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Eagles roll toward district showdown

By Randy Lefko
Posted 4/18/18

FLEMING ISLAND – Despite some baserunning miscues, the Fleming Island baseball team continued its end-of-season run toward a better district seed with a come-from-behind 3-2 win over Fletcher …

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Eagles roll toward district showdown


Posted

FLEMING ISLAND – Despite some baserunning miscues, the Fleming Island baseball team continued its end-of-season run toward a better district seed with a come-from-behind 3-2 win over Fletcher Saturday night in a rain makeup game with district ramifications.

In district 2-8A, with Oakleaf (4-0-1) currently unbeaten in district play, but with a season-opening 1-1 tie with Fleming Island, three teams; Fletcher (3-1-0), Atlantic Coast (2-2-0) and Fleming Island (5-10-1, 2-2-1) all are battling for the two to four seed positions.

“You give us eight runs over the course of the season that we could use for our season record and we are a 13-2 team,” said Fleming Island head coach Marty Lanoux, who was sitting off the field while recovering from recent heart surgery. “We have a habit of getting guys to second base and not completing the mission. Simple baseball; get guys on base, score.”

Fleming Island has five losses by one run; one by two and the 1-1 tie with Oakleaf, plus a 3-2 win over 6A-Clay and an 8-4 win over 4A-power Pensacola Catholic.

Against Fletcher (13-7), who had already beaten Fleming Island 2-0 on April 9, Fleming Island battle to three innings of scoreless baseball with senior pitcher Caleb Lanoux on the mound.

In their first at bats, Fleming Island got the bases loaded off three walks, but failed to capitalize with Justin Hawkins whiffing on a third strike pitch.

“We have to get the baserunners in,” said Lanoux.

Lanoux controlled the Fletcher bats in the bottom of the first with an opening strikeout on a wicked curve ball, a flyout deep to centerfield and a heads up play from rightfielder Adam Peck who took an errant throw from Lanoux to first base and launched a pick off throw to second base to nail Fletcher baserunner Brock Sinaly for the out.

In the fourth, with the score still locked at 0-0, Fletcher opened with two singles and a third hard shot to Fleming Island third baseman Zack Mercer who bobbled the snag, but was able to get a tag on Logan Roberts trying to get to third base.

From there, the Fleming Island defense faltered with two throwing errors getting two Fletcher runs across home plate; one a pickoff attempt from catcher Sam Kondroik that sailed over third base.

Fleming Island again got baserunners in place, but failed to complete the mission with two walks and a stolen base coming up empty.

In the top of the fifth, Lanoux got two flyouts, but gave up a walk that turned into a tag out at third from Mercer.

In the bottom of the fifth, Lanoux walked to set up baserunner Tyler Hudson for a run off a Peck chopper that Fletcher catcher Aidan Fernandez mishandled as Hudson snuck behind him for the run.

Fletcher responded with a single down the third base line and a steal, but Lanoux got a strikeout and two grounders to end the threat.

In the bottom of the sixth, Hudson blasted a long single into left centerfield that fueled the Golden Eagle dugout. A bunt from Collier Summers moved Hudson to second before a balk pushed him to third base. Noah McCollum shot a long double to left field to score both baserunners as Fleming Island took the lead 3-2, but still had to face the Fletcher lineup one more time.

Fletcher opened with Ethan Napier slicing a hard single over second base that split Summer and McCollum to put a tying run on base. A steal moved Napier to second with a balk to Lanoux putting him at third base before Mercer handled a foul fly ball to end the game.

Fleming Island finishes with the St. Johns River Athletic Conference tournament April 16-20 with home games against Fernandina Beach (15-5 overall, April 24) and Bishop Kenny (13-5 overall, April 25) and the season final at Episcopal (9-11 overall, April 27).