It didn’t take long for the Buchholz baseball team to set the tone in the Class 6A-District 2 championship game at Bobcat Park on Friday night.

Junior Hudson Sapp hit a grand slam in the bottom of the first inning as the top-seeded Bobcats won their fourth straight district title with a 4-2 win against No. 3 seed Tocoi Creek (St. Augustine).

The visiting Toros (14-13) outhit Buchholz, 11-7, and scored a pair of runs in the sixth, but Buchholz (19-7) held on for its eighth straight win.

Sapp came to the plate in a huge situation in the bottom of the first inning for the Buchholz Bobcats. Hitting with the bases loaded and two outs, the shortstop hammered his first home run of the season

“We were very fortunate to get out in front early with Hudson with a big grand slam,” said Buchholz coach Chris Malphurs. “And then we pitched well enough to hold them off at the end.”

Tocoi Creek actually out-hit Buchholz 11-7, but all 11 Toros hits were singles, and Buchholz pitchers Reed Thomas and Cohen Lafler worked out of jams most of the game.

“Reed was a little under the weather today, but he competed extremely hard,” Malphurs said. “He and Cohen did enough with traffic to get in and out of jams.”

Thomas worked out of a bases-loaded jam in the first after three Tocoi Creek singles.

In the bottom of the first, Zac Brown led off with a single, but was thrown out at third on a single to right field by Roen Kresak. With two outs, Drew Almond was hit by a pitch, followed by an Aiden Kastsensmidt walk, loading the bases for Sapp.

Sapp hammered a fastball from Tocoi Creek starting pitcher Bryson Williams over the center field wall for a 4-0 Buchholz lead.

“With Hudson, this is his time of year,” Malphurs said. “He came on really well last year in the playoffs, and I told him it was his time and he delivered big time.”

Buchholz only had three hits the rest of the game against Williams and reliever Tommy Glasspoole. Meanwhile, Tocoi Creek kept leaving runners on base before breaking through in the sixth inning with a 2-run single by catcher Jacob Collins to cut the Buchholz lead in half.

After a leadoff single in the seventh, Lafler retired the next three batters and the Bobcats celebrated again on their home field.

Thomas allowed seven hits but no runs and seven strikeouts in five innings for the win.

For Buchholz, it’s their fourth straight district title, but it’s the first for Malphurs as head coach.

“Fantastic,” Malphurs said. “We’ve got a great group of kids, and I’m happy for them.”

Buchholz will host a regional quarterfinal on Friday, April 24 (TBA).

FHSAA Baseball District Championships  

(teams in the Mainstreet coverage area in bold)  

Class Rural-District 6    

Thursday, April 16  

1 Union County (Lake Butler) 5,  2 Lafayette (Mayo) 2   

Class Rural-District 7  

Friday, April 17  

1 Trenton 12, 2 Williston 3  

Class 1A-District 5  

Thursday, April 16  

Saint Francis Catholic Academy 10, 2 Oak Hall School 1 1  

 Class 2A-District 4  

Friday, April 17  

1 Trinity Catholic (Ocala) 9, 2 Newberry 7 

 Class 3A-District 3  

Friday, April 17  

1 Suwannee (Live Oak) 4, 2 Baldwin 2 

 Class 3A-District 5   

Thursday, April 16  

1 Palatka 9, 2 Santa Fe (Alachua) 8 (8)  

Class 5A-District 3 at Fleming Island (Orange Park)  

Thursday, April 16  

1 Columbia (Lake City) 6, 2 Fleming Island (Orange Park) 2  

Class 6A-District 2  

Friday, April 17  

1 Buchholz 4, 3 Tocoi Creek (St. Augustine) 2