KEYSTONE HEIGHTS - Middleburg, Clay and Oakleaf high schools all earned softball district titles last week with five of the seven high schools; minus Ridgeview and St. Johns Country Day School, all advancing into the FHSAA region playoffs after a week of turbulent district finals games.
With Oakleaf dominating their district 2-6A championship game with a 7-0 win over Buchholz, led by hard hitting from senior Jaydyn Beall, the No. 4 ranked Lady Knights (11-12) advanced into the region 1-6A bracket to host No. 5 Bartram Trail (15-11) as region playoffs gear up On Wednesday and Thursday, May 7 and May; 1A-4A on May 7, 5A-7A on May 8. Oakleaf won an eighth inning 2-1 match against Tocoi Creek in their district semifinal. Bartram Trail defeated Oakleaf 4-2 in March in their only meeting of the year.
For the rest of the region lineup, Clay, earned their district title in district 4-4A with a riveting 5-4 eighth inning walk win over Pedro Menendez via a double from junior Grace Miller.
In Region 1-4A, No. 4 Clay (15-10) will host No. 5 Arnold High (17-8), ironically, the same lineup for the Clay High baseball team in their region final this week, with No. 1 Baker County (19-4) hosting No. 8 Choctowhatchee (5-18) in the upper bracket region opener.
In Region 1-5A, with Middleburg and Fleming Island battling to a 5-4 win by the Lady Broncos in the district 3-5A championship game, both teams advanced into the region playoffs with No. 3 Middleburg (18-8) hosting No. 6 Milton (14-12) and No. 5 Fleming Island (15-7) traveling to No. 4 Tallahassee Chiles (19-3).
In Region 2-2A, Keystone Heights High lost 4-3 in their district 5-2A championship game in an eighth inning finale after a thrilling seventh inning comeback fueled by a two run double from Kadence Massey tied Newberry High at 3-3. Keystone Heights allowed a bases loaded scenario on starting pitcher Kadence Massey with the game ending on a hit by pitch call by the home plate umpire.
No. 2 Keystone Heights (9-16) will travel to No. 2 Trinity Catholic (19-8) for their region opener on May 7 with No. 3 Melbourne Central (19-3) hosting No. 6 Windermere Prep (15-5) in the opposite opener.
In district 2-1A, St. Johns Country Day School won a 12-2 opener over First Coast Christian, but lost in the district championship game 18-3 to No. 1 Christ's Church Academy to end the Spartans season at 4-14.
In district 3-5A, Ridgeview faced off and lost an 8-0 semifinal to Fleming Island to finish their season at 9-15.
Also in district 3-5A, Orange Park lost an 11-0 match to Middleburg to end their season at 4-19.