The Trenton baseball team is one series win away from a return trip to the final four.

On Wednesday night in Trenton, the top-seed Tigers overcame an early 2-1 deficit and rallied for an 11-4 win against No. 4 seed Chiefland in game two of the FHSAA Rural Region 4 Semifinals.

The win, coupled with Tuesday night’s game one win against the Indians, sends Trenton to the region final on Monday, where the Tigers (22-4) will host No. 2 seed Fort Meade (17-12). The winner of the best-of-3 series will advance to the state semifinals in Fort Myers on Wednesday, May 14.

“They came out swinging tonight,” said Trenton coach Chris Marlo, who beat Chiefland for a fourth time this season. “They’re a tough group of kids. A lot of those kids played for me when they were younger, so they’re good ball players. Their record doesn’t reflect what they’re going to bring to the table (tonight) in a regional game.”

Chiefland (13-12) trailed 10-0 after two innings in game one, also an 11-4 victory for Trenton, so a quick start was important if they wanted to have a chance to force a game three.

Sophomore Brice Thomas led off the game with a single against Trenton sophomore pitcher Mason VunCannon. He scored a few batters later on an RBI double to right center field by senior Luke Watkins for a 1-0 lead.

Trenton answered in the bottom of the first and threatened to have a big inning.

Sophomore Brant Bivens and VunCannon each singled off Chiefland starting pitcher Hunter Boyd.

With two on and no outs, Chiefland decided to intentionally walk University of West Georgia signee Jordan Marlo, who had hit a 3-run home run in Tuesday’s game.

“It’s a little frustrating, but it’s a respect thing,” said Jordan Marlo, who doubled in a run in the sixth inning and finished 2-for-3 with a pair of runs scored.

With the bases loaded and no outs, Boyd got out of the jam by allowing just one run on a sacrifice fly by sophomore Pierson Weatherilt.

Chiefland took a 2-1 lead in the top of the second inning.

Senior catcher JR Hudson hit a hard grounder to third and reached on an infield hit. Pinch runner Devon Minichello ended up scoring the go-ahead run on a throwing error by Trenton catcher Zane McArdle on a stolen base attempt.

But the momentum of the game changed in the bottom of the third inning.

With one out, VunCannon walked, and Marlo singled.

Weatherilt reached on a fielder’s choice, but Chiefland third baseman Jolan Doty made a bad throw to second. VunCannon scored on the play and tied the game 2-2.

“That kind of switched the momentum, and then we capitalized on it with Ty’s home run,” Chris Marlo said. “That was a big moment in the game.”

The next batter, junior Ty Moses, drilled a three-run home run over the left field fence for his second home run of the season.

“It was a high fastball,” Moses said. “The pitch before he threw me a high fastball and I laid off it. Coach always gets on to me for swinging at the high fastballs, but I put the barrel on it and took it for a ride.”

The three-run blast turned a 2-2 game into a 5-2 lead for the Tigers.

“It felt like a huge momentum boost coming back to the dugout,” Moses said. “It felt like everybody was more ecstatic, more hyped after that happened.”

Chiefland senior Trey Meeks hit a solo home run in the top of the fifth to cut the deficit to 5-3, but Trenton pulled away.

McArdle drove in a pair of runs with a double to right field in the bottom of the fifth, and the Tigers batted around in the sixth and added four more.

The Tigers finished with nine hits, including 10 hits in game one.

“Our guys, 1-9, they can swing it,” Chris Marlo said. “They go up to the plate wanting to hit. These guys love swinging a bat. They’re up here before practice swinging, they’re here after practice swinging, these guys love to hit.”

For the second consecutive game, everyone in the lineup got on base.

“That’s what I preach every game,” Chris Marlo said. “We can’t rely on the top three hitters, and we can’t rely on the bottom three. It’s going to take 1-9, all having good at-bats, extending the at-bat, making their pitchers throw a lot of pitches, not chasing balls out of the zone, and they did that.”

Vuncannon went the distance on the mound and struck out the side in order in the top of the seventh.

“He pitched great,” Chris Marlo said. “He never looked rattled out there. He got stronger as the game went on. We really needed him to throw a complete game, and he stepped up big, and that’s exactly what he did. I’m very proud of that kid. He’s special.”

Game one against Fort Meade will be at 7 p.m. on Monday. The game will be broadcast online (audio only) at Mainstreet Daily News beginning at 6:45 p.m.

FHSAA Baseball state playoffs (Best-of-3)

(Teams in the Mainstreet coverage area in bold)

Class Rural-Region 4 Semifinals

Game 2 – Wednesday, April 30

1 Trenton 11, 4 Chiefland 4 – Trenton (22-4) wins series 2-0

Class 3A-Region 1 Semifinals

Game 1 – Monday, April 28

3 Suwannee (Live Oak) 4, 2 West Florida (Pensacola) 2 – Suwannee leads 1-0

Game 2 – Tuesday, April 29

2 West Florida (Pensacola) 9, 3 Suwannee (Live Oak) 8 – Series tied 1-1

Game 3, if necessary – Thursday, May 1

2 West Florida (Pensacola) at 3 Suwannee (Live Oak), 7 p.m.

Class 5A-Region 1 Semifinals

Game 1 – Wednesday, April 30

1 Niceville 2, 5 Columbia (Lake City) 1 – Niceville leads 1-0

Game 2 – Thursday, May 1

5 Columbia (Lake City) at 1 Niceville, 7 p.m. CT

Game 3, if necessary – Saturday, May 3

1 Niceville at 5 Columbia (Lake City), 7 p.m.

Class 6A-Region1 Semifinals

Game 1 – Wednesday, April 30

1 Buchholz 3, 4 Tate (Cantonment) 2 – Buchholz leads 1-0

Game 2 – Thursday, May 1

4 Tate (Cantonment) at 1 Buchholz, 7 p.m. – Game will be broadcast online (audio only) at Mainstreet Daily News beginning at 6:45 p.m.

Game 3, if necessary – Saturday, May 3

1 Buchholz at 4 Tate (Cantonment), 7 p.m. CT