Mike Ridaught
On Friday night, the Newberry and Williston baseball teams assured that at least one local team would advance to this year’s Class 1A final four.
Newberry defeated Crescent City, 7-1, and Williston won a shootout at Fort Meade, 14-13, to advance to Tuesday’s region final.
The Panthers (22-1) and Red Devils (14-13) will play at 7 p.m. on Tuesday at Newberry for the right to go to the state semifinals.
Friday, May 7
FHSAA Regional Quarterfinals
Class 2A – North Florida Christian (Tallahassee) 11, Oak Hall School (Gainesville) 0
Class 6A – Pace 9, Buchholz (Gainesville) 5
Regional Semifinals – Class 1A
Union County (Lake Butler) 19, Liberty County (Bristol) 2
Newberry 7, Crescent City 1
Williston 14, Fort Meade 13
(JUCO BASEBALL) – The Santa Fe College baseball team continues to fight its way through the losers’ bracket at the FCSAA state tournament at Joker Marchant Stadium in Lakeland.
On Friday afternoon, the No. 8 Saints (31-12) scored seven runs in the second inning and cruised to a 10-0 win against Pensacola State College in five innings.
Freshman Lance Bolton allowed just three hits with no walks and three strikeouts in the complete game win for Santa Fe, which will play at 4 p.m. on Saturday against Miami Dade College. The Sharks are currently the only undefeated team in the tournament.
(JUCO SOFTBALL) – On Friday night, the Santa Fe College softball team upset No. 15 Pensacola State College, 11-10, in nine innings on Day #1 of the FCSAA softball state tournament at Boombah Soldiers Creek Park in Longwood.
Former Columbia (Lake City) pitcher Cris’Deona Beasley got the win in the circle and also had the game-winning hit.
Beasley had a bases loaded double in the top of the ninth and pitched the final four innings in relief, allowing four hits, two runs, and one walk while striking out four.
The Saints (30-15), who are making their first appearance at the state tournament since 2017, will play at 7 p.m. on Saturday in the winners’ bracket against No. 12 Indian River State College.
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