Southwest Florida baseball, softball, and track FHSAA playoff roundup for the week of May 5-10, 2025.
Watch FHSAA baseball on NFHS Network
SATURDAY
Baseball
Class 5A-Region 3
Fort Myers 4, Braden River 3: A third Southwest Florida baseball team will be playing in Hammond Stadium next week.
Facing Braden River in Game 3 of the regional final series, Fort Myers punched their ticket to the state tournament in dramatic fashion on Saturday night.
With the game tied 3-3 in the top of the seventh, Fort Myers pitcher Adler Cervio was brought in with the bases loaded and got a pop out to end the frame.
A similar scenario played out when Fort Myers came up to bat. After a leadoff double by senior Madrid Tucker, the Pirates loaded the bases with walks.
With two outs and two strikes, Braden River pitcher Brayden Sands plunked Fort Myers batter Cory Banasiak, resulting in a walk-off victory as Tucker crossed the plate with his teammates running out of the dugout to celebrate.
“It’s a pretty wild scene,” Fort Myers head coach Brad Crone said. “I know that we put the work in all season long, and I’m just super happy for these guys. They’re a resilient group. They’ve done everything I’ve asked of them all season long, and there’s no team right now better deserving than these guys.”
The Final Four appearance will be Fort Myers’ first since 1966, and the Greenies were forced to fight from behind to earn the historic victory.
Braden River put up three runs on Fort Myers pitcher Alexander Mankin in the second inning with Parker Gabbard and Nick Curbelo driving in runs and another scoring on an error. The Greenies got out of the inning with a double play.
Those kind of escapes became a theme for Fort Myers, as Mankin gave up nine hits in his six innings on the mound but consistently worked his way out of jams. Mankin recorded five strikeouts, including a pair to end the sixth inning.
“What a phenomenal, phenomenal performance,” Crone said of Mankin. “I’m so happy for him. He’s battled for me all season long, and he was inconsistent at times, but any big game, he’s always showed up for us, and I’m just so proud of him.”
Fort Myers put up their first run in the second when Luke Fleming reached on an error, allowing Bryce Ware to score.
The team continued to chip away at the Pirates’ lead. In the fourth inning, senior Ashton Mora squared up a pitch and drove it past the fence in center field for his first career home run.
“When I hit it, I didn’t really think it was going to clear it, but I just put my head down, I ran. And then I look up – I didn’t see it anywhere,” Mora said. “It was one of the most amazing feelings of my life.”
Tucker, Fort Myers’ leading hitter, arrived in the fifth inning after driving straight from the Class 3A state track meet in Jacksonville. The meet was scheduled for Friday but carried over into the next day after a weather delay, and Tucker came away with a fifth-place medal as part of Fort Myers’ 4×100 relay team.
Tucker said he was trying to stay as prepared as possible during the five-hour drive and entered the game at a pivotal moment.
“I knew they were looking for something big, just somebody to get on to start the momentum,” he said. “I wasn’t trying to stress or nothing, just make sure I’m here for my team and do what I need to do.”
After Fleming got on base with a walk, Tucker singled with two outs after Braden River made a pitching change from Rhys Klein to Jakob Adkins.
Fort Myers’ Michael Magas followed up with the game-tying RBI single.
With the game level, Crone reminded his team how they had advanced through the postseason so far. Six of the team’s seven previous regional playoff games had been decided by three runs or fewer.
“I don’t know how many tight games they’ve been in over there, but I knew if we could keep it close because of the games we’ve been in and the experience you can call it over this tournament, we’ll be able to have our chance to win,” he said.
Tucker’s double – a deep ball to right field – set the stage for Fort Myers’ chance to walk it off.
“That’s just what he’s done all year,” Crone said. “He’s been clutch as they come.”
After advancing to third base, Tucker felt confident his team would come through.
“I know Cory – Cory’s made for these moments,” he said. “If he gets a ball down in the middle, he’s going to definitely drive us in. So when he got hit by the pitcher – it’s not the best thing because it’s not a hit, but we still won the game. Just walking it in and being the one to step on home plate to win the game, it was definitely just a great experience.”
Curbelo led the Pirates with three hits, and Klein went four and two-thirds innings, giving up just three hits and striking out seven.
However, it wasn’t enough against a gritty Fort Myers team in front of a raucous home crowd.
The Greenies will contest their state semifinal game on May 15.
“This wasn’t the end goal,” Crone said. “It was a goal along the way, so hopefully we can get them regrouped and we’ll get back after it on Monday.”
— Dustin Levy
Track and Field
Class 3A
Mother Nature tried her best to wash away the 2025 Class 3A Florida High School Track and Field Championships in Jacksonville.
Yet she only accomplished anointing a new middle distance running sensation from Southwest Florida.
Lightning brought an abrupt half to the meet just two races in Friday afternoon. After more than three hours of waiting and watching, it was decided to resume the meet at 7:30 a.m. Saturday morning. Mother nature had more fun and games in store.
The morning started with a surprise. Senior Ciara McCloskey from Gulf Coast unleashed a punishing final lap to win the girl’s 3200 running in 10:54.17, a huge personal best in the process after a tough injury.
“Last year I had hip surgery, so I didn’t think I’d be able to run again so I wanted to take this opportunity in my last race to just leave everything out there,” McCloskey said.
The boys race followed with Fort Myers distance ace Craig Allard Jr. nearly eclipsing his school record, running 9:11.66 to finish in sixth.
Then the lightning returned, and the wait was on. Anxious meet officials had to figure out how to merge the Class 1A competition into the 3A meet while keeping the Class 4A meet scheduled to start in the late afternoon on track.
After a major deluge and a lot of lightning, the skies cleared enough to allow resumption of the Class 3A portion four hours later and the emergence of a star.
Ava Heskett of Gulf Coast burst on the scene this year — almost out of nowhere. She spent her junior campaign running sprints before turning her attention to longer races for her senior season.
She left little doubt sprinting away from a top-flight field in the 1600 meters with a little more than a lap to go, running 4:50.41 to take her first gold medal of the afternoon. It was the fastest 1600-meter run by a Southwest Florida girl at states.
“I worked long distance over the summer and it really paid off for me,” Heskett said.
With the 1A meet sandwiched in between Class 3A events, Heskett enjoyed some much-needed extra rest before toeing the line for the 800. The USF commit didn’t disappoint, joining a handful of Southwest Florida girls to dip below 2:10, winning her second gold of the day with a time of 2:09.85.
By meet’s end, Heskett had anchored her 4×800 team to a silver, taken two golds and run a leg on Gulf Coast’s fifth-place 4×400 team, which was disqualified due to a rules violation. The Gulf Coast girls came in fourth place overall as a team.
Multiple Southwest Florida athletes enjoyed double podium finishes including four Fort Myers athletes — Julia Lemmon in the shot and discus, Masha Dorofeev in the 1600 and 3200, Allard Jr. in the 4×800 and 3200 and Troy Britton in the 4×400 and 4×800.
Kobe Johnson of Dunbar made the podium in both the 110 hurdles and 400 hurdles, and teammate Chancey Alexander did the same in the 800 and 4×800.
On the girl’s side Noel Davis of North Fort Myers grabbed medals in the high jump and 4×100.
Other double podium finishers include Naples High’s Tara Watkins in the 800 and 4×400 as well as Barron Collier’s Liusmar Rivas Velasquez in the 100 hurdles and 400 hurdles.
3A Girls Results
400: 6. Kala Valerias, Gulf Coast (55.59)
800: 1. Ava Heskett, Gulf Coast (2:09.85); 7. Tara Watkins, Naples (2:15.66)
1600: 1. Ava Heskett, Gulf Coast (4:50.41); 6. Masha Dorofeev, Fort Myers (5:04.63); 7. Miah Galban, Gulf Coast (5:05.11)
100 hurdles: 6. Liusmar Rivas Velasquez, Barron Collier (14.63)
400 hurdles: 6. Liusmar Rivas Velasquez, Barron Collier (1:03.22)
4×100: 5. North Fort Myers, 47.44; 6. Dunbar, 47.69
4×400: 5. Fort Myers, 4:01.55; 6. Naples, 4:02.22
4×800: 2. Gulf Coast, 9:20.43
Discus: 2. Julia Lemmon, Fort Myers (158′ 3”)
High jump: 6. Noel Davis, North Fort Myers (5′ 1 3/4”)
Pole vault: 4. Giovanna Molloy, North Fort Myers (10′ 10”); 6. Madison Bates, Naples (10′ 10”)
Shot Put: 2. Julia Lemmon, Fort Myers (45’ 01/2”); 3. Cherldine Paul, Barron Collier (43′ 3”)
3A Boys Results
800: 8. Chancey Alexander, Dunbar (1:55.58)
1600: 8. Hayden Clark, Palmetto Ridge (4:17.51)
3200: 6. Craig Allard, Fort Myers (9:11.66); 8. Michael Brewer, Naples (9:26.45)
110 hurdles: 5. Kobe Johnson, Dunbar (14.71)
400 hurdles: 6. Kobe Johnson, Dunbar (54.59)
4×100: 5. Fort Myers, 41.50
4×400: 7. Fort Myers, 3:21.57
4×800: 6. Dunbar, 7:57.92; 8. Fort Myers 759.09
High jump: 8. Khalid Bourne, North Fort Myers (6′ 1 1/2”)
Triple jump: 8. Cleyon Grizzle, Riverdale (44′ 8”)
Shot put: 3. Sean Kabengele, Naples (55′ 8 1/2”); 4. Brady Clark, Naples (55′ 7 1/2”); 7. James Johnson, North Fort Myers (52′ 3 1/4”)
Class 4A
Gateway senior V’Davrielle Johnson won a state championship in high jump with a PR of 5′ 5 3/4”. Lehigh junior Rianne Smith finished runner up in the long jump.
On the boys’ side, Ida Baker senior Mike Luma took the state title in the triple jump with a PR of 47′ 9 1/4”. Lehigh’s Ja’Quann Anderson finished in sixth place in the same event.
Class 4A Girls Results
High jump: 1. V’Davrielle Johnson, Gateway (5′ 5 3/4”)
Long jump: 2. Rianne Smith, Lehigh (19′ 1 1/4″)
Class 4A Boys Results
Triple jump: 1. Mike Luma, Ida Baker (47′ 9 1/4″); 6. Ja’Quann Anderson, Lehigh (45′ 9 1/2″)
Class 1A
First Baptist sophomore Aniston Newman earned a state title in the long jump. She also contributed to the Lions’ third-place finish in the 4×100 relay.
First Baptist was the top local finisher among local teams, coming in 13th place and 12th place for the boys and girls, respectively.
Class 1A Girls Results
800: 7. Halle Moss, ECS (2:22.77)
100 hurdles: 2. Joslyne De La Nuez, Canterbury (14.63)
4×100: 3. First Baptist, 48.61
4×400: 8. First Baptist, 4:06.22
4×800: 6. Community School, 9:52.54
High jump: 5. Ava Wagner, Canterbury (4′ 11 3/4”)
Javelin: 3. Grace London, St. John Neumann (120′ 6”)
Long jump: 1. Aniston Newman, First Baptist (18′ 6”); 8. Mylee Van De Wouw, St. John Neumann (16′ 10 1/2”)
Pole vault: 4. Peyton Opyt, First Baptist (9′ 10”)
Triple jump: 7. Maleda Azunque, First Baptist (35′ 9 1/4”); 8. Eslynda Bouzi, First Baptist (35′ 8 1/2”)
Class 1A Boys Results
800: 7. Jack Gifford, SFCA (1:57.91)
110 hurdles: 6. Latrell Noel, First Baptist (15.04)
400 hurdles: 7. Noah Tafoya, SFCA (57.48)
4×800: 8. First Baptist, 8:22.94
Discus: 7. Gage Gant, SFCA (141′ 7”)
High jump: 2. Collin Meagher, Canterbury (6′ 3 1/2”); 3. Bradley Martino, First Baptist (6′ 3 1/2”)
Long jump: 4. Andrew Azunque, First Baptist (22′ 2 1/2”)
Shot put: 8. Mason Armstrong, St. John Neumann (47′ 1”)
Triple jump: 4. Andrew Azunque, First Baptist (45′ 10”)
FRIDAY
Class 2A and 3A track and field
A pulled hamstring kept the boys of Bishop Verot from a spot on the podium in the Class 2A track and field championships in Jacksonville Friday.
Verot used a great mix of distance, weight and sprint points to put themselves into the team title hunt.
The day started with the Vikings Zack Zielke grabbing third place in a sweltering 3200 meter race.
Out in the field, senior Ryan Peterson was rolling up points in the shot put and grabbing his first state championship in the discus.
“I’ve been waiting for it the last two years,” he said. “It didn’t expect it my sophomore year, I was hoping for it junior year, but I’m glad I finally got it.”
Sophomore sprint sensation Jyden German then grabbed third in the 100 meters coming out of the slow heat to do it.
“I should have been in the fast heat, but I came out and ran for the podium and that’s what I did,” he said.
Then Zielke returned to the track to push the pace in the 1600 in an effort to help teammate Andrew Marino. The result — Marino broke the school record and grabbed a fifth-place finish. Zielke bravely held on for eighth place and a single point. “
I’m really glad (Zielke) took it out because it helped keep me motivated throughout the race,” Marino said. “To be honest, I felt really good for three laps and the last lap is always going to be difficult and tough but I was ready for it today.”
Just as it appeared that German would anchor his team’s 4×100 squad to a second-place finish and eight valuable points, disaster struck. German fell to the track with a hamstring pull just 40 meters from the finish, leaving the Vikings in seventh in the team race and wondering what might have been.
Oasis junior Jazlyn Forbes capped a tremendous spring with a third-place finish in the 3200 meters and a sixth in the 1600.
“I feel pretty good but I want to come back next year and do better,” she said.
As the temperatures cranked up, the Class 3A competitors took to Hodges Stadium with the girls 4×800 leading off the meet.
Ava Heskett used her strong kick to power Gulf Coast to a second-place finish behind distance powerhouse Dillard.
“I knew it was going to be competitive, that I would be fighting for second or third place so I was fighting to the end,” Heskett said.
The boys 4×800 featured a battle for podium spots between rivals Dunbar and Fort Myers sitting in ninth and eighth, respectively, going into the anchor leg. Chancey Alexander and Troy Britton battled it out over the final two laps with Rockledge coming up to apparently quash the Green Wave hopes. But a disqualification put Fort Myers in eighth and on the podium next to sixth-place finisher Dunbar.
“I wanted to be on the podium really bad,” Alexander said. “We came all came to with the right mindset.”
Just as Fort Myers discus star Julia Lemmon was warming up for her premier event, the lightning alarm sounded. Minutes earlier, Lemmon had unloaded a big final throw in the shot put to grab second and was gearing up for a run at a state title in her favorite event. But that will have to wait for another day as the skies opened up and the meet was canceled until Saturday morning.
— John Rinkenbaugh
Girls 2A Results
1600: 6. Jazlyn Forbes, Oasis (5:00.75)
3200: 3. Jazlyn Forbes, Oasis (10:38:12)
High jump: 3. Elise Bolgiano, Bishop Verot (5′ 1 3/4”)
Boys 2A Results
100: 3. Jyden German, Bishop Verot (10.90)
400: 3. Jadrien Carmo, Bishop Verot (47.97)
1600: 5. Andrew Marino, Bishop Verot (4:20.59); 8. Zack Zielke, Bishop Verot (4:25.93)
3200: 3. Zachary Zielke, Bishop Verot (9:22.27)
110 hurdles: 1. James Little IV, Bishop Verot (15.1)
Discus: 1. Ryan Peterson, Bishop Verot (172’-2”)
Shot Put: 7. Peterson, Bishop Verot (49’-1”)
4×800: 3. Aubrey Rogers, 7:59.94
THURSDAY
Baseball
Class 1A-Region 3 Final
Game 3 ― Canterbury 2, St. John Neumann 1: With the Cougars clinging to a one-run lead heading into the seventh inning and two relievers ready in the bullpen, starting pitcher Anthony Meady delivered a simple message to Canterbury coach Frank Turco.
“I just told him I wanted the ball and he respected that and gave me the opportunity,” the junior right-hander said.
Smart move. Meady retired the Celtics in order to close out a dominant outing and send the Cougars on to the Class 1A final four for the first time in six seasons.
“He carried us on his shoulders today, he really did,” Turco said of Meady. “That was a bulldog effort. I couldn’t be more proud of him.”
Meady, who closed out Canterbury’s 6-5 extra-inning win on May 6 that sent the series to a decisive Game 3, said the initial plan was for him to go as long as he could in the finale.
“I was thinking maybe five innings or so but then I just found my rhythm and it was too close of a game to give up the ball,” said Meady, who allowed just two hits, one walk and an unearned run while striking out five.
The Cougars (24-11) loaded the bases with nobody out in the bottom of the second inning, taking a 1-0 lead on a sacrifice fly by designated hitter Noah Torres. Neumann then pulled starting pitcher OB Osceola and turned to junior Michael Hough, who induced a pop-up and a fielder’s choice to limit the damage.
The Celtics (20-12) evened the score in the third. Osceola lined a one-out single, and after junior Anthony Kanellos popped to short, leadoff hitter Cole Travers worked a walk. Senior Logan Baratta followed with a hard grounder that Canterbury first baseman Ashby Piatt couldn’t handle cleanly, allowing Osceola to score and make it 1-1.
In the fourth inning, the Cougars jumped back in front thanks in part to some shaky Celtics defense. Meady reached on a throwing error, St. John Neumann’s third miscue of the game, to start things. Second baseman Noah Kiefer followed with a single that sent pinch runner Alex D’Altrui to third. That brought Torres to the plate.
Turco, who sent text messages to all of his players before Game 3, said his missive for Torres was to move the crowd, that is, do something to make them cheer.
Torres, who wrote the message on his equipment to remind himself before each at-bat, did just that, ripping an RBI single to center field, scoring D’Altrui with what proved to be the winning run.
“I guess you can say it worked,” Torres said. “My goal was to just make an impact, at the plate, on defense, on the bases, whatever. Just keep it simple and let the game come to you. I got that ball to fall in which was great.”
For Neumann, which failed to advance a runner past second base after the third inning, it was a disappointing finish to a series that started with a stunning three-run rally in the bottom of the seventh inning that propelled them to an improbable win.
“Kudos to Anthony Meady. He did a really good job, pitching on short rest like that to go the whole game,” Celtics coach Charlie Maurer said. “Canterbury’s always tough to play and they’re playing really well right now.
“Our Achilles heel the whole year has been not being able to play catch. I know that sounds elementary, but in the baseball world you have to take care of the baseball. When you’re in dogfights like this, the team that plays clean baseball is going to win and we just didn’t play clean the whole series.”
Turco, who led Canterbury to four consecutive state championship games from 2016-19, winning three titles in a row, said there were times this season when he wasn’t sure this year’s team would be the one to return the Cougars to the Final Four.
“To be honest, I thought this would be a reach for us,” he said. “I wasn’t letting them know that. We had some boulders in the road this season but we figured them out and came together as a team and found our identity.
“I’m just blessed to be able to coach a group like this because we weren’t the favorites. We have a few starters that are sophomores and some juniors that couldn’t get it done last year. So to see them do this and have success really is a proud moment.”
― Dan DeLuca
Class 3A-Region 3 Final
Game 3 ― Bishop Verot 7, Calvary Christian 6 (eight innings): The Vikings won the best-of-three series to advance to the Class 3A state semifinals on May 19, with an extra-inning win on the road against the Warriors.
“It’s who we’ve been all year,” Verot coach Casey Scott said. “We’ve never lost the fight. In our game against Charlotte, we never gave up and battled back. Tuesday night, we didn’t give up. This team has a lot of fight and couldn’t be prouder.”
Verot (32-2) pounced early on Calvary Christian starter Cameron Uzzillia, with Grayson Carpenter being hit by a pitch, before Braylon Sheffield and Joey Lawson hit back-to-back doubles to make it a 2-0 game. Lawson was plated by Nick Raber, who singled through the right side on a 1-2 count.
The scoring would go idle until the bottom of the fifth, as Calvary put together a two-out rally that included a walk and a pair of singles off of Tyler Reeder.
Reeder (8-0, 1.08 ERA) would go 5 1/3 innings, allowing four hits, three runs, and two walks with four strikeouts.
“Tyler did more than eat innings,” Scott said. “He threw very well. After we put up three, he threw eight pitches. It was a hostile environment with a lot at stake, and pitches as well as he has all year. He rallied everybody on the bench. He showed who he was as a player and teammate tonight.”
In the top of the sixth, Carpenter was hit by a pitch again before Sheffield walked. Lawson uncorked on a 2-2 pitch to right-center field, hitting his 10th home run of the year to go up 6-1. Verot would later load the bases in the inning with one out, before Nico Ayars lined into a double play to stop the threat.
The bottom of the sixth saw the Warriors erase the lead in short order. Reeder walked Uzzillia, hit Maximus Mayes, and was replaced by Owen Rardin. The senior walked his first two batters, before an error from Anthony Reitler at second plated two more to make it 6-4. Two batters later, Gabriel Campos would line one to center field, leveling the score at 6-all before Rardin got Maddox Bozeman to fly out.
Uzzillia reentered the game on the mound in the eighth after back-to-back walks, getting a pair of outs before Carter Chalder was hit by a pitch, loading the bases. Ayars would stay disciplined at the plate, drawing a walk to give Verot the go-ahead run.
Nick Raber (6-0, 1.00 ERA) would make his first appearance on the hill since the Vikings’ win over Avon Park in the Class 3A-District 11 championship, working two innings, allowing just one hit while striking out three. That included the final out of sophomore Jace Traina, giving the Vikings their second consecutive Final Four berth.
Verot awaits the reseeding from the FHSAA, but will either take on Miami Springs or Hernando at Hammond Stadium on Monday, May 19.
― The News-Pres staff
Class 5A-Region 3 Final
Game 2 ― Braden River 4, Fort Myers 2: The Braden River Pirates (19-11) used some solid pitching and timely hitting to even their Class 5A-Region 3 final series against Fort Myers at one game apiece.
Right-handers Nick Curbelo and Uriel Barrios combined to throw a five-hitter and the Pirates tagged Green Wave right-hander Owen Augustine for three runs on four hits in the first inning.
The Green Wave won the first game of the region final series by the score of 2-1 on Wednesday night in Bradenton. Fort Myers will host Braden River in a third and final game, scheduled for Saturday at 7 p.m.
“Baseball is a crazy game,” Braden River head coach Gregory Creek said. “It’s just a matter of the ball falling the right way a couple of times.
“It’s throwing strikes and getting out of some tough situations. It’s getting some big hits when we needed them. It’s one pitch at a time.”
Shortstop Camden Pope got things started for the Pirates at the plate with a one-out double to right field in the bottom of the first inning. Third baseman Brayden Sands drove in Pope with an RBI single. Sands scored on a throwing error, and catcher Sam Heintz singled in Rhys Klein, who had singled, for a 3-0 margin.
Jackson Williams singled and scored on a wild pitch in the bottom of the third for Braden River’s fourth and final run.
“We knew this was going to happen,” Fort Myers head coach Brad Crone said. “They are way too good of a ballclub, and they have super coaching. This isn’t a surprise to us. Our game plan was to come up here and win one out of two games and head back to Fort Myers.
“They pound the zone. They don’t walk a lot of guys. Offensively, they put the ball in play and put pressure on you. Give them credit. They did everything they were supposed to do tonight.”
The Green Wave scored their two runs in the top of the fourth inning on RBI singles by third baseman Ashton Mora and catcher Cory Banasiak. Brady Best also doubled for Fort Myers in the fourth.
Fort Myers has a 12-1 record at home this season.
“It’s not going to be easy regardless of what our record is at home,” Crone said. “They are going to come ready to play just like they did tonight. Their backs are against the wall, just like ours.”
Saturday will mark the first time Braden River has had to play a postseason game on the road this season. The Pirates are 7-1 at home in the postseason.
“We both have several arms left,” Creek said. “There still should be a lot of strikes thrown. It may come down to a game of attrition at the end. Maybe it will be about the bats and who can swing it.”
― Jim Brockman
Softball
Class 5A-Region 3
Fort Myers 11, Riverdale 6: A flurry of long balls helped the Green Wave get past the Raiders on Thursday night.
With the game tied after four innings, Fort Myers unleashed four home runs – including three in one frame – to build a lead that put the game out of reach for Riverdale.
“It was a quality win,” Fort Myers head coach Dan Mills said. “We hit the ball, they made it a game, we responded, and that’s something we focus on.”
The Greenies built a 3-0 lead with hits by Gianni Torres, Tegan Webb and Sarah Buntrock driving in runs.
The Raiders answered in the fourth – Moriah English reached base on an error, scoring two runs, and Olivia Skutt plated another with a single.
That’s when the Fort Myers offense pounced.
A bunt single by Faith Fazzone, which led to a Riverdale error, resulted in Fort Myers regaining a 5-3 lead.
The fifth is when the home run barrage began. It started when Torres connected on a long ball, and Amira Peterson followed up by smoking one to right field. Lolly Lane completed the effort with a home run out of the eight-spot in the lineup.
“They’re talented kids,” Mills said. “We work, we try to understand what we’re going to face and prepare for it. And they’re smart, they’re situationally aware, so they take advantage when they get themselves in positive counts and they execute.”
In the sixth inning, Sage Rodmyre hit her fourth home run in the last three games to extend the Fort Myers lead.
“Home runs are fun,” Mills said. “I thought we could’ve hit the ball on the ground a little more, but when we elevate and get it over the wall, that’s always a good thing.”
The Raiders showed plenty of fight with Jamie Penia and Ella Bundy driving in runs in the seventh, but it wasn’t enough to close the gap.
Bundy, a senior, went 3-for-4 with a double in the game.
“It’s a tough loss,” Riverdale head coach Heather Manetta said. “They gave it their all. That’s all we can ask for. We’re a young team – we lost seven last year, so we have a five freshmen starting right now, so we’re just going to continue to build.”
Torres led the Green Wave with three hits, including a double and a home run, driving in a pair of runs.
With the win, Fort Myers improved to 21-6-1 and will face Northeast in the regional semifinals on May 13.
“Every game is going to be tougher as you advance, and you can’t look past the next one,” Mills said.
— Dustin Levy
North Fort Myers 7, Gaither 6: Mia Lane saved the Red Knights’ season. Trailing 6-4, the senior catcher hit a game-winning three-run home run in the seventh and also doubled home three runs in the fifth to lift North to a come-from-behind win. North, the top seed but on the road because they were not a district champion, scored in the first inning after Kaliyah Williams singled.
Gaither took the lead in the bottom of the first, scoring four runs. Lane’s double tied the game but in the bottom of the fifth, the Cowgirls broke up the tie on a sacrifice bunt and a bases-loaded walk.
Audrie Florenzano went 3-for-4 for North. Abigail Hynes collected two hits.
Charlotte 10, Mariner 6: For two innings, everything that could possibly go right for Mariner did. The Tritons took advantage of Tarpons mistakes.
And then everything unraveled.
What was a five-run lead became a five-run deficit thanks to a letdown in the third and fourth innings, allowing fifth-seeded Charlotte to score 10 unanswered runs and win the game 10-6 to advance to the semifinals.
Calleigh Buzard scored twice, while Morgan Tucker reached base three times for Mariner (17-7) in a game where each team committed five errors.
Mariner coach Rachel Holloway said things simply fell apart for her talented but young team after taking such a huge lead.
“We made too many mistakes to win a game. Their pitcher made some good adjustments and we didn’t make the adjustments hitting,” Holloway said. “We were better than last year and we only have two seniors so we’re young and we’ll improve.”
Mariner got the party started in the second off Charlotte pitcher Dava Hoffer. Mia Standard doubled and Alaina Shugars was hit by a pitch. After a sacrifice, Kaylen Rounding reached on an error to score a run, and a Kylie Dominello single loaded the bases again.
Buzard then hit a ball to third that not only went through the third baseman’s legs, but the left fielder’s as well, clearing the bases. Another error at third base scored Buzard to make it 5-0 after two.
That’s when the Tarpons turned things completely around. In the third, Maddi Stamm led off with a single off Mariner starter Gabi Winters. Two batters later Hoffer doubled her home to put Charlotte on the board. Addi Recker reached on an error before Nova Wharton, who before this was having a nightmarish night in the field, drove home two with a double off the wall to make it 5-3. Grace Lewin cut the lead to one with an RBI single later in the inning.
In the fourth, Mariner’s defense had a complete meltdown. The Tritons committed three errors and there were also four wild pitches that scored three runs. Meanwhile, Hoffer, who looked dead in the water in the second inning, retired 11 straight at one point, and gave up a lone run in the seventh on a groundout by Winters before finishing things off.
― Chuck Ballaro
Northeast 5, Gulf Coast 0: Despite the loss, Sharks coach Brian Hodgson was proud of how this year’s team turned around the program. Gulf Coast went 20-4, won the county and district championships after going 8-12 and losing in the first round of the district tournament last year.
“We’re changing the culture here,” Hodgson said. “These girls came out, they bought in, they worked together, and this is the result. I couldn’t be more proud of that.”
Through the first two innings, the Vikings (12-6) combined for four runs in part due to fielding errors on an RBI triple in the first, and a mishandled ball on a bunt allowing loaded bases, which set up a two-RBI double on the following at-bat.
The Sharks cleaned up the inconsistencies on defense as they held the Vikings to one run in the fourth inning and scoreless the rest of the way. In the fifth inning, Gulf Coast got a flyout and two outs with runners at home for a triple play.
“I think one of the things that we need to work on is the change-up when they mix in speeds, change in high levels,” Hodgson said. “That was our Achille’s heel this year, and that’s something that we’ll focus on when we get back together.
“We have a lot of youth,” Hodgson said. “We’re only losing two seniors, and we’ve got some pitching coming in. I think we’ll be okay, but I’m so proud of these girls for buying in and just playing the game.”― Jeffrey Hrunka
ECS Signing Day
Five ECS student athletes made their college commitments on Thursday. Those students are Derek Washington Jr., Wrestling, Southeastern University; Frank Worthington, Football, St. Thomas University; Braden Townsend, Football, Baldwin Wallace University; Maddie O’Berski, Basketball, University of Tampa; Ari Marc, Basketball, Florida Southwestern College.
WEDNESDAY
Softball
Watch FHSAA softball on NFHS Network
Class 1A-Region 3
SFCA 11, Canterbury 3: For the first time in 10 years, SFCA won an FHSAA regional quarterfinal game, downing St. Pete Canterbury.“Man, we just went to work,” SFCA coach Chris Davis said. “We scheduled even harder to prepare ourselves, because we were proud to make the state playoffs last year, but we wanted to actually win and get better. We decided we needed to play better competition…”A first inning riddled with fielding errors by the Crusaders (7-17) allowed the King’s to score four runs. With two runners on, Vivian Stark singled to bring in Natalie Recker for the team’s first run.
On the following at-bat, Olivia Tyler singled Kaley Fleischer in for the RBI. This turned into another run for SFCA as Canterbury’s catcher overthrew the third baseman in an attempt to catch Stark’s steal, which allowed her to score. The frame ended with an RBI double by Jada Dimaria.Between the top of the second and third innings, the King’s (14-10) allowed two runs on three walks and three steals.
However, Aubrey Reilly delivered the momentum changer with her first home run to deep center field. This brought two runs to make it 6-2.“It was great to see,” Davis said. “We came out and we set a good tone with four runs right off the top. Then we made a couple of mistakes, let them right back in at 4-2. I thought she’d grabbed momentum back for us, and it just helped us keep it.”
A four-run fourth inning by SFCA effectively put the game away. A Tyler RBI single, Fleischer forced home a run on a walk, and a two-RBI double by Evee Lavender moved the score to 10-2. Each team scored one run apiece before the game ended in the seventh.“It’s the next step for our program,” Davis said. “ We want to build a program that’s sustainable. Whoever we play with their Seacrest or ECS, we want to give them our best showing, and we want to be proud of whatever we put on the field.”― Jeffrey Hrunka
St. John Neumann 11, Bradenton Christian 4: The Celtics scored in their first four at-bats in the region quarterfinals against Bradenton Christian and routed the Panthers at St. John Neumann High, scoring nine runs after Bradenton Christian put up the first two.
St. John Neumann (17-4) will face Shorecrest Prep on the road in the 1A-3 semifinals Tuesday night. Shorecrest Prep beat Northside Christian 13-6.
Cecilia Spencer had four hits and three RBI for Neumann. Sophia Escobar had a hit and three RBI. Jolie Barth had two RBI. Jennifer Drake also had two hits.
“I am ecstatic about how we played. We came out aggressive on the bases,” said St. John Neumann coach Ashley Spencer. “We got behind early, but we didn’t give up. We stayed in it the whole time. We came in with a plan to be aggressive at the plate and be smart-aggressive on the bases, and we stuck to it. We tried not to chase things at the plate, but be aggressive, and I think we did it.”
The huge lead was safe for Escobar in the pitcher’s circle. After Bradenton Christian scored two in the first, Escobar posted five straight shutout innings.
“It’s always fun to be at home, but I think we will look forward to going up to Shorecrest Prep,” Spencer said. “I think it will be a great matchup, and I think the girls will enjoy the trip. It’ll be a fun day.”
Spencer calls Escobar the Celtics’ backbone.
“She is a battler,” Spencer said. “And she has proved it, even when she has fatigue. She has pitched so well this year that she didn’t have to throw a lot of innings. She didn’t throw a lot of seven-inning games this season, so she adjusted well after the first few batters.”
Sofia Puccia had three hits and an RBI for the Panthers (8-11).
“We just made too many mistakes and Neumann capitalized on them,” said Bradenton Christian coach Lacey Stovall. “They played a great game. Escobar just threw consistently. This is an emotional exit for our seven seniors, and there’s no consoling them right now.”
St. John Neumann is on a roll, having won six of its last seven. And the Celtics have won their last three by a 40-11 aggregate.
― Tom Corwin
Evangelical Christian 19, Seacrest 0: The Sentinels (24-3) scored 10 in the first and nine in the second inning for a quick win. They’ll host SFCA on Tuesday.
Class 2A-Region 3
Bishop Verot 12, Avon Park 2 (five innings): The host Vikings put together an impressive performance in their state playoff opener to mercy-rule the Red Devils and advance to the Class 2A regional semifinal round for the third consecutive season.
On the mound, sophomore Paige Bettermann effectively worked her way out of trouble, allowing just one earned run on four hits and four walks while striking out seven. In the field, the Vikings played solid defense with senior center fielder McKenna Robbins laying out to snare a two-out liner to keep Avon Park off the scoreboard when the game was still in doubt.
At the plate, Robbins and senior second baseman Crimson Lawrence combined to hit for the cycle with Lawrence going 4-of-4 with a double, a two-run home run and a two-run single to walk it off for Bishop Verot (17-7).
“She’s had a hot bat for us all season,” Vikings coach Christopher Gatewood said. “She’s really been clutch. We started out a bit slow offensively this year but our 1-2-3 batters have tons of speed from the left side so if they get on and set the table for her, we’re able to put some runs up.”
Bishop Verot did just that in the bottom of the first with freshman right fielder Willa Pagnutti drawing a leadoff walk and then senior left fielder Jaelyn Riley, Dobbins and Lawrence following with three straight singles that helped the Vikings build an early 4-0.
The Red Devils (13-11), who were making their first state playoff appearance since 2006, had runners reach third base in the first three innings but couldn’t deliver when it mattered against Bettermann.
“She’s kind of been that way all season; I feel like she’s a little bit better under pressure,” Gatewood said. “I really wish she wouldn’t put us in those pressure situations at times but she seems to really rise up when she’s got runners on and she knows she has to bear down.”
Avon Park pushed across an unearned run in the top of the fourth to make it 5-1 but the Vikings roared back in the bottom of the frame with the speedy Robbins ripping and RBI triple and Lawrence following with a two-run blast to right centerfield to give Bishop Verot an 8-1 cushion and effectively put the game out of reach.
“This year, we’re a little bit smaller and a little bit faster than we’ve been the past couple of seasons so we’re able to get girls on and score in a lot of different ways,” Gatewood said. “We’ve also been battling lot of injuries but everybody’s been stepping up and kind of doing whatever we’re asking them to position-wise. They’ve all stepped up and played unselfish softball and it’s kind of paying off for us.”
The Vikings will host Tampa Berkeley Prep in the regional semifinal round on Tuesday, May 13.
― Dan DeLuca
Class 3A-Region 4
Somerset Academy 2, Aubrey Rogers 0
Cardinal Gibbons 4, LaBelle 1
Class 4A-Region 3
Estero 12, Hudson 7: The Wildcats scored seven runs in the second inning to advance. They will face the region’s top seed Osceola, a 10-0 winner over Port Charlotte, on Tuesday. Makenzie Baxter drove in two runs and scored two, Trenedy Eggleston had two hits and two RBI, Lillian Peregrion hit a double, scored twice, and drove in one, and Madelyn Millette had a triple and scored twice. Ava Winebau had three hits, four steals, scored a run, and drove one in.
Class 4A-Region 4
Key West 7, Barron Collier 1
Baseball
Class 5A-Region 3
Game 1 ― Fort Myers 2, Braden River 1: Brady Best of Fort Myers High lived up to his surname on Wednesday night in the first game of the Class 5A-Region 3 final series against host Braden River High.
The Green Wave right-hander scattered three hits over six innings and allowed just one unearned run as Fort Myers (21-10) held on for a 2-1 victory over the Pirates (18-11).
Best was locked in a duel with Braden River right-hander Denzel Diaz, who also worked six innings. Diaz gave up two earned runs on six hits and fanned six batters. He struck out the side in the top of the second inning.
“Brady has been great for us all season long,” Fort Myers second-year head coach Brad Crone said. “He was the next man up. We really haven’t had a No. 1 pitcher all year. He’s the third guy to start a series for us.
“He delivered tonight in a big way. He kept them off balance. They have a really good hitting squad.”
Zander Mankin pitched a scoreless seventh inning to earn the save for the Green Wave.
The Green Wave would get all the runs they needed in the top of the third, following a leadoff single by Mankin, who started the game at first base. Shortstop Madrid Tucker reached on an infield single, and center fielder Michael Magas drove both runners home with a double off the left-field wall.
“We just tried to play small-ball and manufacture runs,” Crone said. “We knew it wasn’t going to be a high-scoring game. Sometimes that’s how baseball works. One hit can change the whole game. That gave us a bit of a cushion.”
The Pirates scored their lone run in the bottom of the sixth inning after third baseman Brayden Sands led off the frame with a single. Sands came around to score when second baseman Jackson Williams reached base on a throwing error.
Braden River’s other hits were infield singles by designated hitter Luke Duffy, center fielder Nick Curbelo, and a sharp single to left field by right fielder Jacoby Cox.
“That’s why you have a three-game series,” Braden River head coach Gregory Creek said. “You had two guys out there pounding the strike zone. We hit a couple of balls hard that didn’t fall. If we get one or two more hits it’s a different ballgame. That’s baseball.
‘We just need to stay aggressive. We’ve been aggressive all year. We’re going to pound the strike zone with another pitcher and hope for the best. Baseball is a fickle game. You can do a lot of things right and not win. It just is what it is.”
The two teams meet again on Thursday night in the second game of the best-of-three region final series. The Green Wave will again make the lengthy trek to Bradenton on the heels of their late night return to Fort Myers on Wednesday.
“These are the cards we have been dealt,” Crone said. “We have been on the road before. We’ll adjust accordingly. We’ll go with the flow.”
After losing their first region quarterfinal game to Gulf Coast, the Green Wave bounced back to take the next two games from the Sharks. In the region semifinal series, Fort Myers defeated the region’s top seed, Charlotte High, twice in Punta Gorda to reach the region final.
Braden River won a pair of games at home over Mariner High in its regional quarterfinal before doing the same thing to Manatee High in its regional semifinal series.
― Jim Brockman
Fort Myers Signing Ceremony
Fort Myers High held a spring signing ceremony to honor 20 student-athletes moving on to the next level. Those athletes and their destinations are: Craig Allard Jr., cross country and track, North Florida; Amelia Alonso, golf, Southern Wesleyan; Daniel Bautista-Martinez, cross country, Ave Maria; Troy Britton., cross country and track, Stetson; Bria Brockington, soccer, Warner; Masha Dorofeev, cross country and track, UCF; Gabby Dwyer, beach volleyball, Tulane; Amber Englehart, volleyball, Stetson; Luke Fleming, football and baseball, Ave Maria; Landon Gomez, soccer, Ave Maria; Julia Lemmon, track, Stanford; Monica Mercado, basketball, Eastern University; Ashton Mora, baseball, Pasco Hernandez State; Jose Paz Teran, soccer, Weber; Lyza Pentara, flag football, Barry; Cedar Reilly, cross country and track, Southern Connecticut State; Sage Rodmyre, softball, Maryland; Ashlee Tenkley, beach volleyball, North Florida; and Joelle White, track, FAU.
TUESDAY
Baseball
Class 3A-Region 3
Game 2 ― Bishop Verot 5, Calvary Christian 4: Vikings coach Casey Scott had a simple message for his players heading into Tuesday’s do-or-die showdown with the Warriors.
“Just go out and play our game,” he said. “And if we do that, we’re comfortable with what the results are going to be.”
It may not have been exactly comfortable, but when it mattered most, Bishop Verot delivered, erasing a three-run deficit to force a Game 3 Thursday in Clearwater.
“That’s a great program over there so we knew it wasn’t going to be easy,” Scott said. “I’m just super proud of the guys battling all the way through.”
For the second consecutive game, Calvary Christian (29-4) utilized small ball and capitalized on a couple of defensive miscues by the Vikings to grab an early advantage. In the opening inning, the Warriors turned an infield single, a sacrifice bunt, a bloop single and another perfectly placed bunt into the game’s first run.
In the second, Calvary Christian added two more runs off Vikings starter Blake Lavenia, one on catcher Ashton Recore’s home run and the other off a Bishop Verot fielding error.
The Vikings (31-2) scored their first run of the series in the bottom of the third on a Grayson Carpenter solo blast.
The Warriors appeared poised to break the game open in the fourth, loading the bases with no outs against Bishop Verot reliever Boston Selig. But Calvary Christian only managed one run, which came on a botched suicide squeeze when the Warriors’ Tripp Fecarotta managed to elude the tag during a rundown and safely cross home plate. Calvary Christan nearly plated another on a two-out single by Brett Garcy, but Carpenter threw out Recore at the plate to end the inning and keep the score at 4-1.
The Vikings cut it to 4-2 on Carpenter’s two-out RBI double off Warriors reliever Cooper Notz. The left-hander avoid further damage by striking out Verot second baseman Braylon Sheffield with runners on second and third to end the inning.
But Notz and Calvary Christian weren’t as fortunate in the fifth. Vikings third baseman Joey Lawson led off with a double and first baseman Nick Raber drew a walk to bring up Brody Baxmann. The sophomore outfielder jumped on Notz’s first pitch, driving it over the right field fence to give Bishop Verot its first lead of the series.
“I just wanted to ambush him,” Baxmann said. “Fastball, first pitch, I knew what I could do. I just had to believe in myself.”
Meanwhile, Selig settled in after his shaky beginning, holding the Warriors scoreless over the final three innings to help keep Bishop Verot’s season alive.
“That’s a great job for a sophomore right there,” Scott said of Selig. “He’s had to pitch some big innings for us and he’s done a good job. He was fired up and our guys fed off that and we were able to put up that big inning and give him some support.
“We’re just excited to get back to work tomorrow and have the opportunity to go up there on Thursday.”
— Dan DeLuca
Class 1A-Region 3
Game 2 ― Canterbury 6, St. John Neumann 5 (8 innings): In a region final series packed with plenty of late-inning excitement, it was Canterbury’s turn Tuesday to pull off some late heroics.
The Cougars (23-11) scored twice in the eighth inning, getting right off the mat after a surprising St. Neumann rally to force it into extra innings, and tied their regional final series to send the series back north for a decisive Game 3.
“Right now, it’s a battle of attrition, and the will to want it,” Canterbury coach Frank Turco said. “We think our kids will rally and find a way to figure it out. It’s a chess match out there. We have been resilient, and this is one of the crazier teams I’ve ever had. And this is one of my most enjoyable teams. I don’t know how we’ll pull a rabbit out of the hat, but we’re going to try.”
On Monday night in the opening game, Neumann scored two in their last at-bat for a 4-3 victory.
On Tuesday, Canterbury starting pitcher J.T. Huether had Neumann almost handcuffed until the Celtics came alive with four runs in two at-bats.
Huether held the Celtics (20-12) to only one hit through his first five innings. Neumann starter Jackson Clark didn’t prove too badly either. He gave up only three hits in 5 1/3 innings.
Down 4-2 in the bottom of the seventh, Celtics left fielder Gus Fusco reached on an error with the bases loaded to tie the game at 4-4 and send it into extra innings.
“This is what we thought this series would be – with the games coming down to crunch times,” said Neumann coach Charlie Maurer. “I figured the team that plays cleaner would win. We just made too many mistakes, and we gave them some baserunners. We like this new series format, and we will let the chips fall where they may Thursday. Kudos to J.T. – he kept us off-balance.”
Fusco had two hits and two RBI for Neumann. Nick Frontino also had two RBI.
Adams Mejia had three hits for the Cougars. Ashby Piatt had two hits and two RBI and Noah Kiefer had two hits.
The Celtics started a comeback in the sixth when Darian Kester reached first on a hit batsman and Frontino homered to left, a 360-footer that cut the Cougar lead in half.
— Tom Corwin
Class 4A-Region 3
Game 2 ― Jesuit 9, Barron Collier 0: The Cougars were shut out in back-to-back games by the host Tigers, who will return to Fort Myers for another Final Four appearance under coach Miguel Menendez.
Alan Overmyer struggled from the get-go, allowing Jesuit’s first six batters to reach base which led to a 4-0 start after the first. The struggles continued in the third down 5-0, when Brody Smith went deep to make it 7-0. That was it for the junior, who allowed seven hits, six earned runs, and two walks against four strikeouts over 2 1/3 innings.
Barron’s bats stayed cold against Kaden Waechter, who allowed just three hits and a walk with 10 strikeouts. Waechter also went 2 for 3 with a double at the plate, while Wilson Andersen was a home run away from the cycle, going 4 for 4 against Barron’s pitching.
The Cougars (24-9) logged their most wins in a season since 2006, when the Ted Parsons-coached squad went 28-4 with a state Final Four appearance in Class 5A.
— Naples Daily News staff
MONDAY
Baseball
Class 1A-Region 3
Game 1 ― St. John Neumann 4, Canterbury 3: The Celtics took Monday’s game in dramatic fashion, with a 4-3 walk-off victory over the Cougars.
Neumann overcame a 3-1 deficit in the seventh, when Cole Travers doubled in the left-center gap, before an error with the bases loaded plated the winning run.
Canterbury opened the scoring in the fourth after J.T. Huether doubled, scoring one run. Anthony Tenuto would stretch the lead to 3-0 off Neumann starter Owen Phypers after homering to right field.
Tenuto would relieve Ashby Piatt in the sixth inning, after the sophomore went five innings, allowing two hits, four walks, and an unearned run against four strikeouts on 80 pitches. Tenuto worked a clean sixth before the Celtics pressured in the seventh, leading to two hits and a walk with three runs conceded by the closer.
Anthony Kanellos got the win for Neumann, surrendering no hits and no runs over a scoreless seventh, striking out two.
Travers led Neumann with two hits from the leadoff position. Nick Frontino and Travers each drove in one run, while the team finished with seven walks. Beau Rurey and Darien Kester led the team with two bases on balls each.
Neumann will look to return to the Final Four under Squeeze Maurer Tuesday night against the Cougars, with first pitch scheduled for 7:30.
— Naples Daily News staff
Class 3A-Region 3
Game 1 ― Calvary Christian 4, Bishop Verot 0: Errors haunted the Vikings Monday night, as each of the Warriors’ runs were unearned. Calvary handed Verot its second loss of the season in a 4-0 decision.
North Carolina commit Joey Lawson failed to log a strikeout after the second inning, as Calvary adjusted to the right-hander. Lawson would have four errors in the field, as Verot’s bunt defense was exploited by the Warriors. The junior went 5 1/3 innings, allowing three hits, no earned runs, four walks, and a pair of strikeouts.
As a team, Verot went 2 of 19 at the plate with four walks. Ole Miss commit Grayson Gibson (10-0, 0.32 ERA) struck out 10 Verot hitters including Lawson, who went down three times.
The Vikings will aim to avoid elimination against a pitching-heavy Warriors team Tuesday night in Game 2.
— The News-Press staff
Class 4A-Region 3
Game 1 ― Jesuit 8, Barron Collier 0: Florida State commit Wilson Andersen dealt once again, allowing just one hit and a walk while striking out 16 Barron Collier hitters.
Andersen, Kaden Waecther, Christian Sheffield, and Bryce Besece all homered in the win for Jesuit, while Anderson added a pair of doubles. Brody Smith also went for extra bases, as the Tigers went 9 of 27 as a team.
Barron Collier saw a singular hit from Grady Gallen in the loss, going 1 for 22 at the plate.
The Cougars will aim to stave off elimination tomorrow and force a deciding Game 3 back home on Thursday.
— Naples Daily News staff
Softball
The Florida Athletic Coaches Association (FACA) District 18 covering 38 high schools in Charlotte, Lee, Collier, Hendry, and Glades counties, selected their coaches and players of the year. Here are the winners.
Player of the Year
Independent: Keyah Kamara, Mason Classical Academy
Rural: Preslynn Baker, Moore Haven
1A: Kee Green, Evangelical Christian
2A: Crimson Lawrence, Bishop Verot
3A: Jayline Martinez, Aubrey Rogers
4A: Gianna Frino, Barron Collier
5A: Abigail Hynes, North Fort Myers
6A: Mallory Tiedeman, Gateway
7A: Yasmin Silva, Lehigh
Coach of the Year
Independent: Ted Alpert, Mason Classical Academy
Rural: Preston Baker, Moore Haven
1A: Ashley Spencer, St. John Neumann
2A: Chris Gatewood, Bishop Verot
3A: Holly Davis, Aubrey Rogers
4A: Riley Goff, Port Charlotte
5A: Brian Hodgson, Gulf Coast
6A: Mark Peterson, Gateway
7A: Arial Raulerson, Lehigh
Road Trip Essentials
Shop top-rated travel products and services to help you save on your next trip:
This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: SWFL Saturday: Walk-off propels Fort Myers baseball into Final Four; State track winners
Reporting by Ed Reed, Alex Martin, Dan DeLuca and Dustin B Levy, Fort Myers News-Press / Fort Myers News-Press
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
