Fate appeared to be on the side of the Gainesville High School baseball team on Wednesday night.
But then the wheels fell off.
Down 3-0, the No. 2 seed Hurricanes scored three runs in the bottom of the fifth and two in the sixth to take a 5-3 lead against No. 3 seed Belleview in a Class 5A-District 5 semifinal at Tiny Talbot Field.
However, the visiting Rattlers took advantage of five walks and a hit batsman in the top of the seventh inning for a 6-5 win.
Belleview (14-5) will travel to top seed Seabreeze (Daytona Beach) on Friday night for the district championship. Seabreeze defeated No. 4 seed Matanzas (Palm Coast), 8-5, in the other semifinal.
Gainesville, which was playing in a must-win game, finished the season 13-10.
“It’s hard to find the words honestly,” said GHS coach Adrian Ramos. “At the end, you just make sure the boys know that you love them, especially the seniors. I’ve had them since freshman year, and obviously, these are formative years for them, and this is kind of our last ride together. So first and foremost, they just need to understand how much they mean to me and what the last four years have meant.”
Despite suffering a broken jaw three weeks ago and losing 13 pounds in four days, GHS senior pitcher Cade Dixon got to make one final start for the ‘Canes, but with a pitch count limit.
He gave up a single to start the game, but Belleview stranded a runner at third base with no one out. He allowed a double to start the second inning but retired the next three as the Rattlers left another runner at third.
Dixon gave up consecutive singles to start the third inning, and he left the game after throwing 39 pitches.
“We challenged the team to do everything we could to extend the season long enough so he can at least have that (opportunity),” Ramos said. “He hasn’t been practicing the way he should have been, so giving us the (39) pitches were enough to give us the start we needed, and it was up to the rest of the guys to kind of pick up where he left off. And again, it was back and forth until the very end.”
The Rattlers added two more runs in the top of the fourth inning on a double to right center field by freshman pitcher Logan Chen.
After the first two outs had been recorded in the bottom of the fifth, GHS got back in the game.
Senior Chris Eckhardt (1-for-2, RS) walked, junior Jacob Ostreicher (3-for-3, 2 RBI) singled to center field, and senior Connor Kemph (3-for-4) had an infield single to load the bases.
Junior Yunel Rojas tied the game with one swing of the bat, a double to left center field, which cleared the bases and tied the game at 3 apiece.
“I told him if the first pitch looks good and it’s perfect, go for it, and it wasn’t, so he let the first one go,” Ramos said. “The second one was perfect, and he doubled into the gap, bases clearing, exactly what you need. A moment like that, down 3-0, and it just puts all the pressure back on the other team.”
The Hurricanes took their first lead in the sixth with two outs.
With the bases loaded, Ostreicher hit a high fly ball out towards right-center field.
The second baseman went back, and the center fielder and right fielder both converged, but the ball dropped between them.
“All year, he’s been driving in runs and coming up in tough situations and delivering,” Ramos said. “Not only that, but behind the plate. He’s a high-IQ guy. He’s a great teammate and just a natural leader as well.”
The 5-3 lead was short-lived, though, as GHS used three different relievers in the final inning. Belleview scored all three runs on bases-loaded walks.
GHS had its best season since winning 14 games seven years ago and they finished over .500 for the first time in almost a decade.
“I think it’s fitting you know that we end up with the most wins we’ve had in the four years that this group has been together,” Ramos said. “It just goes to show that if you stick with it, you make the improvements where you need to, it translates to wins on the field…we found ourselves three outs away from playing for a district championship.”
Buchholz 5, Forest (Ocala) 0 – Jacksonville University signee Dion Wilburn threw a complete game 3-hitter with 11 strikeouts as the No. 1 seed Bobcats defeated the No. 5 seed Wildcats, 5-0, in a Class 6A-District 2 semifinal at Bobcat Park.
Wilburn, who threw 92 pitches, only walked one batter and he faced just 23 total batters.
The Bobcats (18-7) finished with 12 hits and six stolen bases. They were led offensively by senior Angel Irizarry, who finished 3-for-3.
Senior Aidan Kastensmidt (1-for-4) had a triple, drove in a run, and scored a run, and senior Zac Brown (2-for-3) added a double and a run scored.
Junior Hudson Sapp (1-for-2, RBI) led the team with a pair of runs scored as Buchholz advanced to Friday night’s district championship game.
The Bobcats will host No. 3 seed Tocoi Creek (St. Augustine), which defeated No. 2 seed Bartram Trail (St. Johns), 5-1, in the other semifinal.
The game will be broadcast on Mainstreet (audio only) beginning at 6:45 p.m. The first pitch is at 7 p.m.
FHSAA Baseball District Tournaments
(teams in the Mainstreet coverage area in bold)
All games at 7 p.m. (unless noted) & subject to change
Class Rural-District 6 at Higher Seed
Monday, April 13 (Quarterfinals)
5 Taylor County (Perry) 3, 4 Hilliard 2
3 Branford 10, 6 Hawthorne 4
2 Lafayette (Mayo) 3, 7 Fort White 2
Tuesday, April 14 (Semifinals)
1 Union County (Lake Butler) 17, 5 Taylor County (Perry) 1
2 Lafayette (Mayo) 14, 3 Branford 4 (5)
Thursday, April 16
2 Lafayette (Mayo) at 1 Union County (Lake Butler) (Championship game)
Class Rural-District 7 at Higher Seed
Tuesday, April 14 (Quarterfinals)
5 Chiefland 19, 4 Bell 11
3 Dixie County (Cross City) 25, 6 Bronson 0 (4)
2 Williston 20, 7 Wildwood 1 (4)
Thursday, April 16 (Semifinals)
5 Chiefland at 1 Trenton
3 Dixie County (Cross City) at 2 Williston
Friday, April 17
Championship (TBD)
Class 1A-District 5 at Higher Seed
Tuesday, April 14 (Semifinals)
2 Oak Hall School 15, 3 Countryside Christian 5 (5)
1 Saint Francis Catholic Academy 20, 4 Peniel Baptist Academy (Palatka) 0 (4)
Thursday, April 16
2 Oak Hall School at 1 Saint Francis Catholic Academy, 5 p.m. (Championship game)
Class 2A-District 4 at Higher Seed
Tuesday, April 14 (Quarterfinals)
4 Keystone Heights 11, 5 Interlachen 9
3 P.K. Yonge 5, 6 Crescent City 1
Wednesday, April 15 (Semifinals)
1 Trinity Catholic (Ocala) 11, 4 Keystone Heights 1 (5)
2 Newberry 11, 3 P.K. Yonge 1 (5)
Friday, April 17
2 Newberry at 1 Trinity Catholic (Ocala) (Championship game)
Class 3A-District 3 at Higher Seed
Tuesday, April 14 (Quarterfinals)
4 Wolfson (Jacksonville) 10, 5 Stanton (Jacksonville) 2
Wednesday, April 15 (Semifinals)
1 Suwannee (Live Oak) 10, 4 Wolfson (Jacksonville) 0 (6)
2 Baldwin 18, 3 Paxon (Jacksonville) 5 (5)
Friday, April 17
2 Baldwin at 1 Suwannee (Live Oak) (Championship game)
Class 3A-District 5 at Higher Seed
Tuesday, April 14
1 Palatka 14, 4 Eastside 0 (5)
2 Santa Fe (Alachua) 14, 3 Bradford (Starke) 4 (6)
Thursday, April 16
2 Santa Fe (Alachua) at 1 Palatka (Championship game)
Class 5A-District 3 at Fleming Island (Orange Park)
Tuesday, April 14 (Semifinals)
1 Columbia (Lake City) 4, 4 Ridgeview (Orange Park) 0
2 Fleming Island (Orange Park) 4, 3 Middleburg 1
Thursday, April 16
2 Fleming Island (Orange Park) at 1 Columbia (Lake City) (Championship)
Class 5A-District 5 at Higher Seed
Tuesday, April 14 (Quarterfinals)
4 Matanzas (Palm Coast) 8, 5 Mainland (Daytona Beach) 2
Wednesday, April 15 (Semifinals)
1 Seabreeze (Daytona Beach) 8, 4 Matanzas (Palm Coast) 5
3 Belleview 6, 2 Gainesville 5
Friday, April 17
3 Belleview at 1 Seabreeze (Daytona Beach) (Championship game)
Class 6A-District 2 at Higher Seed
Tuesday, April 14 (Quarterfinals)
5 Forest (Ocala) 4, 4 Oakleaf (Orange Park) 3
Wednesday, April 15 (Semifinals)
1 Buchholz 5, 5 Forest (Ocala) 0
3 Tocoi Creek (St. Augustine) 5, 2 Bartram Trail (St. Johns) 1
Friday, April 17
3 Tocoi Creek (St. Augustine) at 1 Buchholz (Championship game)