avoid upset
It wasn’t looking good for George Jenkins as Strawberry Crest took a five run lead through the top of the fourth inning. Jenkins, however, wasn’t ready to end its season.
Still trailing by a run going into the bottom of the seventh, the Eagles rallied for two runs Brayden Abdon and Kamauri Wilson scored on a wild pitch to slip past Strawberry Crest, 6-5, in the 7A-2 regional quarterfinals.
Strawberry Crest took a 5-0 lead off Anthony Iatarola and Ryan Currie. Iatarola allowed three runs on just one hit but walked six batters with six strikeouts in 3 2/3 innings. Currie allowed the other two runs on one hit and one walk.
Reece Bowman gave Jenkins the chance to come back by pitching three shutout innings to pick up the win in relief. He allowed just three hits in 3 1/3 innings, walked two and struck out three.
The comeback began in the bottom of the fourth when Iatarola walked then later scored on a bases-loaded walk.
Jenkins made it a one-run game with three runs in the fifth. Deniel Gonzalez singled home Kamauri Wilson, and Iatarola slammed a two-run homer.
George Jenkins advanced to the regional semifinals and will travel to play No. 1 seed Venice.
7A-2: Winter Haven upsets Windermere
Josh Jenkins and Jaden Corbett combined to shut down No. 3-seeded Windermere in No. 6 Winter Haven’s 2-1 victory.
Winter Haven earned a home game in the regional semifinals as No. 7 Plant City upset No. 2 Sarasota, 3-1. Plant City will play at Winter Haven in the regional semifinals.
Winter Haven scored both its runs in the third inning on RBI singles by Jenkins and Jody Wilson.
This article originally appeared on The Ledger: Byrd, Barton power Lakeland Christian over Master’s in regional quarters
Reporting by Roy Fuoco, Lakeland Ledger / The Ledger
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
