With their backs against the wall, the Buchholz baseball team found a way.

On Saturday night, the Bobcats defeated nationally ranked No. 20 Pace on the road, 5-4, in eight innings in game three of a best-of-3 FHSAA Class 6A-Region 1 Final.

Blake Brewer’s one-run double in the top of the eighth inning helped lead the Bobcats (32-2), who are ranked 11^th nationally by MaxPreps, to the final four for the second consecutive season.

Jacksonville University signee J.J. Gardner, who started the game on the mound, hit a solo home run in the top of the first inning to give Buchholz an early 1-0 lead.

Pace (25-6) answered with a one-run double to left field by Eli Riffell to tie the game at 1-1.

However, Buchholz answered with a two-run home run by Harvard signee Kai So for a 3-1 lead.

The Patriots tied the game at 3-3, but So hit his second home run of the game in the top of the sixth inning for a 4-3 lead.

Pace answered with a solo home run in the bottom of the seventh inning by Glen Brooks, sending the game into extra innings.

Buchholz, which lost to Pace at home in game one, but bounced back to even the series on Thursday night, will play on Friday at Hammond Stadium in Fort Myers in the 6A state semifinals.

The Bobcats will be the overall No. 1 seed and will play at either 10 a.m. or 1 p.m. against the No. 4 seed (TBD).