Just as they did last Friday night against Williston, one inning was all it took for the Trenton baseball team.
On Wednesday afternoon, the No. 2 seed Tigers scored six runs in the bottom of the first inning and shut out No. 3 seed and defending state champion Holmes County, 8-0, in the FHSAA Rural state semifinals at Hammond Stadium in Fort Myers.
Trenton, which scored six runs in the first inning in Game 1 of its best-of-three series against Williston in the Rural-Region 4 Final, will play No. 1 Union County for the state title at 4 p.m. on Thursday.
The Tigers from Lake Butler advanced with a 2-0 win against No. 4 seed Cottondale in the other state semifinal.
Thursday’s game will be broadcast on Mainstreet Daily News (free audio online) beginning at 3:45 p.m. with Mike Ridaught (Play-by-play) calling the action.
“We’ve been trying to do this for, for me six years now, so it’s definitely a great feeling,” said junior shortstop Brant Bivens, who will be on the mound for the state championship game.
Junior pitcher Mason VunCannon gave up a single and a double in the top of the first inning, but he ended up striking out the final two batters of the inning to keep the Blue Devils (16-16) off the scoreboard.
VunCannon allowed just three hits with no walks and 10 strikeouts in seven innings on the mound.
“I just tried to keep my composure,” said VunCannon, who turned 17 years old on Saturday. “We’ve been here three times now. I got to pitch last year in relief, but I just felt more comfortable this time. My stuff was working in warmups, so I just tried to stick to what I’ve been doing all year and throw strikes.
He threw a season-high 101 pitches.
“That was the most pitches he’s thrown all year, and he definitely rose to the occasion,” said Trenton coach Chris Marlo. “Phenomenal outing. Great kid, great baseball player. I’m really happy for him and his family.”
In the bottom of the first inning, Trenton sent 10 batters to the plate and scored six runs on six hits to put the game away.
“The boys came out hot swinging the bats really good,” Marlo said. “I think we went one through nine again and rolled the order, so hats off to them. We did a really good job base running. We were sending guys, shoulders a little sore from sending them all, so that’s a good problem to have.”
Bivens (2-for-4, RS) started the inning with a single to center field, VunCannon was hit by a pitch, and two batters later, Pierson Weatherilt (1-for-3, 2 RBI, RS) singled down the third base line to drive in two runs for a 2-0 lead.
Following a double by sophomore second baseman Logan Marlo (2-for-3, DBL, 2 RS) into the left field corner, sophomore right fielder Gabe Cobb (2-for-2, DBL, 2 RBI, 2 RS) singled in two more runs for a 4-0 lead.
Luke Hartenstein (2-for-3, DBL, 2 RBI, RS) singled in a run and No. 9 hitter Noah Owens (1-for-3, RBI) added an RBI single to left field for a 6-0 lead.
Marlo singled to start the third inning and scored on an RBI double by Hartenstein to make it 5-0.
The Tigers finished the day with 11 hits and now have a chance to win their first state title since 2017.
“It’s incredible,” said Logan Marlo, the coach’s son. “I mean, we came up short two years. I was on both of those teams, so to be able to finally get there, and now we got over that hump, and now it’s time to just roll.”
A lot of these players know each other, adding to the intensity of this state title game.
“Man, it’s great,” Bivens said. “I know most the kids on that team, and I know they’re pretty good ball players, so I know I’m going to have to compete and give it all I got.”
Marlo was complimentary of Thursday’s opponent.
“Jiwan (James) does a great job,” he said. “Jiwan and I have known each other for 10 years, coaching youth baseball together. I mean, win or lose, I think it’s good for the whole area that our two teams are going at it. It’s good for all the kids and all that. And you know, if we win great, if we lose, that’s definitely a team we’ll tip our hats too. They do the right thing, they play the game the right way, so a lot of respect for them.”
Union County 2, Cottondale 0 – It was a pitcher’s duel in the first state semifinal between Cottondale’s Lane Johnson and Union County’s Erick Lasseter.
Lasseter tossed a shutout and junior Mason Moore had a 2-RBI single in the second inning as the No. 1 seed Tigers defeated the No. 4 seed Hornets, 2-0, in the first FHSAA Rural state semifinal of the day.
The Tigers (23-7) will play No. 2 Trenton (23-5) at 4 p.m. on Thursday for the FHSAA Rural state title.
“It feels great,” said Union County coach Jiwan James. “It’s what we set out to do all the way back in the fall, so to finally get here and get that semifinal win, and now we’re playing on the big stage, the one that we’ve been chasing all year so, we’re here.”
Lasseter threw a complete game, allowing no runs on just two hits with no walks and three strikeouts in seven innings. The senior only threw 70 pitches.
“By far, it’s probably my best outing all year, and I think it really just goes off how much energy I have,” Lasseter said. “I’m one of them guys who, if you ever watch me pitch, I can’t pitch normal, like I’m up there pitching, and I can’t be calm. I’m in the dugout pacing…I’m right out there with the team screaming. I’m the first one out of the dugout. I’m yelling. I mean, that’s how I play, with energy, and I just feel like when I’m on the mound, I’ve controlled the game and I’m doing good, it’s just all positive.”
Johnson tossed six innings and allowed just two runs on two hits for Cottondale (18-12).
Union County and Trenton were supposed to play against each other on April 8 at St. Johns River State College in Palatka, but the game was canceled due to weather.
Now they get to play in a Major League ballpark for the state title.
“It’s going to be a good one,” James said. “We were supposed to match up early in the season. A lot of people were looking forward to it, but I think we’ll take a trade off in the state championship instead of being at St John’s.”