FT MYERS - An unusual double over the centerfield fence by Preston Cole and an errant catcher's throw that deflected off Cole's helmet was the extent of the St. Johns Country Day School's offense in the first inning of their Class 1A state semifinal game against Brito Miami High School as the Spartans advanced to the Class 1A championship game with a 2-0 win Wednesday afternoon in Ft. Myers.
"We didn't swing it well; Brayden (Harris) and Chandler (Dantzler) threw well," said St. Johns coach Tom Lucas, who is looking to defend his Class 2A title of last year as the No. 1 seed this year. "Hunter (Rodgers) and Preston Cole with big hits in the first inning and then we just hung on."
In the first inning, with Harris opening on the mound, Brito, a past seven time state champion with their last 10 years ago, got a quick single from Luis Amariz who stole second, but the Spartan defense got two outs off a fly ball and a nifty third base scoop and throw from Ethan Bissell.
In their initial at bats, Hunter Rodgers set up the RBI double from Cole with a single that got a stolen base to second from pinch runner Gavin Coffey. Cole smashed a long fly ball behind the centerfielder that hit the wall then got deflected back over the wall by centerfielder Raivon Pinder's glove to return Cole to second base. Cole had sprinted to third by the time the outfield action stopped.
Coffey scored on the Cole double with Cole eventually taking third base on a wild pitch to set up the second Spartan run.
In a second odd play involving Cole, Brito catcher Luis Diaz fielded a second wild pitch from Samuel Castro on Harris at bat then threw hard toward third but hit Cole's helment to allow Cole to jog over home plate to put the game at 2-0.
With Brito getting six hits to finish the game and St. Johns getting just the two in the first inning from Rodgers and Cole, both defenses and pitchers went to work to change the score to no avail.
In the bottom of the seventh, St. Johns made the game dramatic with a double in centerfield off T.J. Sunderhaus putting the tying runs in play with Chandler Dantzler on the mound. Dantzler gave up a single prior to the double to put two baserunners in play with Dantzler getting a one ball, two strike count on Luis Almeda before first baseman George Gilliand snagged a hard line drive toward right field to secure the game. Harris finished with eight strikeouts to get the win.
St. Johns will face No. 2 Canterbury in the state final on Thursday, May 15 at 7 p.m with Canterbury defeating No. 3 Orangewodd Christian 3-2 in eighth inning walkoff win their semifinal.
Canterbury, 25-11 for the season, but at 9-9 in midseason, won three straight state titles from 2016 to 2018.
Orangewood Christian held a 2-0 lead into the sixth inning against Canterbury before Canterbury got baserunners in place off a hit batter and a double. Sophomore Noah Kiefer would slam a hard grounder to first that was bobbled to score Canterbury's first run. Next batter, Brayden Habuda hit into a double play grounder, but outran the throw to first to score tie the game at 2-2.
In the eight, Canterbury used a bunt on two strikes to put baserunners at first and third in the eighth. A steal to second base set up a line drive off a full count to sophomore Noah Kiefer for the gamewinning runs, 3-2.
Canterbury starter JT Huether struck out 12 batters to earn the win with just three walks.
"They threw their big arm in that game, just like we did, but they are crazy deep pitching wise," said Lucas. "They are good and they were trailing all game."