ORANGE PARK - Admittedly, St. Johns Country Day School baseball coach Tom Lucas said the second pitch of the night in the Spartans' region semifinal game against University Christian quickly ascended past the right field fence to put starting pitcher Austin Stratman on his proverbial heels, was a quick wake up call as the Spartans battled back to an 8-3 win and advance to the region championship game on Tues., May 13 at St. Johns (22-6) against No. 2 North Florida Christian (19-6). North Florida Christian defeated St. Joseph Academy 2-0 in their region semifinal.

"We didn't play well against St. Joseph Academy in our district final (a 2-1 loss) and I was concerned about how we would respond," said Lucas. "I told Austin, just a junior, he needed to regroup and we want five innings from him. He did a nice job after that hit and the defense came through."
For Stratman, the going got a bit rougher after the Bryson Harnage dinger with a walk and a misplayed centerfield fly ball getting lost in the sun by right field Nick Bowden putting the Spartans against two baserunners very fast.
"They are a good hitting team and we were helping them along," said Lucas. "They just won like 10 in a row and I'm sure were thinking about us beating them 17-2 during the season. We had to man up soon tonight."
After the noted Spartans' 17-2 win on March 28, University rattled off 13 wins, one a 10-0 district title against Eagle's View, against just two losses; West Nassau 7-0 and St. Johns on Saturday.
With the two baserunners in play in the first inning, Stratman got a strikeout and groundout to squelch the threat.
St. Johns's first at bat was a strikeout to monster hitter Kyle Boylston that quieted the Spartan followers awaiting an instant response to the Christian salvo with Kolt Myers grounding out, George Gilson walking and Seth Alford getting a hard line drive snatched out of the air by University pitcher Caden Worthington to ignite the Christian dugout.
University battered Stratman in the third inning with three singles loading the bases with no outs and a decision-making strategy call at the mound with coach Tom Marsh and Lucas.
"We challenged the team right then and there," said Lucas. "Man up and protect your pitcher."
For Stratman, the advice proved prophetic as the quick-throwing lefty foiled the University scoring attempt with three third strike swings by three University batters ending the stanza.
The pitching effort ignited the Spartans dugout with Myers walking, Gilson singling and base-running pressure getting two field errors and two runs for the Spartans with a third run on a passed ball and alert baserunning from Alford at third base.
Stratman settled in, but University was not done with a two run homer coming from Joseph Ramsey to tie the game at 3-3.
Worbington got replaced on the mound by Elias Murdock to which St. Johns put three runners on base with two walks and a balk before Gilson smashed a line drive to right field. Murdock kept sinking in the quicksand of the Spartan batting lineup with three more walks putting another run on the scoreboard, 6-3, before Hunter Rodgers nearly blew up the game with a hard drive to left field that got caught just in front of the fence.
St. Johns piled on with Gabriel Gilliand hammering a solo homer to 7-3 in the fifth.
University put their third pitcher in, senior Camden Harnage, and the Spartans responded with a Gilson sacrifice bunt scoring the final run.
Seth Alford finished on the mound for St. Johns with Stratman getting eight strikeouts on the night.

Class 2A Region Final Matchups

Region 1-2A: No. 2 North Florida Christian (19-6) at No. 1 St. Johns Country Day School (22-6)
Region 2-2A: No. 1 Lakeland (23-4) hosts No. 2 First Academy (23-6)
Region 3-2A: No. 4 Carrollwood Day (25-5) hosts No. 2 Northside Christian (19-9)
Region 4-2A: No. 1 Miami Christian (20-4) hosts No. 3 John Carroll Catholic (18-11)

2023: Class 2A champion Lakeland Christian over St. Johns Country Day School 5-2; Final Four scores: Lakeland Christian over Neumann 3-0, SJCDS over Westminster Academy 8-3
2023 Region finals: St. Johns over North Florida Christian 10-5; Lakeland Christian over Foundation Academy 6-5; Neumann over Canterbury 9-4, Westminister Academy over Miami Christian 9-4