MIDDLEBURG - Middleburg High got game highlights from two seniors; pitcher Morgan Beckham and outfielder Madison Wesley, who combined for a defensive effort and some timely hits to overcome a 1-0 early lead by Columbia Lake City to pull off yet another late-inning comeback for a 4-1 region 1-5A quarterfinal win Thursday, May 9.

"She's my bestie friend for as long as we have been playing," said Beckham, Middleburg's starting pitcher heading to Bowling Green University next fall. "I had to rely on my defense behind me because Columbia is a good hitting team and my team had my back."
For the Broncos (22-4), and coach Ashley Houston, who is again attempting to repeat her Class 5A title of 2022, this year's Broncos are a never-say-die group. The Broncos, the No. 1 seed in the region, advance to host No. 4 Gainesville (21-4), who beat Deltona 12-1 in their region opener, after beating the Broncos 4-0 in the district 2-5A championship game. A win by Middleburg will secure a home region championship game on Friday, May 17.
On the other side of the region bracket, No. 2 Fort Walton Beach (18-10) will host No. 3 Gulf Breeze (15-9).
"Madison is what you want for a senior to step into the moment," said Houston. "She came up big with the hit that gave us the momentum to get the win. And she made a couple of big plays in the outfield."
Houston's reference to Wesley's performance revolved around three spectacular outfield snags that thwarted possible Columbia scores and a key single in the seventh inning that fueled a go-ahead double by Alyssa Prather as the Broncos bats were quiet for most of the game against Columbia pitcher Harleigh Price, who slung 10 strikeouts on the Bronco lineup.
For Middleburg, Beckham was on the mound first after two rough starts in the Broncos district semifinal and final; both seeing Beckham replaced in the early innings by junior Lily Bennett.
Beckham seemed "shaky", as she said after the game, with Columbia scoring first in the fourth inning with a walk on a bases-loaded situation, but Houston visited and kept the senior hurler on the mound.
"In my heart, I knew she had it in her and I had to make her believe in herself because I did," said Houston. "I
From there, both pitchers kept throwing haymakers as the innings sped by behind Price's arm and Beckham's defense, including a stellar double play from Bronco shortstop KK Hagan to second base Alyssa Pifer to first base Kerra Clarida after a bobbled grounder at the mound by Beckham.
"My defense came through behind me," said Beckham, who was teary-eyed praising her defense. "I knew I had to settle down and make my pitches count."
An error by Hagan in the fifth and a single gave Wesley her first heroic opportunity with a nifty sliding scoop of a fly ball to end the inning.
Price put two baserunners in play with walks in the bottom of the fifth, but shut down the scoring effort with a strikeout.
Mika Wesley, the sister, came up big with a rocket line drive to centerfield getting snagged on Beckham's first pitch of the sixth inning with a grounder and strikeout riding the momentum of the superb catch.
The Wesley siblings came up big in the ensuing inning with a single by Madison and a sacrifice bunt from Mika getting a single by Hagan to load the bases for Prather's monster double to left field that scored Wesley and Hagan.
"It was big for Madison to step into the box and get that hit and create some momentum," said Houston. "That pitcher was throwing a no-hitter to that point and we put pressure on her."
Price, just a freshman, seemed troubled by the Broncos' sudden bats and gave up two walks and hit batter Madison Strickland to score a run with another walk scoring the fourth run for Middleburg.
Appropriately, Madison Wesley made the final fielding out for Beckham for the second out with Beckham striking out Price to end the game.