JACKSONVILLE – Oakleaf High senior shortstop Mika Garcia rattled off two homers, but the damage was already done as the Lady Knights won their fifth district title in seven years with an 8-0 win over Atlantic Coast High Thursday night at Atlantic Coast High School.

“We aim to be aggressive in all facets of the game,” said Oakleaf coach Christina Thompson. “The goal is to apply pressure on the opposition, as quickly as possible and maintain that pressure throughout.”

Garcia, who hit a two run homer in the fourth, ripped her solo shot in the sixth that scored the game 6-0, but two more runs were added off Stingray errors, a walk and nifty baserunning from Katie Kistler and Tracy Ferguson as the Knights (26-2) move on to host district 1-8A runnerupTallahassee Lincoln (17-6) on Wed, May 3 in the region 1-8A quarterfinal.

Atlantic Coast (14-7) travels to play Tallahassee Chiles (20-5-1), the district 1-8A champion.

In the bottom of the region 1-8A bracket, district 4-8A runnerup Strawberry Crest (13-12, 2016 state semifinalist) travels to district 3-8A champion Lake Minneola (13-6) while district 3-8A runnerup East Ridge (18-11) travels to play district 4-8A champion Wharton (16-5).

Strawberry Crest beat Oakleaf 6-4 in last year’s region final before losing 12-2 to eventual champion Bartow in the state semifinal.

“We have been to the playoffs every year since this program began (2011),” said Thompson. “We pride ourselves in having one of the toughest schedules in the state, and we make it a point to chase down the best opponents every year.”

In the opening innings, both defense rallied up behind grounders and pop outs to keep fans guessing when the first blow was going to delivered.

In the second inning, with Knights’ pitcher Cambria Arturo getting the start over senior Kelsey Sweatt and sophomore Madi Davis with Oakleaf coach Christina Thompson hopefully relying on the Knights’ stellar defense and saving the big pitching for further into the region and state playoff run, Oakleaf’s defense delivered with a groundout to Baylee Goddard at third and a strikeout after an inning-opening single.

“Lineup decisions are made by me on a game by game basis contingent on player performance, and the needs of the team,” said Thompson. “The lineup changes throughout the year based on who is performing, and the results that come from those changes.”

With Atlantic Coast throwing veteran Taylor Bauman, Oakleaf struck first in the third with Goddard singling and later scoring off a passed ball.

Arturo continued her reign from the mound with a strikeout, a flyout and a grounder.

In the fourth, after Garcia hit her first blast of the night, Kistler scored off a single, a sacrifice bunt from Alex Acevedo and an RBI single from Rebecca Koskey. Kistler had moved to third base off a passed ball.

Groundouts to Goddard at third and Acevedo at second kept the basepaths empty, but Arturo hit a batter to place a baserunner, but Goddard again snuffed the effort with a grounder.