Just as they did last Friday night against Williston, one inning was all it took for the Trenton baseball team.
On Wednesday afternoon, the No. 2 seed Tigers scored six runs in the bottom of the first inning and shut out No. 3 seed and defending state champion Holmes County, 8-0, in the FHSAA Rural state semifinals at Hammond Stadium in Fort Myers.
Trenton, which scored six runs in the first inning in Game 1 of its best-of-three series against Williston in the Rural-Region 4 Final, will play No. 1 Union County for the state title at 4 p.m. on Thursday.
The Tigers from Lake Butler advanced with a 2-0 win against No. 4 seed Cottondale in the other state semifinal.
Thursday’s game will be broadcast on Mainstreet Daily News (free audio online) beginning at 3:45 p.m. with Mike Ridaught (Play-by-play) calling the action.
This story is still developing…
Union County 2, Cottondale 0 – It was a pitcher’s duel in the first state semifinal between Cottondale’s Lane Johnson and Union County’s Erick Lasseter.
Lasseter tossed a shutout and junior Mason Moore had a 2-RBI single in the second inning as the No. 1 seed Tigers defeated the No. 4 seed Hornets, 2-0, in the first FHSAA Rural state semifinal of the day.
The Tigers (23-7) will play No. 2 Trenton (23-5) at 4 p.m. on Thursday for the FHSAA Rural state title.
“It feels great,” said Union County coach Jiwan James. “It’s what we set out to do all the way back in the fall, so to finally get here and get that semifinal win, and now we’re playing on the big stage, the one that we’ve been chasing all year so, we’re here.”
Lasseter threw a complete game, allowing no runs on just two hits with no walks and three strikeouts in seven innings. The senior only threw 70 pitches.
“By far, it’s probably my best outing all year, and I think it really just goes off how much energy I have,” Lasseter said. “I’m one of them guys who, if you ever watch me pitch, I can’t pitch normal, like I’m up there pitching, and I can’t be calm. I’m in the dugout pacing…I’m right out there with the team screaming. I’m the first one out of the dugout. I’m yelling. I mean, that’s how I play, with energy, and I just feel like when I’m on the mound, I’ve controlled the game and I’m doing good, it’s just all positive.”
Johnson tossed six innings and allowed just two runs on two hits for Cottondale (18-12).
Union County and Trenton were supposed to play against each other on April 8 at St. Johns River State College in Palatka, but the game was canceled due to weather.
Now they get to play in a Major League ballpark for the state title.
“It’s going to be a good one,” James said. “We were supposed to match up early in the season. A lot of people were looking forward to it, but I think we’ll take a trade off in the state championship instead of being at St John’s.”